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My 26-year-old daughter is planning to travel to Peru, Brazil and Argentina at Christmas for two weeks. She would like to join a tour - one that would include younger travellers such as herself, but not a party-type tour.
Martha Lim
Trying to cover three South American countries in a two-week period is a big ask, particularly if your daughter would like to get a more in-depth feel for the regions she's visiting. She could instead focus on one country, or even an area of that country.
That said, if she wants to pack as much as she can into her trip, there are advantages in tours. With everything prearranged and booked, she can hit the ground running and cover a lot of territory in a short space of time.
There are many companies out there offering tours to Brazil, Argentina and Peru.
Gap Adventures offers a range of tours covering various budgets, activity types and styles of travel. Imaginative Traveller has a good mix of tours covering everything from city experiences to the Inca trail. There's also Intrepid, Tucan Travel and Dragoman.
Brazil, Peru and Argentina have so many attractions, it's hard to know where to start. Peru's rich cultural heritage stretches back thousands of years, from the ancient Inca capital of Cuzco and the lost city of Machu Picchu to the Spanish colonial cities of more recent times.
The Peruvian Andes attracts seasoned trekkers, and the mountains are also home to indigenous highlanders who still live a traditional way of life.
Brazil has pristine beaches, steamy jungles and manic metropolises. Music and dancing are as integral here as eating and sleeping, and you'll find as many regional styles as there are shades of people. While it may not be the Eden of popular imagination, Brazil is incredibly beautiful.
Argentina abounds with stunning natural wonders, and its capital Buenos Aires is a mix of European-flavoured sophistication and passionate culture. This is one Latin American country where visitors from a European background can feel at ease and travel inconspicuously.
Look at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade's travel advisories at www.safetravel.govt.nz as part of the planning process.
Overnight adventures
My husband and I love overnight train trips when we're in Europe. Can you suggest some interesting overnight routes for our next trip, and some flash accommodation?
Toni Trafford
There are several overnight routes that fit the bill for a little romance on the rails, such as Paris to Rome or Madrid, Moscow to St Petersburg, or Venice to Vienna.
You could depart Milan aboard a superior EuroNight sleeper train, then chug through Lausanne, Lyon, Valence, Nimes and Perpignan to arrive in Barcelona 14 hours later. The city has some great boutique accommodation to recharge your batteries after your whiz through Italy, Switzerland, France and Spain.
For stylishly streamlined rooms in the L'Eixample, try the Hotel Balmes; doubles from $255). Hotel Jazz; doubles from $255) in trendy El Raval has plenty of designer touches, a brilliant pool terrace and spacious rooms.
Or you could take a EuroNight train to Italy from Zurich, departing at 9.27pm and arriving in Rome at 9.12am, after having passed through Bern, Thun and Brig, Milan, Bologna and Florence. To relax after your jaunt, book into the Hotel des Artistes; doubles from $320) in the Termini district or the Hotel Art; doubles from $600), a converted chapel dripping with edgy style and glamour near the Spanish Steps.
Shorter but equally spectacular routes include Norway's Bergensbanen between Oslo and Bergen, the highest train line in Northern Europe. Scotland's Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh train line is considered one of Britain's most scenic lines. Switzerland's Bernina Express (Chur to Tirano; www.rhb.ch) and Glacier Express (St Moritz to Zermatt; www.glacierexpress.ch) are equally impressive.
For advice, check out the Man in Seat 61.
