The Roseland and the Lizard

The gentle south coast of the Roseland Peninsula is home to sailing, walking and some wonderful hotels. St Mawes is a magnet, with both the effortlessly chic Hotel Tresanton and the family-friendly Idle Rocks. From here, take the King Harry Ferry, which connects you to Falmouth and its busy sailing scene.

South and you head onto the Lizard. The Helford Estuary has come of the best dinghy sailing in the country. This is the land of Daphne du Maurier's Frenchman's Creek with inlets galore. The Ferryboat Inn at Mawnan Smith is a favourite and you can hire boats just below. The Helford River Sailing Club organises regattas throughout the summer, and the Helford River Children's Sailing Trust runs fantastic programme sailing courses for children aged 8-18.

Hotels in the area include The Buddock Vene, old-fashioned but still popular. The Nare is luxurious but expensive. The Driftwood has been recently re-done. A favourite for families is the Rosevive, just above Porthcurnick beach and its hugely popular Hidden Hut cafe.

Heading south again and the landscape starts to change. Coverack is a fishing harbour with a lovely beach. The Bay Hotel has a great location and has recently been bought.

Mullion is a pretty Cornish town with the newly re-vamped Mullion Cove Hotel with excellent self-catering cottages.

As you get towards the southern-most point of England, the landscape becomes more rugged. Older kids will love The Polurrian Bay Hotel. Make sure you walk along the coastal path from here to Poldhu Cove which is about two miles away. It is a windy, blowy path. Look out for the monument to Marconi, marking the first Translantic radio transmission from the Cornish coast direct to the East Coast of America. Stare at the grey sea westwards and imagine the leap of faith it must have been. Then carry on down to lovely sandy beach for hot chocolate among the dunes watching a bunch of kite surfers.

Other popular villages include Cadgwith and Porthleven. The latter has a foodie reputation, Rick Stein has opened a restaurant recently and the Porthleven Food Festival.

Birmingham

From the airport

Trains: Trains leave every 10 minutes for the city centre.

Bus: Bus 900 stops at Birmingham International train station and the centre.

Shop

More than 10 000 vinyl records, new releases and second-hand, and DJ equipment make Hard to Find Records a hit with music aficionados.
Just one of three UK cities with a Selfridges, the Birmingham branch of this exclusive department store is worth visiting for its acclaimed architecture alone.

Why pay full price for bus fare? Off-peak fares are available from 9.30am-3.29pm, then after 6pm Monday to Friday, and all day on the weekend and bank holidays.

The screen at Birmingham's IMAX cinema, at Millenium Point, is an impressive 22 metres by 16 metres, that is as high as three double-decker buses places on top of one another.

Follow in the footsteps Birmingham University's students and explore the bars, cafes and ethnic eateries of Selly Oak.

Join savvy locals for a lively night out in Harbone, where the pubs, bars and restaurants give those in the city centre a run for their money.

Day trip

Dudley. Museums that delve into everything from glass making to the area's urban heritage (Black Country Living Museum), a zoo, one of only four surviving glass cones in the UK (glass furnaces built in the 18th century) and the stately Himley Hall & Park are just some of Dudley's attractions.
Ludlow. Possibly Shropshire's prettiest town comes complete with an enviable riverside location, ruined 11th-century castle, handsome parish church and the intricate timber facade of the Feathers Hotel, Ludlow is about an hour's drive from Birmingham city centre.

Bournemouth

From the airport

Bus: A daily shuttle bus (service A1) runs every hour from 7.30am-6.30pm from the airport to Bournemouth's travel interchange and main square.

Shop

Design and paint your own pottery gifts at All Fired Up, an attractive shop and cafe in the town square.

Locals rate Hengistbury Head as the best place for a winter walk, wrap up warm and check out the great views over to the Purbecks, the Isle of Wight, New Forest and Christchurch harbour.

Take a walk along the river, past a 12th-century castle to the harbour in the old market town of Christchurch. It is a foodie destination, too, with a good selection of well-regarded restaurants.

Day trip

Lulworth. An hour's drive from Bournemouth, Lulworth has great walks along its coastline. Visit the almost perfectly round Lulworth Cove and the Durdle Door arch. Check out Lulworth Castle with its animal park.

Gibraltar

From the airport
Bus: buses 3, 9 and 10 run roughly every 10 minutes from the airport terminal to various destinations including Casemates Square, Catalan Bay and Europa Point.

Shop

Head to the top of Main Street (towards the cable car) for some of the best shopping on the Rock, with stores like Monsoon, Next, Accessorize and Tommy Hilfiger all within a short strut of each other.
Keep walking up Main Street until you reach The Arcade at number 38. Tucked down an alleyway, there are several one-off shops like Woodstock of Wembley, selling music, sports and film memorabilia and Happy Melody for black-leather biker gear.

Prices are often lower in Gibraltar with no VAT on goods and only a modest import duty, so leave room in your suitcase and stock up during your visit.

Europa Point, one of the two ancient pillars of Hercules, is the ideal vantage point for gazing across the straits to Morocco. The lighthouse dates from 1841 ansd marks the meeting place of the Atlantic and the Med.

Don't forget that the currency here in Gibraltar sterling which, while resembling and on a par with the UK currency, is not legal tender beyond the Rock. Ask for UK sterling when you receive change for a cash payment.

Day trip

San Roque. Head for historically rich San Roque (just 15 minutes' drive east of the Rock) and hop on the train to Rhonda, which stops at some of the region's most delightful pueblos blancos (white villages), like Benaojan.
Vejer de la Frontera. This whitewashed village perches like an eagle's nest atop a mountain, about 90 minutes' drive along the Cadiz coast. The tangle of cobbled streets is interspersed with gritty local bars, foreign-owned galleries and several excellent restaurants.

Gibraltar is the Gretna Green of Europe with hundreds of couples exchanging their vows at the Registry Office here each year, including a number of celebs like Sean Connery and John Lennon. Souvenir shops sell copies of the late Beatle's wedding certificate for a fiver.

Liverpool

Liverpool's docks and historic centre reflect its importance as a commercial port, central to the Industrial Revolution and the growth of the British Empire. In the mid-19th century, Britain produced 40% of the world's goods and Liverpool was the prime port for the transatlantic shipping of cargo and passengers. More shamefully, between 1699 and 1807, Liverpool transported 1364930 African slaves as compared to London's 744721. 

The Mersey Railway Tunnel opened in 1886 and in 1903 became the world's fisrt to transport an electrified railway under a waterway.



From the airport

Train: Buses 80A and 86A go to Liverpool South Parkway for trains to Liverpool Lime Street.

Bus: Arriva's Airlink 500 runs to the city centre every 20 minutes, 5am-5.30pm, then every 30 minutes until midnight.

Shop

From zoom-focus binoculars to anchor-shaped doorknockers, Nauticalia stocks reproduction shipping memorabilia.
Nearly 40 years old, Probe is a true Liverpool legend and still the best place in town to acquire rare vinyl and CDs.

The city centre is compact with a mix of high-street and one-off shops. Renshaw Street houses the "Barcelona", a red-brick building crammed with vintage shops.

The World Museum's Ancient Egypt Gallery houses 1300 objects including five human mummies and a rare belt worn by the last great pharaoh king.

A 15-minute train ride takes you to Waterloo, once a Victorian resort and now home to sculptor Antony Gormley's famous iron men sculptures, plus rare wildlife including the natterjack toad.

Choc-a-bloc with bars, clubs and restaurants, including Mexican, Indian, Italian and Japanese, all within 100 metres or so, the once crumbling Ropewalks is now one of the city's liveliest districts by night.

Day trip

Martin Mere. The Martin Mere Wildlife Centre is home to 100 rare species of ducks, geese, swans and flamingos, and just 45 minutes drive from Liverpool. Facilities include a cafe overlooking the wetlands and accessible hides.
Delamere Forest Park. Facilities at Cheshire's largest wooded area, less than an hour's drive from Liverpool, include a cafe, cycle hire, picnic sites, way-marked paths and an all-ability trail.