Dr Latitude: See Niagara Falls and squeeze in Canada

Niagara Falls is 350km from Cleveland along the I-90.

We are flying to Chicago next month and staying four nights. We have eight days free until we need to be in New York and were thinking of driving to New York via Niagara Falls. What would be the best route and is hiring a car the best idea?
-Greg Ward

Hiring a car is a great way to get around the United States and in eight days you could even add a few Canadian destinations.

If you're a rock'n'roll fan, visit Cleveland's renowned Hall of Fame.

Your next stop, Niagara Falls, is 350km from Cleveland along the I-90. Toronto is only 130km from the falls, from where Montreal, Quebec and Boston could form the basis of the rest of your itinerary.

If you'd prefer to focus on New England, head east from Niagara instead of north, taking in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, Vermont, Boston, Plymouth, Rhode Island and Connecticut.

Hiring a car in the US is straightforward if you have a major credit card and are over 25.

Check out Alamo, Budget and Thrifty and be prepared to pay a little more for a one-way rental. Alamo quotes $798 for eight days in a small four-door automatic, picking it up in Chicago and dropping it off in New York City.

Seeing real Italy

We are planning a two-week trip along the west coast of Italy, starting in the last week of September. We thought of flying to Rome and then going direct to Sicily for three days, spending eight days exploring the coast, through Cosenza, Amalfi, Rome, Tuscany, Cinque Terre and Milan. What is the most economical transport and accommodation?
-Gabrielle Domett

Sicily is a multicultural delight of Greek temples, Arab domes, Byzantine mosaics, Norman churches and baroque architecture, plus plenty of gorgeous beaches.

In three or four days you should be able to see the highlights of Palermo, Taormina, Syracuse and Agrigento. Buses are the most reliable means of getting around.

Italy's wonderful train network will get you to most of the places you want to see, except Tuscany, where buses will get you to more out-of-the-way towns such as Siena and San Gimignano.

Cosenza's attractive old town is a highlight of the trip from Sicily through Calabria. The trip from Messina takes three to four hours, including a change at Paola for the 25-minute side trip to Cosenza.

The Amalfi Coast begins about three hours from Cosenza, at Salerno. From there, catch a bus to Positano, Amalfi or Sorrento, from where boats run to Capri. Naples is 30 minutes by train from Salerno and you could stop at Pompeii along the way.

Heading north to Milan and the Cinque Terre, highlights include Orvieto, Assisi, Perugia, Pisa, Lucca and Genoa.

A rough, and perhaps a little ambitious, itinerary for your eight days in mainland Italy could be: day 1, Messina to Salerno, Sorrento or Naples; day 2, Amalfi, Capri or Pompeii and late train to Rome; day 3, Rome; day 4, Rome to Florence; day 5, Florence and Siena; day 6, Florence to Genoa; day 7, Cinque Terre; day 8, Genoa to Milan. An eight-day rail pass with Rail Plus costs $581 for first-class travel and $469 second class.

Farmstays, known as agriturismo, are a great way to get a sense of Italy's rural backbone. Smaller hotels (albergos) and B&B-type accommodation are the next best thing. Have a look at B&B Italia for smaller hotels and B&Bs.

Surreal fairyland

My wife and I will be staying at Urgup, in Turkey's Cappadocia area, for a few days in September. What should we aim to see?
-Gordon Gabriel

There aren't many places in the world as surreal as Cappadocia, in central Turkey. The famous cave houses and lunar landscapes are a huge drawcard, but the region has retained a good deal of its village pace and traditional lifestyle.

Regional highlights are Goreme's churches hewn out of rock, the ancient churches of the Ihlara Valley, the subterranean cities at Derinkuyu and Kaymaki, and the Greek atmosphere of Mustafapasa.

One treat is taking a hot-air balloon ride over the fairy chimneys at dawn. Goreme Balloons is based in Urgup, and offers unforgettable dawn rides starting at $274 each.

You could easily spend half a day in Goreme's open-air museum. The tiny, dimly lit Byzantine churches, chapels and monasteries cut into the rock feature striking frescoes and icons.

Goreme is set amid soaring honeycombed cliffs and fairy chimneys.

You might also like to follow one of the walks through the rocky valleys in the Goreme National Park.

You could make another day trip to Uchisar, a slightly quieter alternative to Goreme which is dominated by a rock castle.

The sleepy village of Cavusin is another option, with a church boasting some fabulous frescoes.

You should have an enjoyable and relaxing time in Urgup, where some of the lovely pre-1920 Greek buildings have been transformed into wonderful hotels and restaurants.

The nicest thing to do here is to go for a wander through the old part of town, northwest of the main square, taking in the fine old houses.

Before going to Turkey, read the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade's travel advisory at safetravel.govt.nz.