KEY POINTS:
Three of my friends and I are planning to do the Moscow-Beijing train trip this year. We want to be in St Petersburg on August 2 but can't decide which way to go (St Petersburg, then Moscow to Beijing during August, or Beijing to Moscow in July, then St Petersburg). What is your recommendation? Alison Schofield
The Trans-Siberian Railway, as it is generically known, includes the Trans-Mongolian and Trans-Manchurian railways and is one of the most famous and potentially enjoyable of the world's great train journeys.
Lonely Planet has an entire guidebook devoted to it. This is because there is quite a bit you should know before you embark on your journey to ensure that it runs as smoothly as possible.
We recommend you break your rail trip at Irkutsk to visit Lake Baikal for a day or two. The stunning blue colour of the crystal clear waters here, with the backdrop of tree-covered foreshore and mountains, is a sight to behold.
Irkutsk itself has a well set-up tourist infrastructure and there are a number of interesting museums to visit. Here you will change to the Trans-Mongolian for Ulaan Baatar. A stop here is also recommended before changing to the Trans-Manchurian to Beijing.
If you do make these stopovers, be aware that you'll need three separate tickets: Moscow-Irkutsk, Irkutsk-Ulaan Baatar and Ulaan Baatar-Beijing.
A travel agent can help you with tickets, which you'll need to book in advance. There are also tour companies providing an escorted rail experience who will provide guided tours and accommodation at your stops along the way.
When you go and in which direction is really up to you. July and August fall into the high season, so ticket prices will be much the same. There won't be much difference weather-wise either - it will be quite hot for much of the time - although August might be a few degrees cooler than July.
Go to the Thorn Tree forum at lonelyplanet.com to see what other travellers have to say about this great rail journey.
Winter wonderland
Myself, my son, daughter-in-law and their three children, now aged 12, 8 and 4, plan to visit the US later this year. We will be in the Washington DC and New York areas during the Christmas period. My son wants snow. We are thinking of an economical log cabin with an open fire in a beautiful Christmassy village. Any suggestions? Diana Simmons
You can't be sure of snow in Washington DC in December but there are certainly many areas of New York State where you'll find your Christmas snow. It also happens to be home to a number of downhill and cross-country ski resorts and trails, something which might interest the kids.
The town of Windham in the Catskills, two hours north of New York City, is a charming place with great eating and sleeping options.
The ski resort here is ideal for families and has a great beginners' run. There's also a snowboard park and snow tubing, where you race down 14 runs lying on your back in a canvas-covered tube. For more information go to www.skiwindham.com.
Also close to New York City is the bucolic Hudson Valley region. There's a lot to see and do here - great architecture, awesome historic homes and mansions, a busy arts scene, good restaurants, cross-country skiing trails - or you can just wallow in the extraordinary opulence and oozing wealth of this part of the US.
The Finger Lakes Region in the state's west is known for its picturesque villages and its spectacular natural sites, including stunning gorges and the highest straight waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains (although winter is not the time to see it).
In winter, the towns of Syracuse and Rochester are famous for a phenomenon known as "lake effect snow", where cold white flakes accumulate very quickly and bury the cities, sometimes for months at a time.
The cross-country trails here provide some absolutely gorgeous views. Skaneateles, at the top of Skaneateles Lake, is one of the nicest small towns in the region. There's not a lot to do but there are a few interesting shops and some good restaurants. The lovely college town of Ithaca is the place to stay if you want more to see and do and it's just a jump away from some of the region's most popular cross-country trails. For more information, visit www.fingerlakes.org.
For listings of cabins, cottages and houses for rent go to www.homeaway.com or www.nyvacationrentals.com and key in your destination.
At that time of year, you can expect to pay from $850 to $1940 per week for a cabin sleeping six, depending on the number and standard of amenities and proximity to a town.
