On the Tyler trail

I am an avid reader of Anne Tyler's novels and want to visit their setting, Baltimore in Maryland. I am a young woman and would be travelling alone. Can you recommend suitable places to stay, things to see and do, and maybe other destinations not too far from this city? What is the best time of year to go over there? (I'm travelling from Berlin.)
Hannah Mossop, Berlin

Baltimore, as well as being the inspiration for Anne Tyler's stories, is a city with a long, boom-and-bust history and a proud naval heritage, as well as a lively night scene. There's much here to reward the history and culture buff - Edgar Allan Poe is buried in the city and Billie Holiday grew up here. If that's not enough, in 1814 Francis Scott Key wrote the poem that would become 'The Star-Spangled Banner' after watching British ships bombard Baltimore but fail to damage the huge flag flying from the city's Fort McHenry.

The city's Inner Harbor is the main tourist zone, with museums, shops, the world's tallest pentagonal structure (the Baltimore World Trade Centre) and the only surviving example of a Civil War ship, the USF Constellation.

Try to get to a baseball game at Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles and a fantastic example of a modern retro ballpark built with sensitivity for the history it reflects - Babe Ruth was born two blocks away.

There are a few good B&Bs centrally located - try Betsy's (00 1 410 383 1274) in a historic old house, double from £65, or Mr Mole B&B (00 1 410 728 1179), slightly more expensive at £80 a night. Baltimore is well placed for trips to Washington DC (30 minutes away by train or bus), Annapolis (Maryland's state capital), and the Assateague Island National Seashore, a stretch of barren, undeveloped coastline well worth a visit as an antidote to more exploited stretches elsewhere.

See www.portaltomaryland.com/baltimore.htm for more on the city.

Baltimore can be seen at any time of year, but visiting just outside the peak summer months will see the best availability of accommodation and fewer visitors to jostle with when out exploring.

Pompeii in winter

I have a few days in January in Europe and am thinking of going to Naples. Please would you tell me what the weather should be like then. Are the sights of Pompeii and Herculaneum open as usual out of season? Any suggestions for a hotel?
Yoshi Ozaki, by email

January in Naples is likely to be chilly and damp, with temperatures hovering around 10-12C and a fair chance of rain most days. Though it's off-season, Pompeii and Herculaneum will both be open all day (see http://www2.pompeiisites.org). Visiting in January it will be a lot less obvious that Pompeii is Italy's most popular tourist destination. For a comfortable hotel near the waterfront try Hotel Rex (00 39 081 764 9389; www.hotel-rex.it) with singles from £47.

To Poland by train

I am going to Poland in November, and would like to fly to Berlin and then get the train to Warsaw. I understand there are direct trains. Do you know how long the journey takes, how much one can expect to pay and how one can reserve tickets? Also, is the train the best way to get from Warsaw to Cracow?
Martin Fraser, Reading

Rail would be a much more popular way to travel if all train companies were run like the Deutsche Bahn (0870 243 5363) which operates a quick,easy UK booking service. There are normally six trains a day from Berlin, with the fastest taking around five hours to cover the 350 miles. Return tickets start at £44, but there are sometimes discounts for early booking.

Train is also the best way to get from Warsaw to Cracow, even though this involves negotiating Warsaw Central station, a concrete block that's as unwelcoming inside as it is outside.

Keep your wits about you, as it's easy to get lost and you should be on your guard against theft. Fast trains take two and a half hours and tickets, from £15, are easily available at Central station.

Coconut isle quest

After seeing the rugby team from the island of Niue play at the Commonwealth Games my husband and I are desperate to go there. No matter how hard I try I'm really struggling to find a way. Can you help?
Natalie Watson, by email

Niue (which means 'Behold the Coconut') is a speck in the South Pacific 1,500 miles north-east of New Zealand and 300 miles from Tonga. It's an independent state in free association with New Zealand, whose currency it uses. It's a quiet, easy-going place with a rocky coastline, great diving and a traditional Polynesian way of life.

Don't, however, expect to find golden, sandy beaches as just finding somewhere to enter the water on the difficult coastline can be tricky. It's not the easiest place to get to, but Royal Tongan Airlines fly to Hanan International Airport from Auckland three times a week.

It was as tricky as you say to find out about booking tickets, but you can expect a flight to cost in the region of £450, on top of your air fare from London to Auckland. Air New Zealand (020 8600 7600) can help with reservations, if you can get availability (we couldn't).

If you do make it, you'll have got to one of the least visited destinations anywhere, so good luck! See www.niueisland.com and Lonely Planet's South Pacific guide for more information on the island.

LAX

We (two retired couples) will be returning from a trip Down Under in November and face a seven-hour stopover in Los Angeles. We have spent time in the very unwelcoming transit lounge at the airport on a previous trip, and hope that this time we will be able to move around the airport complex. Please can you suggest ways of passing the time there, what facilities are available - massage, exercise, meals and the like?
H. and D. Griffiths, by email

Los Angeles International airport does not have exercise or shower facilities, but with seven hours you should be able to clear customs and head to a nearby sports centre or hotel to use their facilities. The very helpful www.eLayover.com can recommend activities based on the amount of time you have. For some massage and general pampering, the Burke Williams Day Spa has several locations close to the airport. Make sure you check with your airline about check-in times when you go so that you allow enough time to get back. You can find out what the airport does offer, with public transport information and other frequently asked questions, at www.lawa.org/lax/laxframe.html.

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