Last year's "monsoon summer" might have had many of us vowing through gritted, chattering teeth, never to holiday at home again, but in truth our fickle weather can do no more than the over-priced train tickets and motorway queues to change the fact that the UK has some of the most stunning coasts, fascinating historic cities and varied countryside you'll find anywhere. And a little rain can't dampen our enthusiasm for exploring them ... or at least not for long.
With that in mind, the last in our series of January Q&As will focus on UK holidays, with a panel of experts who between them have travelled to almost every corner of the country. Whether you are looking for fabulous accommodation, information on a particular destination or inspiration for your next trip, post a question now for our panel. They will be live online on Wednesday 30 January from 1-2pm GMT answering your queries.
The Panel
Lucy Gillmore is a freelance journalist who left a newspaper travel desk in London to move up to Scotland six years ago. She has lived in a Perthshire glen, Edinburgh's New Town and on a Highland estate in Inverness-shire. Travelling around the country from the Outer Hebrides to the Borders, she's hiked from the west coast to the east along the Great Glen Way, landed on the beach in Barra and endured a choppy boat trip to the most remote pub on the Scottish mainland.
Tom Hall is the editor of LonelyPlanet.com. His Q&A Ask Tom runs fornightly on theguardian.com/travel. His recent UK trips have included: Northumberland,and cycling in the Lake District and York, while Dorset, Gloucestershire, Sutherland and some island-hopping in the Hebrides are coming up.
Joanne O'Connor was travel editor of the Observer and currently works as a freelance travel writer for the Guardian, the Observer and various other newspapers and magazines. Since becoming a mum her travels have been focussed on the UK and Europe. She's a huge fan of holidaying in Britain, loves rooting out quirky and affordable places to stay and is currently plucking up the courage to take her toddler camping for the first time this summer. She lives in London.
Rachael Oakden is a freelance writer specialising in the British coast and countryside. Based in Cumbria's Eden Valley, she is most at home in the fells and dales of northern England, although recent assignments have taken her from south-west Wales to north-west Scotland.
Matthew Oates has worked for the National Trust for 22 years, during which time he's travelled extensively throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Although he specialises in butterflies and lowland habitats he is very much an all-round naturalist, and has worked in several different areas of nature conservation over the years. An author and broadcaster, he lives in the south Cotswolds.
Harry Pearson was born and brought up on Teesside and lives in Northumberland. He has written a number of books on Northern England including Racing Pigs and Giant Marrows and Slipless in Settle. His work for Guardian Travel includes pieces on Lindisfarne, the north Pennines, Northumberland's beaches and the city of Durham.
Rob Penn is the author of several books including It's All About the Bike: the Pursuit of Happiness on Two Wheels. He is a director of the cycling holiday company, Bikecation (bikecation.co.uk). Rob lives in the Black Mountains, south Wales with his wife, three children, two spaniels and six bicycles. He knows the byways and bicycle lanes of Britain well. He has also explored most corners of Wales.
Kevin Rushby has been writing for the Guardian since 2005. He lives in York but has travelled all over the UK on assignment, often by bike, on foot and occasionally by boat. His new monthly column, Kevin's Unsung Corners of Britain, which explores the lesser-known parts between the UK's famous landmarks, launched on Saturday.
Sally Shalam is a former travel editor who has been reviewing accommodation for The Guardian since 2005. The number of hotels, bed and breakfasts and self-catering properties in which she has stayed runs into hundreds, from Cornwall to the Cairngorms. She is a mine of information and has her finger firmly on the pulse when it comes to staying in the UK.
Dixe Wills is an author (dixewills.com) and travel writer specialising in budget and green travel, mostly in the UK. He lives in east London but is more at home in a tent. He spent six months travelling around the UK with his two-man, reseaching his book Tiny Campsites (Punk). His next book, Tiny Islands, is due out on 1 May and covers 60 of Britain's most beguiling diminutive islands.
