It’s time to catch Quebec in all its autumn beauty

Q MY WIFE and I are planning a self-drive trip to Quebec. We want to see the autumn colours, so is October a good time to visit?

Mark, by email A MOST people think of New England when it comes to crossing the Atlantic to enjoy the ‘fall’, but the end of September to mid-October is also a great time to visit Quebec to see the season’s colours in their full glory. On the Gaspé Peninsula, the trees have the striking blue waters of the St Lawrence Gulf as a backdrop. Travellers can leafpeep while whale-watching in Forillon National Park, where seven types of whales can be seen through October.

Wexas Travel (wexas.com) is offering an eight-day self-drive break in Quebec costing from £1,995 per person, based on two sharing on a room-only basis. The price includes return flights to Montreal, car hire, a Montreal city sightseeing tour and a Quebec city walking tour. Q CAN you suggest a good hotel in an interesting London location for a family stay? I’m treating my grandchildren to a capital half-term break.

Doting Granny, Chester A THE Mayfair Athenaeum Hotel (athenaeumhotel. com) on Piccadilly recently won the award as Favourite Hotel from the travel website Family Vacation Critic.

The Athenaeum apartments claim to provide ‘a unique collection of private and luxurious fully serviced London apartments offering elegance, convenience and style’. The hotel has a Kids Concierge service that helps to deliver children-friendly itineraries – which could include grabbing a kite to fly in nearby Green Park or hiring a bike – and it’s all easily arranged from the comfort of the hotel. Rooms cost from about £340 per night. To plan your trip, check out the visitlondon.com website, which has lots of useful information on the best ways to see the top London tourist attractions – and how to minimise the costs through buying passes.