ENJOY the scenic delights of mountains and lakes in spring and summer on holidays to Switzerland with Great Rail Journeys.

All travel in these itineraries is by rail, starting with a Eurostar journey to Paris then on via TGV to the lakeside resort of Vevey for seven nights at the four-star Hotel Pavilion. While in Vevey there are excursions -- by rail and vintage paddle steamer -- to marvel at yet more spectacular scenery as well as resorts such as Gstaad and Montreux.

Departures are available from April to September and cost from £720 per person (based on two sharing) or from £850 with first-class Eurostar and TGV. Included is all travel, half-board hotel accommodation, excursions, a Swiss regional pass giving free or reduced rates on most trains, lake steamers and buses (for individual exploring) and the services of a tour manager throughout.

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AWAKE in the deep? An exciting new attraction -- La Cite de la Mer -- opens in Cherbourg in April offering a great opportunity for families to explore all aspects of undersea life ... without getting even their feet wet.

The 'Ocean Area' is the tallest aquarium in Europe where visitors will follow a route which spirals downwards, giving the impression of diving deeper and deeper into the ocean's depths, while the "Submarine Area" houses Le Redoubtable, the world's largest submarine open to the public, with the chance to take the controls in a simulator.

Cresta Holidays offers the nearby three-star Vieux Chateau where a two-night stay with breakfast in May costs from £182 per person (twin share), with one or two children under 12 and sharing a room with parents paying just euro18.5 per child, per night. Price also includes return Portsmouth-Cherbourg ferry for car and passengers.

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LET the coach take the strain in 2002 ... 10-day holidays to Tuscany -- staying on the Versilian Riviera and where highlights include excursions to Florence and Pisa -- are being featured by coaching operator, Consort Travel.

Available on a wide choice of dates between March 29 (Easter) and October 18, prices start from only £299 per person (twin-share) inclusive or return coach travel from more than 200 pick-up points in England and Wales, six nights' half-board accommodation in Tuscany and excursions as above.

Also included on the itinerary is two nights' hotel accommodation with breakfast on the outward journey (Belgium and Austria) and one night's accommodation with breakfast on the homeward journey (France). The company guarantees no overnight continental coach travel on all their itineraries.