Llama trekking in the Tyrol may sound like a joke but it's seriously good fun, says Tim Moore

On a lonely bike ride across France and a walk through Spain with just a donkey, acclaimed travel writer Tim Moore learnt the rules of solo travel. Here he explains its many pleasures ... and the odd pitfall.

Hollywood hero Harrison Ford famously made narrowboating look sexy. But when award-winning travel writer Tim Moore and family attempted to follow in his wake on the Llangollen Canal, it was a very different story.

Tim Moore, just named Travel Writer of the Year for his Escape features, explains how an ignominious dismissal inspired him to retrace the steps of a Victorian adventurer and launch a new career.

Feeling guilty about taking his kids out of school for a beach holiday in Cyprus, Tim Moore tacked on a cruise to Egypt, cradle of the Year 4 history project.

Author Tim Moore planned his version of Death in Venice for a maudlin celebration of his 40th birthday but was seduced by a stay at a magnificent palazzo with his wife and children.

Tim Moore thought Jersey might be too stuffy and grown-up for his kids. But the island's golden beaches and history were captivating enough to entertain all the family.

Putting the memories of a bawdy bath house encounter behind him, Tim Moore returns to Budapest and finds the only thing to fear in the pool is defeat by a bearded chess player.

Forget the rain, inedible pasties and tacky souvenirs. It takes more than that to beat a bunch of hardy Vikings, as Tim Moore found when he booked a former hotel in Polperro for his Icelandic relatives. The surf, at least, was up... and the cod passed the Nordic taste test.

Tim Moore's family weekend in Rome goes surprisingly smoothly thanks to an inspired tour guide and liberal helpings of pizza and ice cream.