Stopover in Atlanta

Q: My husband and I are flying direct to Atlanta on 12 June, arriving at about 06.30 in the morning. We then have an eight-hour stopover in Atlanta before catching a connecting flight to Alaska. Airports are not usually fun places and we were wondering if perhaps you knew of any tours of the city which we could do from the airport or anything else of interest. - Jane Mellor

A: Your best bet is to get into the city centre and join one of the many organised tours to visit some of its great attractions. These include the Georgia State Capitol (with its 23 karat gold dome), Auburn Avenue Historic District (the birthplace of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the American Civil Rights movement), Centennial Olympic Park (home of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics), Georgia Aquarium (the world's largest, with 100,000 animals), CNN Center (the TV network headquarters), the World of Coke (where you can trace the history of the world's favourite soft drink), the Georgia Institute of Technology (for fascinating displays) and The Varsity (the world's largest drive-in restaurant). If you feel like splashing out you can visit most of the attractions by Segway, the self-balancing, personal transportation device. It costs 69.95 dollars per person and lasts three hours. The minimum age for using a Segway is 12. You need to book all tours in advance, specifying that you wish to start and be dropped off at the airport. Websites you can try include www.atlantatours.us, www.citysegwaytours.com and www.buyatlantatours.com. (30 May 2010)