Destinations
Guides to places worth the flight
Every guide covers the same practical ground: why go, when to go, how long to stay, what to do and where to base yourself.
Popular
Popular destinations
The guides travellers open most.
Portugal
Algarve
Portugal's southern coast: sandstone cliffs, hidden coves and small towns that stay pleasant well outside July and August.
Portugal
Lisbon
A capital that feels smaller than it is. Tiled facades, viewpoints on every hill and a food scene that rewards wandering.
Portugal
Porto
Steep, granite and unpretentious. Porto is smaller than Lisbon, cheaper, and arguably better for a first weekend in Portugal.
Spain
Barcelona
Architecture, sea and late dinners. Barcelona is one of the few major cities where a beach day and a museum day fit into the same trip.
Spain
Mallorca
Package resorts on one coast, mountain villages and empty coves on the other. Mallorca is far more varied than its reputation.
Greece
Crete
Greece's largest island: Venetian harbours, mountain villages, gorges and some of the best beaches in the Mediterranean.
Turkey
Antalya
Turkey's Mediterranean coast: a genuinely old city centre, mountains behind the beach and resort value that is hard to match in Europe.
All destinations
17 destination guides
Portugal
Algarve
Portugal's southern coast: sandstone cliffs, hidden coves and small towns that stay pleasant well outside July and August.
Portugal
Lisbon
A capital that feels smaller than it is. Tiled facades, viewpoints on every hill and a food scene that rewards wandering.
Portugal
Porto
Steep, granite and unpretentious. Porto is smaller than Lisbon, cheaper, and arguably better for a first weekend in Portugal.
Spain
Barcelona
Architecture, sea and late dinners. Barcelona is one of the few major cities where a beach day and a museum day fit into the same trip.
Spain
Mallorca
Package resorts on one coast, mountain villages and empty coves on the other. Mallorca is far more varied than its reputation.
Greece
Crete
Greece's largest island: Venetian harbours, mountain villages, gorges and some of the best beaches in the Mediterranean.
Greece
Athens
A city that improved dramatically in the last decade. Two days of ruins, then rooftop bars, markets and neighbourhoods worth exploring.
Turkey
Antalya
Turkey's Mediterranean coast: a genuinely old city centre, mountains behind the beach and resort value that is hard to match in Europe.
Turkey
Istanbul
Enormous, layered and loud in the best way. Istanbul rewards a longer trip than most people give it.
Italy
Rome
Two thousand years of city stacked in the same streets, with some of the best casual eating in Europe at ground level.
France
Paris
The most visited city in Europe, and still worth it if you treat it as a set of neighbourhoods rather than a list of monuments.
Netherlands
Amsterdam
A compact capital of canals, museums and bicycles. Simple to navigate, good in any season, and best explored on foot.
Czech Republic
Prague
A compact old city that looks like an illustration. Step two streets off the main route and it also gets quiet and affordable.
Austria
Vienna
Imperial architecture, serious coffee houses and public transport that works. Vienna is the easy option, in the best sense.
Croatia
Dubrovnik
Small, dramatic and very popular. Dubrovnik works best in shoulder season, and even better if you use it as a base for the coast.
Italy
Venice
Day visitors see a theme park. People who stay two nights see a strange, quiet, unrepeatable city.
Denmark
Copenhagen
Design, bicycles, harbour swimming and some of the best casual food in Northern Europe. Plan the budget honestly and enjoy it.