Flying from Stansted in May

Red Sea reefs in Ras Mohammed National Park and reliable winter sunshine.

• Winter sun
• Diving
• All-inclusive

Red Sea resort known for coral reefs, snorkelling and diving, with warm sun through the winter.

• Winter sun
• Diving
• All-inclusive

The souks and the Jemaa el-Fnaa square of the medina, riad courtyards, and the Atlas Mountains on the horizon.

• Souks
• Riads
• Culture

The Alcázar palace, a vast Gothic cathedral, and flamenco in the lanes of Triana and Santa Cruz.

• City break
• History
• Flamenco

The airport for the Mar Menor lagoon and the Costa Cálida, with plenty of golf resorts nearby.

• Beaches
• Golf
• Families

A baroque city of black lava stone at the foot of Mount Etna, Europe's tallest active volcano.

• Volcano
• Food
• Baroque

A palm-lined seafront, the church of Saint Lazarus, and pink flamingos on the salt lake in winter.

• Winter sun
• Beach
• History

The home of sherry and Andalusian horse shows, close to Cádiz and the Costa de la Luz.

• Sherry
• Flamenco
• Beaches

A crusader castle above a busy marina, white houses on the hills and boat trips around the peninsula.

• Beaches
• Nightlife
• Boat trips

The Acropolis above the city, the Plaka's tavernas, and ferries from Piraeus to the islands.

• History
• Food
• City break

Turkey's third city, close to the ancient city of Ephesus and the beach resorts of Çeşme.

• History
• Beaches
• City break

The world's largest car-free urban area: the ancient medina of Fes el Bali and its tanneries.

• Medina
• Culture
• History

A Roman-walled old harbour town backed by the Taurus Mountains, with long beaches either side of the city.

• Beach
• Old town
• All-inclusive

The airport for Turkey's Lycian coast: Dalyan's rock tombs, Ölüdeniz lagoon and the marinas of Fethiye and Göcek.

• Beaches
• Boat trips
• All-inclusive

Montenegro's capital, close to Lake Skadar and the mountains of the north.

• Lakes
• Mountains
• Quiet

Black lava fields and red volcanic cones in Timanfaya National Park, with low whitewashed villages in between.

• Winter sun
• Volcanic landscapes
• Beaches

A lively waterfront with the White Tower, Byzantine churches, and the beaches of Halkidiki to the south.

• Food
• History
• Beaches

Flat and easy for cycling, with the Asklepion ruins, long beaches and boats to nearby islands.

• Beaches
• Cycling
• Greek island

Brightly painted buildings, the Bunk'Art museums in Cold War bunkers, and the cable car up Dajti mountain.

• City break
• History
• Mountains

Roman mosaics, the Tombs of the Kings, and Aphrodite's Rock along the coast road. One of the warmest places on this list.

• History
• Winter sun
• Beaches

The baroque Basílica del Pilar, the Moorish Aljafería palace and tapas in El Tubo.

• City break
• History
• Food

A green, mountainous island, the birthplace of Pythagoras, with its own sweet wine.

• Greek island
• Beaches
• Wine

The Colosseum, the Pantheon, Vatican City and trattorias down every side street.

• History
• Food
• City break

Picasso's home town: a Moorish fortress above the port, tapas bars below, and a city beach a short walk from the centre.

• City break
• Tapas
• Museums
• Mild winters

A walled seaside town with Catalan roots and the sea caves of Neptune's Grotto nearby.

• Old town
• Beaches
• Caves

Long, empty beaches and the sand dunes of Corralejo. Quieter and windier than its Canary neighbours.

• Beaches
• Dunes
• Windsurfing

The airport for the Peloponnese: olive groves, the Mani peninsula and the ancient sites of Messene.

• Beaches
• History
• Olives

A palm-lined seafront under the hilltop Santa Bárbara castle, with long city beaches and an old quarter of narrow streets.

• Beach
• Old town
• Mild winters

A Venetian harbour and lighthouse, the Samaria Gorge walk, and the pink-sand beach at Elafonisi.

• Old town
• Hiking
• Beaches

The biggest Canary Island, with Mount Teide, Spain's highest peak, above the resorts of the sunny south coast.

• Winter sun
• Volcano
• Whale watching

Home of Parmesan and Parma ham, with a Romanesque cathedral and an opera tradition.

• Food
• Opera
• City break

A Moorish Alcazaba, desert landscapes where spaghetti westerns were filmed, and the Cabo de Gata nature park.

• Beaches
• History
• Nature

Greece's third-largest island: olive groves, ouzo from Plomari and the castle town of Molyvos.

• Greek island
• Food
• Quiet

A long sandy bay with year-round sun, a rebuilt kasbah on the hill and the Souk El Had market.

• Winter sun
• Beach
• Surfing

Valletta's honey-coloured fortress city, prehistoric temples and clear water for diving and boat trips to Gozo and Comino.

• History
• Diving
• Island hopping

Sardinia's capital, with a hilltop old quarter, the long Poetto beach and flamingos on the lagoons.

• Beaches
• Old town
• Food

The airport for the Costa del Azahar, with beaches at Benicàssim and Peñíscola's castle town.

• Beaches
• Castle
• Quiet

The Palace of the Parliament, one of the largest buildings in the world, and the lanes of the old town.

• City break
• History
• Nightlife

A Roman arena that still hosts opera, Juliet's balcony, and Lake Garda about half an hour away.

• History
• Opera
• Lakes

Venetian-built Corfu Town, olive-covered hills and turquoise bays on the north-west coast.

• Beaches
• Old town
• Greek island

The Maspalomas sand dunes in the south, mountain villages in the middle and year-round warmth.

• Winter sun
• Dunes
• Hiking

One of Europe's oldest cities, with a Roman theatre still in use and a cobbled old town.

• History
• Old town
• City break

Street food markets, Arab-Norman churches and the beach at Mondello.

• Food
• History
• Beach

The futuristic City of Arts and Sciences, the home of paella, and city beaches along the Mediterranean.

• City break
• Food
• Beach

Porticoed streets, Europe's oldest university and the food capital of Italy: mortadella, tortellini and ragù.

• Food
• City break
• History

The Duomo and its rooftop terraces, Leonardo's Last Supper and the shops of the Quadrilatero. Lake Como is an hour away by train.

• City break
• Shopping
• Art

A medieval walled old town, one of the best preserved in Europe, and the clifftop village of Lindos with its acropolis.

• History
• Beaches
• Old town

A maze-like old town on the sea, and the gateway to Puglia's trulli houses and Polignano a Mare.

• Old town
• Food
• Puglia

A Roman arena, the Maison Carrée temple and the Pont du Gard aqueduct nearby.

• History
• Provence
• Food

The home of pizza, with Pompeii, Vesuvius and boats to Capri all within reach.

• Food
• History
• Islands

Morocco's calm capital, with a clifftop kasbah, the Hassan Tower and a walkable medina.

• Culture
• History
• Coast

A walled old town beside the Ria Formosa lagoon, and the gateway to the Algarve's cliffs and coves.

• Algarve coast
• Old town
• Golf

France's oldest city: the Old Port, the hilltop basilica, and the limestone inlets of the Calanques.

• Coast
• Food
• City break

On the toe of Italy facing Sicily, with the bronze Riace Warriors in its museum.

• History
• Coast
• Food

Navagio Bay's shipwreck beach and loggerhead turtles nesting on the south coast.

• Beaches
• Boat trips
• Nightlife

Enfidha airport serves Tunisia's resort coast, from Hammamet's beaches to Sousse's walled medina.

• Beaches
• All-inclusive
• Medina

A city built inside the walls of a Roman emperor's palace, with ferries to Hvar and Brač.

• History
• Islands
• Coast

A medieval old town with a Jewish quarter and riverside houses, and the airport for the Costa Brava's beaches.

• Old town
• Costa Brava
• Food

White villages on the rim of a flooded volcanic caldera, with famous sunsets at Oia.

• Sunsets
• Views
• Greek island

The airport for Sardinia's Costa Smeralda and the islands of the La Maddalena archipelago.

• Beaches
• Boat trips
• Coast

A hilltop cathedral town on the Canal du Midi, with the beaches of Cap d'Agde nearby.

• Canal du Midi
• Wine
• Beaches

The Prado, the Retiro park, late dinners and tapas bars that stay busy past midnight.

• City break
• Art
• Food

Seven hills of tiled houses, the historic trams, custard tarts in Belém and the beaches of Cascais along the coast.

• City break
• Food
• Coast

The airport for the Costa Dorada: the beaches of Salou, PortAventura theme park and Roman Tarragona.

• Beaches
• Theme park
• Families

Crete's capital, five kilometres from the Minoan palace of Knossos, with beaches east and west.

• History
• Beaches
• Greek island

A port city on the Adriatic and the gateway to the Marche region's hill towns and the Conero coast.

• Coast
• Hill towns
• Food

The largest Balearic island: Palma's Gothic cathedral, the Serra de Tramuntana mountains and hundreds of coves.

• Beaches
• Mountains
• Palma city break

A walled hilltop old town reached by funicular, close to Lake Como and Lake Iseo. Many fly here for Milan.

• Old town
• Lakes
• City break

The largest Ionian island: Myrtos beach, the Melissani cave lake and the setting of Captain Corelli's Mandolin.

• Beaches
• Caves
• Greek island

A harbour town under a Byzantine castle, with ferries to green, marble-white Thassos.

• Greek island
• Beaches
• Old town

A hilltop university city in Umbria, close to Assisi and famous for its chocolate festival.

• Hill towns
• Food
• History

The airport for Puglia's Salento, with Baroque Lecce and the beaches of the heel of Italy.

• Puglia
• Beaches
• Food

Famous for its clubs, but also a UNESCO-listed old town, Dalt Vila, and quiet coves in the north.

• Nightlife
• Beaches
• Old town

The Leaning Tower and the Field of Miracles, and the easiest airport for Florence and Lucca.

• Tuscany
• History
• Food

The airport for Calabria and the clifftop town of Tropea above clear blue water.

• Beaches
• Coast
• Food

Steaming outdoor thermal baths, the Parliament on the Danube, and ruin bars in old courtyards.

• Thermal baths
• City break
• Nightlife

An Austro-Hungarian upper town, the Museum of Broken Relationships and lively cafés.

• City break
• Christmas markets
• Quirky

A Catalan-French city near the beaches of the Côte Vermeille and the Pyrenees.

• Beaches
• Mountains
• Food

Italy's best-known beach resort, with Roman monuments in the old centre and San Marino nearby.

• Beaches
• Families
• History

A grand Habsburg port city on the edge of Italy, famous for its coffee houses.

• Coffee
• City break
• Coast

Baroque arcades, the Egyptian Museum and the Alps on the skyline. The birthplace of Fiat and of chocolate hazelnut spread.

• City break
• Museums
• Food

The airport for the Dordogne valley and the medieval cliff village of Rocamadour.

• Dordogne
• Villages
• Food

The airport for the Dordogne: castles, cave paintings, river canoeing and vineyards.

• Dordogne
• Wine
• Castles

Funchal's flower markets, levada walks along old irrigation channels and dramatic sea cliffs.

• Hiking
• Gardens
• Mild all year

Canals instead of streets, St Mark's Square, and the islands of Murano and Burano by water bus.

• City break
• Canals
• Art

A port city on the Strait of Gibraltar with a hilltop kasbah and a long literary history.

• Culture
• Medina
• Coast

Gaudí's Sagrada Família and Park Güell, the Gothic Quarter's lanes and a city beach at Barceloneta.

• City break
• Architecture
• Beach

A compact old town under a hilltop castle, an hour from Vienna along the Danube.

• City break
• Castle
• Danube

The airport for Bulgaria's Black Sea resorts, including Sunny Beach and old Nesebar.

• Beaches
• Nightlife
• Families

Quieter than its Balearic neighbours, with a coast of small coves and a whole island that's a UNESCO biosphere reserve.

• Coves
• Families
• Quiet

Walk the full circuit of the medieval city walls above the Adriatic, then take a boat to Lokrum island.

• Old town
• City walls
• Coast

A huge medieval old town of narrow lanes, a famous aquarium and the Cinque Terre down the coast.

• Food
• Old town
• Coast

A fairytale fortified city with 52 towers and a double ring of medieval walls.

• Castle
• History
• Wine

A young, lively Transylvanian city with Habsburg squares and the Turda salt mine nearby.

• City break
• Transylvania
• Nightlife

Ottoman bazaars, Austro-Hungarian streets and a moving recent history, ringed by mountains.

• History
• Food
• Mountains

The gold-domed Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Roman ruins in the metro and Vitosha mountain above the city.

• City break
• History
• Mountains

The 'Pink City' of terracotta brick, home of Airbus, with the Canal du Midi running through it.

• City break
• Aviation
• Food

A beach city on the Adriatic, close to the mountains of the Abruzzo national parks.

• Beach
• Mountains
• Food

A sea organ played by the waves, Roman ruins and some of the Adriatic's best sunsets.

• Coast
• History
• Islands

Slovakia's second city, with a Gothic cathedral and a long main street of colourful houses.

• City break
• Old town
• Quiet

Imperial palaces, the opera house and coffee houses that have served cake since the 1800s.

• City break
• Music
• Christmas markets

A small airport for the spa town of Baden-Baden and the Black Forest.

• Spa
• Black Forest
• Christmas markets

The Promenade des Anglais along the bay, the old town's market, and the Riviera villages of Èze and Monaco nearby.

• Riviera
• Beach
• Old town

A Roman amphitheatre that still hosts concerts, and the beaches of the Istrian coast.

• History
• Beaches
• Coast

The airport for Lefkada and Parga on Greece's west coast, known for very clear turquoise water.

• Beaches
• Coast
• Islands

The Charles Bridge, a castle complex above the river, and a beer culture that goes back centuries.

• City break
• Beer
• Old town

A lakeside city on the Wörthersee in southern Austria, close to the Slovenian border.

• Lakes
• Mountains
• Quiet

A major pilgrimage town at the foot of the Pyrenees, close to the Pic du Midi.

• Pilgrimage
• Mountains
• Skiing

The Czech Republic's second city, with the Villa Tugendhat, an underground ossuary and lively bars.

• City break
• Architecture
• Beer

A city on the Danube with the Ars Electronica centre and a funicular-like railway up the Pöstlingberg.

• City break
• Danube
• Art

The Louvre, the Eiffel Tower and Montmartre, with cafés on every corner and Disneyland Paris east of the city.

• City break
• Museums
• Food

Port wine lodges across the river, tiled churches, and the double-decker Dom Luís I bridge.

• City break
• Wine
• Old town

A lively student city in south-eastern Poland, and a gateway to the Bieszczady mountains.

• City break
• Mountains
• Quiet

One airport, three countries: it serves Basel in Switzerland, Mulhouse in France and Freiburg in Germany.

• Art
• Rhine
• Christmas markets

A historic town of Romanesque churches, close to the Futuroscope theme park.

• History
• Theme park
• Quiet

One of Europe's grandest market squares, and hundreds of small bronze dwarf statues hidden around the old town.

• Market square
• Dwarf statues
• City break

A surf town with belle époque villas and beaches, close to the Spanish border.

• Surfing
• Beaches
• Food

Wawel Castle above the Vistula, one of Europe's largest medieval market squares, and the Wieliczka salt mine nearby.

• Old town
• History
• Salt mine