Visitors have flocked to Abano Terme to soak in its thermal waters for more than 2,000 years. Situated on the outskirts of Padua, on the edge of the verdant Euganean Hills, the spa town is still popular among wellness seekers today.

With an enviable perch between the Adriatic Sea and Slovenia’s peaks, Trieste is an Italian city whose food, architecture, and history have Eastern soul. Add coastal castles to sun-soaked beach resorts, and you have one of Europe’s most cultured seaside getaways.

In the centre of the French Alps, Courchevel has well more than 100 ski runs for visitors to choose from. Some courses are dotted with moguls, so snowboarding and snowmobiling are popular here, and skiers of all levels of experience will find a slope that's just right.

Galas, regattas, the Film Festival and an outrageously attractive and affluent set characterize Cannes. Vast yachts obscure the view and the town lives up to its motto, "Life is a festival." People-watching is the activity that brings most visitors to Cannes, and hotel-lined La Croisette provides a fine promenade. First popularized by Coco Chanel, Cannes beaches are a huge draw. Get expensive seaside food and drinks service on hotel sand or opt for the free public beaches, Plages du Midi and de la Boca.

Wide beaches along the "Flower Coast" attract families and those commemorating the D-Day landings of 1944. Inland, cattle graze in rural idylls and pre-WWII buildings stand alongside modern architecture. Hire a car or take a tour from Caen or Bayeux. The landscape around his home in Giverny inspired Monet's Water Lilies, and summer's profusion of blooms is quite lovely. Don't miss Rouen's old town and cathedral, Caen's cathedral, Bayeux's tapestry and the ancient island-abbey of Mont-St-Michel.

Containing a staggering wealth of historic sites, Turkey's inexpensive Aegean makes a marvellous introduction to both ancient and modern Turkey. Buses make easy connections between sites. Picturesque Bodrum boasts hopping nightlife, a crusader castle and the tomb of King Mausolus. The rest of the coast has Roman ruins and Byzantine remains aplenty, including Troy's walls, as well as the monument-strewn WWI battlefields of Gallipoli, the resort town of Kusadasi, fabulous surfing beaches and modern Izmir.

Dubbed the Queen City, Charlotte reigns over a 300-square-mile (482-square-kilometre) hodgepodge of neighbourhoods that spin out from the banks of the Catawba River. From brewery-heavy art districts to historical corridors dripping in charm, consider Charlotte a crowd pleaser.