The beach town of Kololi is one of Gambia’s most popular vacation spots. Spend a day lolling on the golden sands, then explore “the Strip,” Kololi’s main throughfare, lined with restaurants, hotels and nightclubs. Brave the bush on a guided safari, chatter with the monkeys of Bijilo Forest Park and bargain for handmade treasures at the Senegambia Craft Market.

Salou, on the Costa Dorada, nestles between quaint Cambrils and calm La Pineda. Just seven miles south of elegant Tarragona, the compact resort town is a family favourite, due in no small part to the existence of Port Aventura and Aquopolis theme parks. Gentle beaches and a slew of exciting fiestas in August add to Salou's appeal for families. A good variety of clubs and bars round out the picture. To see more of the area, or for daytrips to Tarragona or Barcelona, it's easiest to rent a car.

It’s nicknamed the Eternal City for a reason. In Rome, you can drink from a street fountain fed by an ancient aqueduct. Or see the same profile on a statue in the Capitoline Museum and the guy making your cappuccino. (Which, of course, you know never to order after 11 am.) Rome is also a city of contrasts—what other place on earth could be home to both the Vatican and La Dolce Vita?

Don your most comfortable shoes for Killarney, where town trails offer history lessons and country walks traverse Ireland's first national park: 26,000 acres of woodlands, sandstone mountains and low-lying lakes. In the town centre, Killarney House and Gardens provide a break for urban explorers. Renowned Muckross House, with its 15th-century abbey ruins and massive yew tree, is just outside the town. If your feet wear out, take in Killarney National Park's legendary scenery from a boat trip from Ross Castle.

Belfast has grown into a cosmopolitan city and become a popular weekend-break destination. The city pulses with an irrepressible optimism and energy. The Northern Ireland capital has an increasing number of intriguing bus, taxi, boat and pedestrian tours. Attractions such as Ulster Folk Museum and Belfast Cathedral, award-winning restaurants, lively bars from modern lounges to traditional pubs, hip clubs, great shopping, impressive theatres, galleries and live music make it a vivacious destination.

Home to the Netherlands’ oldest university and the birthplace of Rembrandt, Leiden also served as a several-year stop-off between England and the New World for America’s Pilgrim fathers in the early 17th century. Today, lovely Leiden boasts the second-largest Dutch city center after Amsterdam. The National Museum of Antiquities has an impressive collection of Egyptian artifacts. The Hortus Botanicus, established in 1590, was the site of the planting of Holland’s first tulip bulbs in 1593.

Smack in the center of Romania is Brasov, a harmonious mash-up of traditional charm and modern city life. Ride a double-decker bus around the city to get your bearings and see the sites whiz by, then hop off to squeeze down Strada Sforii, the narrowest street in Europe. Take a day trip to see the fortified church of Prejmer, the Libearty brown bear sanctuary, and the deliciously ominous Bran Castle, otherwise known as Dracula’s Castle.

With seemingly endless sunny beaches, charming towns, glamorous yachts and celebrities galore, the French Riviera keeps the Belle Époque alive. Most towns are best explored on foot, while a cheap and reliable rail network connects the cities and towns. Fabled destinations such as St-Tropez, Nice, Cannes, Antibes, Villefranche-sur-Mer and St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat lure visitors to follow in the wake of Picasso, Matisse and Bizet. Over a hundred museums and more than 150 galleries keep the artistic ambiance alive.