A true family destination, Westport boasts magnificent scenery, golf facilities, recreational fishing, sailing and yachting, beach swimming, hiking and cycling trails, and (to top it all off) a placed called Pirate Adventure Park. What kid wouldn't love this place? Visit in September and you'll witness the exciting Westport Arts Festival, perfect for all ages. And Westport was Google Earth's first fully 3D town, so you can relive the memories from your computer when you get home!

"The City of Tribes" provides a fun blast of the Ireland many first-time visitors expect. The compact city centre, with its winding streets, packed pubs and air of celebration, is easily walked - or pubcrawled. The west-coast city of almost 70,000 is home to merry bands of students, artists, writers and craftspeople, and is merriest during summer's Galway's Arts Festival. Don't miss shopping for Claddagh rings, the Druid Theatre or having a pint o' the black stuff at the atmospheric Tigh Neachtain pub.

Cumbria, England's most northwestern county, is considered one of the most beautiful in the country. Valleys and fells are home to idyllic villages, high rolling moorland and plenty of lakes. While climbing, biking and hiking are popular, literary connections draw visitors to Grasmere and Rydal. Keswick, Ambleside and Windermere offer hotels and restaurants. Driving is the best way to get around sites such as Wordsworth's Dove Cottage and The World of Beatrix Potter.

Set on the vine-clad banks of the Main River and embellished with beautiful baroque masterpieces and delightful Franconian wineries, this lively university city of Wurzburg serves as a suitably picturesque starting point for Bavaria’s Romantic Road.

It's no wonder that the Pilgrims fell in love with America when they landed at gorgeous Plymouth, set in the calm waters of Plymouth Harbor along Cape Cod Bay. It was here that the first English colonists made war and then peace with the Natives, celebrating their newfound cooperation with the first Thanksgiving dinner. Visit the landmarks that honor this piece of American history, from Plymouth Rock to Mayflower II to Burial Hill. Or just enjoy the sandy beaches and calm sea breeze.