Greece

A deep respect for tradition, a deep love of good times.

Having exported chaos, drama, tragedy and democracy before most nations were staying up late enough to want souvlaki, Greece boasts an unrivalled legacy. But don't expect a visit there to be a sober study of the ancient world - the Greek propensity for partying dates back to Dionysos.

From sometimes smoggy Athens to blindingly bright islands, ancient fragments abound - the navel of the cosmos at Delphi, fallen columns galore on the sacred island of Delos, frescoed Minoan palaces on Crete and even - as some might believe - the remnants of Atlantis at Santorini.

Cyprus

Take a bite out of Aphrodite's island...Cyprus will seduce you.

Discover a country where East meets West, fashionable spas sit side-by-side with village kafeneia and heavenly beaches are backed by rugged mountains. While the coast calls to sunseekers and clubbers, inland is a haven of traditional villages, medieval castles and impressive ancient sites.

Now that the Green Line is open, it's finally possible to experience Cyprus as a whole. After 30 years of separation, the two sides are mixing again - spend the night at the thumping clubs of Agia Napa in the South, then laze the day away on the deserted beaches of the Karpaz Peninsula in the North.

England

The sun may have set, but England's dusk is full of stars.

Until recently England was generally thought of as a gentle, fabled land freeze-framed sometime in the 1930s, home of the post office, country pub and vicarage. It's now better known for vibrant cities with great nightlife and attractions, contrasted with green and pleasant countryside.

From Stonehenge and Tower Bridge to Eton and Oxford, England is loaded with cherished icons of past eras. But it also does modernity with a confidence and panache left over from its days in the never-setting sun. Fashion, fine dining, clubbing, shopping - England's rates with the world's best.

Netherlands

The Netherlands manages to be radical, sensible and quaintly staid.

The Dutch aren't bogged in their clichés, even though bikes, dykes, windmills and blazing flower fields are pretty much the norm outside the major cities. Do as the locals do - grab a bike and explore. It's a very big small country, and full of salutary surprises.

One of the chief pleasures of the place is its lively contrast between pragmatic liberalism and the buttoned-up just-so primness of a culture founded on Calvinist principles. In Dutch society, ostentation is anathema and fuss of any kind is regarded as undignified.

Russia

Hardship wrapped in history inside splendour.

Churchill's 'riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma' remains an apt description of Russia; most outsiders have only a hazy idea of its realities. A composite of the extravagant glories of old Russia and the drab legacies of the Soviet era, it's a country that both befuddles and beguiles.

This is a land of snow and deadly winters, but also of rivers that meander across meadows and a midsummer sun that never sets. Its people, in the words of a Russian proverb, 'love to suffer', yet they also love to party and can be disarmingly generous and hospitable.

Travellers are strongly advised against travel to Chechnya, Dagestan and neighbouring Ingushetia. Military clashes, kidnapping of aid workers and foreigners, violent crimes and muggings are prevalent. Other areas of concern include North Ossetia, Stavropol, Karachayevo-Cherkessiya and Kabardino-Balkariya. Events in all these places are difficult to gauge and can change rapidly. On-the-ground consular support regarding these destinations can be negligible or non-existent. Russian authorities have warned of the possibility of terrorist attacks in major centres, including Moscow.

Spain

The Spanish passion for living is deliciously contagious.

Once away from the holiday costas , you could only be in Spain. In the cities, narrow twisting old streets suddenly open out to views of daring modern architecture, while spit-and-sawdust bars serving wine from the barrel rub shoulders with blaring, glaring discos.

Travel is easy, accommodation plentiful, the climate benign, the people relaxed, the beaches long and sandy, the food and drink easy to come by and full of regional variety. More than 50 million foreigners a year visit Spain, yet you can also travel for days and hear nothing but Spanish.

A bomb exploded in a car in Bilbao on 9 October 2007, seriously injuring one person. The attack seems to have been politically motivated. Travellers should be alert when visiting large cities and monitor news services for further developments.

Germany

Story-book charm, cultural clout and a whole lot of gravitas.

Germany wears its riches well: elegant big-city charm, small picture-postcard towns, pagan-inspired harvest festivals, a wealth of art and culture and the perennial pleasures of huge tracts of forest, delightful castles and fine wine and beer are all there for the savouring.

Deep in the heart of Europe, Germany has had a seminal impact on Continental history. From Charlemagne and the Holy Roman Empire to Otto von Bismarck's German Reich, Nazism and the rise and fall of the Berlin Wall, no other nation has moulded Europe the way Germany has - for better or worse.

Scotland

Take the high road or the low road - just get there.

Honed by long competition with its English neighbours, buoyant Scotland has survived encroachment, brass-monkey weather and invasion by stand-up comedians. Its people are feisty, opinionated and fiercely loyal. The countryside is a wild, beautiful tumble of raw mountain peaks and deep glassy lakes.

There's a plethora of tartan-checked beaten tracks across this land, but even in well-thumbed tourist hubs like Edinburgh, Glasgow and the Isle of Skye it's easy to veer off into one-of-a-kind adventures, usually involving extroverted locals. The brutal climate adds an edge to the whole experience.

In the wake of 2005's bombings in London and Glasgow, the British Home Office still rates the UK's terrorism threat level as severe. Travellers should exercise caution, monitor the media for any developments in the situation and expect delays at airports due to increased security measures.

Restrictions on airline cabin luggage are in place throughout the UK. For details check the UK Department for Transport website .

Ireland

There are fifty shades of green, and none of them are jaded.

It's said that Ireland, once visited, is never forgotten, and for once the blarney rings true. The Irish landscape has a mythic resonance, the country's history is almost tangible, and its people seem put on earth expressly to restore faith in humanity.

The weather may sometimes give you the impression that you're swimming through an airborne ocean, but the truly luminous greens, luxuriant wildflowers, and afternoons spent holed up in riotous pubs will more than console you for the webbed feet you'll need to grow.

Turkey

Hospitality, history and a hotline to the sun.

Check your Midnight Express stereotypes at the door - this is a rapidly modernising country with one foot in Europe and one in the Middle East. It's not all oriental splendour, mystery, intrigue and whirling dervishes but it is a spicy maelstrom of history knocking up against a pacy present.

The Turkish people have an unrivalled reputation for hospitality, the cuisine is to die for, the coastline is a dream, and many Turkish cities are dotted with spectacular mosques and castles. And while costs are rising, Turkey remains one of the Mediterranean's bargain-basement destinations.

The recent incursion of Turkish troops into northern Iraq has resulted in heightened security concerns across the country. The Iraq border area continues to be very dangerous due to conflict between Turkish and Kurdish forces. Check travel advisories before travelling to rural areas near the borders of Syria and Iran.

Turkey is generally safe, but sporadic violence due to domestic and regional tensions does occur. In December 2007 a car bombing in Diyarbakir killed six people and injured many more; fatal bomb attacks also occurred in Izmir and Ankara during 2007. Shopping and tourist areas in Antalya and Marmaris have also been targeted. Bomb attacks are sometimes aimed at targets that represent Western interests, such as banks and consulates. Travellers should exercise caution and monitor the news for any further warnings.

Check out Safe Travel for updated government warnings or the Thorn Tree travel forum for some good advice from travellers.

Slovakia

Hike a mountain, sing a folk song…

Slovakia is not about jaw-dropping sights and superlatives; it's about experiencing a place less touched by the glitz and glam of its more famous neighbours. Outside the cities you can still find traditional villages, folk traditions and tourist trails meandering through the hilly countryside.

A plethora of fortresses and castles pays testament to the history of conquerors and domination in this small country, independent only since 1993. Foreign influences can be seen in the 18th century rococo town buildings, Gothic churches and a few 15th-century town squares.

Europe

Europe is the world's favourite tourist destination and so faces considerable challenges in making its tourist industry more environmentally friendly. One of the biggest beneficiaries of a more sustainable tourism industry will be the industry itself - fewer people will want to visit a region where mass tourism has blighted the countryside and polluted the beaches.

Europe is conventionally one of the seven continents of the world. Although referred to as a continent, Europe is actually just the western fifth of the Eurasian landmass, which is made up primarily of Asia. Modern geographers generally describe the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, part of the Caspian Sea, and the Caucasus Mountains as forming the main boundary between Europe and Asia.

Italy

La Dolce Vita has never been sweeter.

Europe's kinky over-the-knee boot has it all: popes, painters, polenta, paramours, poets, political puerility and potentates. Its dreamy light and sumptuous landscapes seem made for romance, and its three millennia of history, culture and cuisine seduces just about everyone.

You can visit Roman ruins, gawk at Renaissance art, stay in tiny medieval hill towns, go skiing in the Alps, explore the canals of Venice and gaze at beautiful churches. Naturally you can also indulge in the pleasures of la dolce vita : good food, good wine and improving your wardrobe.