THE 5 BEST Historic Hotels in Canterbury

With its Victorian hotels, 19th-century pier, and wide promenade fronting a stretch of quintesentially British shingle beaches; Eastbourne is one of England’s most elegant seaside resorts and within day-trip distance of London.

Home to Windsor Castle, the second residence of Queen Elizabeth II, Windsor is a popular day-trip destination from London. Those who tarry in the riverside town fill their time wandering the cobbled streets, popping in and out of the luxe boutiques, restaurants, and tea shops that tumble down toward the Thames River.

As Scotland’s largest city, Glasgow is famed for its culture, shopping and people. Spend your day exploring a wide range of fascinating free museums and galleries, enjoying the UK’s best shopping outside of London, and taking advantage of tips from friendly local people on the city’s hidden gems — then choose from 130+ weekly musical events for a special night out. Glasgow is also the perfect base for exploring more of Scotland, with great connections to the Highlands and the islands.

This Swiss winter wonderland is also a summer playground. Snow-frosted peaks tower above charming towns and villages like Interlaken. Its position, between lakes Thun and Brienz, makes it a perfect base for cable-car rides up Jungfrau, Mönch and Eiger, or for hikes from the traditional village of Grindelwald. Thun offers exciting summer diving and sailing. To the west, the glitzy resort town of Gstaad attracts Europe's wealthy. The Jungfrau Railway boasts Europe's highest station. The region is accessible by bus or car.

The town that gave the country (and port wine) its very name, Porto is Portugal’s second-largest metropolis after Lisbon. Sometimes called Oporto, it's an age-old city that has one foot firmly in the industrial present. The old town, centered at Ribeira, was built on the hills overlooking the Douro River, and today is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 14th-century São Francisco church is a main attraction, as are the local port wine cellars, mostly located across the river at Vila Nova de Gaia.

Once known for smog, traffic and tacky architecture, Athens is a city reformed thanks to fortunes brought by the 2004 Summer Olympics. Spotless parks and streets, an ultra-modern metro, new motorways, an accessible airport and all signs in perfect English make the city easily negotiable. Meriting more than a stopover en route to the islands, sophisticated Athens sites include many pillars of Western history, from the Acropolis to the Temple of Olympian Zeus, as well as treasures in the National Archaeological Museum.