Lingering over pain au chocolat in a sidewalk café, relaxing after a day of strolling along the Seine and marveling at icons like the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe… the perfect Paris experience combines leisure and liveliness with enough time to savor both an exquisite meal and exhibits at the Louvre. Awaken your spirit at Notre Dame, bargain hunt at the Marché aux Puces de Montreuil or for goodies at the Marché Biologique Raspail, then cap it all off with a risqué show at the Moulin Rouge.

The gateway to the Loire Valley, Tours offers plenty to admire in its own right. Gothic architecture, café-lined squares, and manicured gardens conjure up a Parisian atmosphere without the crowds in this university town tucked between the banks of the Loire and Cher rivers.

The charms of the Czech Republic's second-largest city may not be immediate, but spend a few days in this Moravian town and Brno's vibrant, authentic Czech ambiance will win you over. It's a fine way to experience Czech life without the teeming herds of tourists that visit Prague. Art Nouveau, Empire and Neoclassical buildings stand in the bar- and restaurant-packed old city center. Leafy parks abound. Be sure to get a photo with a local landmark, the suspiciously crocodilian Brno Dragon statue.

About 50 miles northeast of Trento, Corvara in Badia is the principle town of Alta Badia, a ski resort area at the top end of the Val Badia Valley in Bolzano-Bozen. Home to many alpine skiing World Cup events, the gorgeous mountain region also has many lovely towns and beautiful sights not on the normal beaten tourist path, such as the Sante Croce pilgrimage church and the Museum Ladin Ciastel de Tor (Little Ladin Museum), honoring the unique Dolomite culture of the local Ladin people.

The Cyclades is a group of Greek islands with beautiful, white sandy beaches, rugged mountains and lush valleys. Glamorous Santorini and Mykonos attract the jetset, while lesser-known isles, such as Milos and Naxos, are the perfect places for beach lovers. Ruins, including the 11th-century Dorian settlement and volcanic ash-preserved Ancient Akrotiri in Santorini, amaze those with a bent for ancient history. Sifnos' cuisine wins it admirers. Hydrofoils, ferries and catamarans connect the islands.