France is the world's number one tourist destination and it’s not hard to understand why - France has something for everyone. It has magnificent holiday opportunities for everything from a short weekend city break, in places such as Paris, Nice or Bordeaux, to a relaxed family holiday in the countryside, a week of relaxation by the seaside, or an energetic break hiking, climbing, kayaking or cycling in France's great outdoors. It has some of the greatest beaches in Europe, as well as the highest mountains and the finest historic monuments, the most beautiful cities, the most idyllic countryside, the most magnificent castles, the finest rivers, and plenty more, not to mention some of the best restaurants and the finest wines and more hotels than any other country in Europe.

Passionate, sophisticated and devoted to living the good life, Spain is a country more diverse than you ever imagined. The Pyrenees and the Picos de Europa mountain ranges, the snow-capped Sierra Nevada rising up improbably from the sun-baked plains of Andalucía, the wildly beautiful cliffs of Spain’s Atlantic northwest - definitely one of Europe’s most spectacular drives, the charming coves of the Mediterranean, villages of timeless beauty perched on hilltops, huddled in valleys and clinging to coastal outcrops are tiny but resilient outposts of Old Spain. Spain’s diverse landscapes stir the soul. Food and wine of Spain continues to take the world by storm. You may experience the best meal of your life here over tapas in an earthy bar. Also is Spain's endless creativity through its arts and architecture. Poignantly windswept Roman ruins, cathedrals of rare power and incomparable jewels of Islamic architecture speak of a country where the great civilizations of history have always risen, fallen and left behind their indelible mark. The grand monuments of a magnificent past coexist alongside architectural creations of the modern era. This is Spain.

Switzerland is known as the world's the summer and winter sports paradise. The glistening white Alpine peaks and its glittering lakes evokes the romance of mountain high life. Geneva (the most cosmopolitan), Zürich (the most outrageous), Basel and Lausanne heave with heady artistic activity and sometimes incendiary nightlife. It not only has four languages (Swiss German, French, Italian and Romansch), but the cultural variety to match. The grandeur of the finest churches, such as the cathedrals in Lausanne and Bern, contrasts with sparkling but lesser-known treasures like the frescoes of Müstair or the abbey complex of St Gallen. Whether visiting the remotest Ticino villages or sampling the finest of Valais wines, you'll find Switzerland a chocolate box bursting with unexpected flavours.

The jagged peaks of the big-shouldered Bavarian Alps unfold above flowering mountain pastures where cows graze lazily. Mighty rivers flow through romantic valleys, past steep vineyards and fairy-tale forests. Encounter history in towns where streets were laid out before Columbus set sail and in mighty castles looming above prim, half-timbered villages. Enjoying the outdoors, from skiing Alpine peaks to hiking carefully preserved forests, is essential. Compare the ancient traditions of the east with Cologne, where decades of prosperity burnish its grand heritage. Cities of Germany boast some of Europe’s best clubs, as you’d expect from the home of techno. Beer is at the heart of a pilsner-swilling culture that draws keg-loads of visitors annually, to one of the world’s great parties the Oktoberfest. With nine European borders and a location right in the heart of the continent, Germany could stake a convincing claim to being the most ‘European’.

In few places do art and life intermingle so effortlessly. Towns and cities drenched in ancient history, some of the finest food and wine in the world, and sublime landscapes, from the placid waters of the northern lakes, to the cypress-spiked landscapes of Tuscany, and the high drama of the Amalfi coast. Lurking behind the appearance of effortlessness is a passionate attention to life’s fine print. The Colosseum and the Roman Forum are remarkable ruins from Rome's ancient past. Sitting above it all is the Campidoglio, with a piazza designed by Michelangelo and museums containing one of the world's finest collections of ancient art. A stark reminder of the malign forces that lie deep inside Vesuvius, Pompeii is Europe’s most compelling, priceless archaeological site. A trip down Venice's "Main Street," whether by water bus or gondola, is a signature Italian experience. You can’t rush a love affair—take it slow and fall in love with one of Europe’s most impressive cities.

Belgium is a country with liberal attitudes, imaginative museums, a vibrant theatrical and artistic life and fabulous food. It boasts of the State-of-the-art galleries in Mons and Leuven, the superb new Hergé museum at Louvain-laNeuve, and the Magritte Museum and subterranean Coudenberg experience in Brussels. Then there’s the incredibly ambitious Grand Curtius in Liège, which is also where one of Europe’s most extraordinary 21st-century architectural talking points, Liège-Guillemins station, opened in 2009. Belgium is a country of two distinct halves. The Dutch-speaking Flanders (northern Belgium) having a flat, often monotonous landscape interspersed with fabulous historic cities and the French-speaking Wallonia (southern Belgium) with its caves, castles, bucolic valleys and outdoor activities. Staying in village inns and stringing together several minor countryside attractions can make for a truly delightful experience.

To journey through England is to journey through time - from the ancient megaliths of Stonehenge to the space-age domes of the Eden Project in Cornwall. Cities like Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle revel in their heritage and confidently face the future, with industrial buildings revitalised as waterfront galleries or trendy apartments, flanked by tempting bars, shops, restaurants and some of the finest music venues on the planet. Sparkling Scottish lochs, relax in historic gardens and bask on the beaches of the South Coast. Britain’s diverse countryside will surprise and delight. Britain is packed with historic monuments, royal palaces and some of the world's top museums. Visit the house where Shakespeare was born, climb cathedral spires or uncover the Tower of London’s dark history. The beauty of travel in England is the compact nature of the country. By spending less time going between places and more time in them, you can immerse yourself in the scenery, instead of just breezing through. Whether you're strolling the undulating hills of Oxfordshire, cycling in Norfolk, surfing off Newquay or rock-climbing in the Peak District, England is perfect for activity and adventure.

Russia has diverse landscapes of icy tundra and sun-kissed beaches, dense silver birch and fir forests and deep and mysterious lakes, snow-capped mountains and swaying grasslands – the steppes. Factor in ancient fortresses, luxurious palaces, swirly spired churches and lost-in-time wooden villages and you’ll begin to see why Russia is simply amazing.You can trarverse through the dynamic Moscow, the historic St Petersburg, Lake Baikal, the golden sands of Kranz, the charming River Volga river, fascinating Elista - Europe’s sole Buddhist enclave, the Urals mountain range and location of the wacky Chess City; the 400-year-old mausoleums of Dargavs, a North Ossetian ‘city of the dead’; or the hot springs of Kamchatka’s Nalychevo Valley in the Russian Far East...the list is unending !

A richly historical land with some of the best cuisine you will ever taste, one of the world’s greatest cities and scenery from white-sand beaches to soaring mountains. Turkey offers a wealth of destinations to travellers: from dome-and-minaret filled skyline of Istanbul to Roman ruins along the western and southern coasts, from heavily indendated coastline against a mountainous backdrop of Lycia and wide and sunny beaches of Pamphylia to cold and snowy mountains of the East, from crazy "foam parties" of Bodrum to Middle Eastern-flavoured cities of Southeastern Anatolia, from verdant misty mountains of Eastern Black Sea to wide steppe landscapes of Central Anatolia, there is something for everyone's taste. In İstanbul, you can cruise through markets and nightclubs – in a Westernized metropolis offering equal parts romance and overcrowded insanity. The Topkapi Palace of the Ottoman Sultanate, Cave churches of Cappadocia, Aegean beaches and eastern mountains - It’s hardly surprising Turkey has attracted travellers over the centuries. Come and discover their legacy for yourself.

It’s easy to understand how so many myths of gods and giants originated in this vast and varied landscape, with wide open skies and a sea speckled with islands, where days melt from one to the next, while you relish the white-sand and palm-fringed beaches. Greece offers endless activities and is a magnet for anyone who enjoys the great outdoors. Wander along cobbled, Byzantine footpaths, hike into volcanoes, watch for dolphins and sea turtles and cycle through lush forests. Experience endless miles of aquamarine coastline, sun-bleached ancient ruins, strong feta and stronger ouzo. Greece balances its past, present and future in a way managed by few other countries.