Rome is more than ancient architecture: it offers hidden gems, fashion, street art, Vespa rides to the Appian Way, and coins tossed into fountains. Visit the Vatican's Sistine Chapel and private quarters by appointment, plus the Colosseum, Caravaggio churches, the Spanish Steps, and the Pantheon. Make pasta, hunt truffles, enjoy gelato and coffee, or unwind in a 3,000-year-old pool. In Rome, old and new blend so you can indulge in it all.

Framed by Monte Argentario's wild landscapes, lookout towers, hidden coves, and lighthouses, Porto Santo Stefano is one of Italy's best-kept secrets. Steep streets fall from the Spanish Fortress through cobbled lanes to the old port, where fishermen unload their catch and sailboats bob in clear shallows. Stroll the boardwalk to waterfront eateries, visit the WWF-protected Orbetello Lagoon with flamingos and egrets, or sail to Giglio and Giannutri in the Tuscan Archipelago.

Megayachts crowd Monte-Carlo, where billionaires gamble and the rich and famous gather. Since 1879, the Opéra de Monte-Carlo has drawn royals and legends. Supercars line elegant streets past luxury hotels and Michelin-starred restaurants. Visit the Oceanographic Museum, the 13th-century Prince's Palace on Monaco's Rock, and the Thermes Marins for Riviera sunshine, wellness, and beauty.

Step into the sultry sophistication of the French Riviera, where Bardot glamour, Mediterranean sun, movie stars, superyachts, and chic cocktail bars define the scene. Then slip beyond the jet set to breathtaking landscapes, verdant hillsides, and the finest fresh local produce. After all the decadence and glamour of the Côte d'Azur, the journey continues to somewhere a little calmer.

Once a major Roman capital, Tarragona is now a UNESCO World Heritage city rich in antiquities. Highlights include a waterfront 2nd-century amphitheatre and a well-preserved Roman circus, plus Roman ruins tucked among narrow cobblestone streets and café-lined squares. Just outside the walls, see the two-tier Ferreres Aqueduct, built under Augustus. If visiting in October, catch the city's castells competition, where teams build human towers up to ten tiers high.

Leave craggy coastlines behind and head into Mallorca's heartland, where authentic charm, history, and nature await. Celebrate at Spain's oldest winery, shop chic Palma boutiques, and ride a vintage train through UNESCO-listed limestone mountains in bloom. Visit a tranquil monastery, art-filled hacienda, and protected wildlife reserves; enjoy wood-fired paella, historic churches, and old Mallorcan villages. Sapphire seas and spotless beaches complete this Balearic beauty.

Barcelona blends vibrant energy with Catalan tradition: explore the Gothic Quarter and Gaudí's architecture, enjoy tapas and cava in plazas and cafés, relax at the beach, shop along Passeig de Gràcia, and end the night in bohemian bars on La Rambla. A stylish city full of character.

Cannes pairs yacht-studded Riviera glamour with palm trees, a swish marina, casinos, boutiques, cinematic heritage, and supermodels. Wander Le Suquet's narrow medieval streets, shop La Croisette, dine in Michelin-starred restaurants, and relax in beach clubs with glittering sea views. For quiet, ferry to Saint-Honorat's leafy island and 500-year-old monastery. Nearby, Monaco and St Tropez beckon. Cannes is seaside glamour at its most French.

Tucked on the Italian coast, Portofino is a jet-set haven of noble summer homes, luxury boutiques, pastel harbor buildings, and olive-covered slopes. Nearby, Museo del Parco leads to Chiesa di San Giorgio, with views toward Etruscan villas and Ligurian lighthouses. An hour away, Cinque Terre's five pastel hamlets cling to rocky Mediterranean promontories.

Discover Florence, Tuscany's capital of culture and home of Michelangelo. Explore Renaissance masterpieces at the Uffizi, visit the terracotta-tiled Duomo, and wander the serene Boboli Gardens. At sunset, cross the Ponte Vecchio and savor a refined Tuscan red while reflecting on the Medici legacy.

Porto Cervo, the sleek capital of Costa Smeralda, blends ruggedly beautiful coastline, emerald coves, yachts, villas, and powder-white beaches. Enjoy beach clubs, take a boat to Maddalena Island's blue-green waters, see and be seen in Piazzetta, visit Stella Maris cathedral, stop by Poltu Quatu, and explore the Stone Age "Giants' Graves."

Ajaccio, Corsica's capital, is a 16th-century citadel on the island's west coast, its name possibly from Ajax or adjaccium ("place to rest"). Napoleon's birthplace, it's worth exploring the old town for Maison Bonaparte, the Baroque cathedral where he was baptised, lively markets for local wine, olive oil, chestnuts and cheese, and the white sands of the Bay of Ajaccio, with views to the Genoese tower at Parata and the Sanguinaire islands.

Rome is more than ancient architecture: it offers hidden gems, fashion, street art, Vespa rides to the Appian Way, and coins tossed into fountains. Visit the Vatican's Sistine Chapel and private quarters by appointment, plus the Colosseum, Caravaggio churches, the Spanish Steps, and the Pantheon. Make pasta, hunt truffles, enjoy gelato and coffee, or unwind in a 3,000-year-old pool. In Rome, old and new blend so you can indulge in it all.