Corsica is a weird and wonderful island, replete with gorgeous beaches and breathtaking mountains. Bonifacio, a harbour city on the southern tip, is rich with history. Check out the prehistoric Araguina-Sennola caves and the Genoese towers, and be sure to take the train through the mountains to the beach—a spectacular adventure. Biking, hiking, rafting and diving are popular activities.

While crowds of tourists fill Venice, Florence and Rome, Bologna remains relatively quiet in comparison. This mediaeval university town is charming, historic and fun to explore… and you'll find Bologna's local cuisine is light-years away from the American deli meat bearing the city's name.

Everyone who visits Paris for the first time probably has the same punchlist of major attractions to hit: The Louvre, Notre Dame, The Eiffel Tower, etc. Just make sure you leave some time to wander the city’s grand boulevards and eat in as many cafes, bistros and brasseries as possible. And don’t forget the shopping—whether your tastes run to Louis Vuitton or Les Puces (the flea market), you can find it here.

Oia is carved out of the cliffs, and visitors can see houses built for Venetian sea captains as well as the more typical "cave houses" of the villagers. You’ll find the pure white buildings with colourful roofs that are typical of Greek architecture, and you’ll probably enjoy poking around the town. But don’t breeze through in an hour—you must stay for the sunset. It’s legendary. Watch from a café, or, better yet, from a boat—you’ll be spellbound.

The prophet Mohammed's birthplace is Islam's spiritual center and is strictly off-limits to non-Muslims. The pillars of Islam state that all Muslims with the means must undertake Hajj, a pilgrimage to Mecca, once in their lifetime. Those who visit the holy city are rewarded not just by proximity to landmarks and religious sites crucial to the religion, such as the Masjid Al Haram (Holy Mosque), the Mountain of Light, the Black Stone and the Well of Zamzam, but with the forgiveness of all their sins.