Flying from Bristol in December

A flat, sunny Cape Verde island with white beaches, kitesurfing and warmth all year.

• Winter sun
• Beaches
• Kitesurfing

Red Sea resort known for coral reefs, snorkelling and diving, with warm sun through the winter.

• Winter sun
• Diving
• All-inclusive

Red Sea reefs in Ras Mohammed National Park and reliable winter sunshine.

• Winter sun
• Diving
• All-inclusive

The Maspalomas sand dunes in the south, mountain villages in the middle and year-round warmth.

• Winter sun
• Dunes
• Hiking

The biggest Canary Island, with Mount Teide, Spain's highest peak, above the resorts of the sunny south coast.

• Winter sun
• Volcano
• Whale watching

Long, empty beaches and the sand dunes of Corralejo. Quieter and windier than its Canary neighbours.

• Beaches
• Dunes
• Windsurfing

A long sandy bay with year-round sun, a rebuilt kasbah on the hill and the Souk El Had market.

• Winter sun
• Beach
• Surfing

Black lava fields and red volcanic cones in Timanfaya National Park, with low whitewashed villages in between.

• Winter sun
• Volcanic landscapes
• Beaches

Funchal's flower markets, levada walks along old irrigation channels and dramatic sea cliffs.

• Hiking
• Gardens
• Mild all year

The souks and the Jemaa el-Fnaa square of the medina, riad courtyards, and the Atlas Mountains on the horizon.

• Souks
• Riads
• Culture

Roman mosaics, the Tombs of the Kings, and Aphrodite's Rock along the coast road. One of the warmest places on this list.

• History
• Winter sun
• Beaches

A palm-lined seafront under the hilltop Santa Bárbara castle, with long city beaches and an old quarter of narrow streets.

• Beach
• Old town
• Mild winters

Picasso's home town: a Moorish fortress above the port, tapas bars below, and a city beach a short walk from the centre.

• City break
• Tapas
• Museums
• Mild winters

Valletta's honey-coloured fortress city, prehistoric temples and clear water for diving and boat trips to Gozo and Comino.

• History
• Diving
• Island hopping

A walled old town beside the Ria Formosa lagoon, and the gateway to the Algarve's cliffs and coves.

• Algarve coast
• Old town
• Golf

The Rock, with its Barbary macaques, cable car and Great Siege Tunnels. British, with Spain across the border.

• History
• Monkeys
• Short break

The Alcázar palace, a vast Gothic cathedral, and flamenco in the lanes of Triana and Santa Cruz.

• City break
• History
• Flamenco

The largest Balearic island: Palma's Gothic cathedral, the Serra de Tramuntana mountains and hundreds of coves.

• Beaches
• Mountains
• Palma city break

A Roman-walled old harbour town backed by the Taurus Mountains, with long beaches either side of the city.

• Beach
• Old town
• All-inclusive

Enfidha airport serves Tunisia's resort coast, from Hammamet's beaches to Sousse's walled medina.

• Beaches
• All-inclusive
• Medina

Seven hills of tiled houses, the historic trams, custard tarts in Belém and the beaches of Cascais along the coast.

• City break
• Food
• Coast

Gaudí's Sagrada Família and Park Güell, the Gothic Quarter's lanes and a city beach at Barceloneta.

• City break
• Architecture
• Beach

Port wine lodges across the river, tiled churches, and the double-decker Dom Luís I bridge.

• City break
• Wine
• Old town

The Acropolis above the city, the Plaka's tavernas, and ferries from Piraeus to the islands.

• History
• Food
• City break

The Guggenheim Museum, pintxos bars in the old town and the green Basque coast.

• Food
• Art
• City break

The Promenade des Anglais along the bay, the old town's market, and the Riviera villages of Èze and Monaco nearby.

• Riviera
• Beach
• Old town

The Colosseum, the Pantheon, Vatican City and trattorias down every side street.

• History
• Food
• City break

The Leaning Tower and the Field of Miracles, and the easiest airport for Florence and Lucca.

• Tuscany
• History
• Food

A riverside city of grand eighteenth-century stone, at the heart of one of the world's great wine regions.

• Wine
• City break
• Food

The 'Pink City' of terracotta brick, home of Airbus, with the Canal du Midi running through it.

• City break
• Aviation
• Food

The Prado, the Retiro park, late dinners and tapas bars that stay busy past midnight.

• City break
• Art
• Food

Georgian squares, the bridges over the Liffey, Trinity College and a pub on nearly every corner.

• Pubs
• Live music
• City break

An Edwardian city hall, the shipyard where Titanic was built, and the pubs and live music of the Cathedral Quarter.

• City break
• History
• Short hop

Ireland West Airport opens up Mayo: Westport, Clew Bay and the climb up Croagh Patrick.

• West of Ireland
• Walking
• Coast

Baroque arcades, the Egyptian Museum and the Alps on the skyline. The birthplace of Fiat and of chocolate hazelnut spread.

• City break
• Museums
• Food

Canals instead of streets, St Mark's Square, and the islands of Murano and Burano by water bus.

• City break
• Canals
• Art

A walled hilltop old town reached by funicular, close to Lake Como and Lake Iseo. Many fly here for Milan.

• Old town
• Lakes
• City break

The Louvre, the Eiffel Tower and Montmartre, with cafés on every corner and Disneyland Paris east of the city.

• City break
• Museums
• Food

France's food capital, with a Renaissance old town, Roman theatres and the Festival of Lights in December.

• Food
• Old town
• City break

Victorian architecture, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, free museums and one of the UK's best live music scenes.

• City break
• Live music
• Museums

The Duomo and its rooftop terraces, Leonardo's Last Supper and the shops of the Quadrilatero. Lake Como is an hour away by train.

• City break
• Shopping
• Art

A city ringed by mountains, and the airport for the French Alps ski resorts.

• Skiing
• Mountains
• City break

The castle on its volcanic rock, the Royal Mile running down to Holyrood, and Arthur's Seat to climb.

• History
• City break
• Festivals

The capital of the Highlands, on the doorstep of Loch Ness and the Culloden battlefield.

• Highlands
• Lochs
• History

The Tyne bridges, the Quayside, the Angel of the North nearby and a famous night out.

• Nightlife
• City break
• Football

A small Alpine airport serving the ski resorts of the Tarentaise valley.

• Skiing
• Mountains
• Lakes

Seventeenth-century canals, the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum, and a city best seen by bike.

• City break
• Museums
• Cycling

A Gothic cathedral beside the Rhine, chocolate and beer museums, and one of Germany's biggest carnivals.

• City break
• Christmas markets
• Beer

One airport, three countries: it serves Basel in Switzerland, Mulhouse in France and Freiburg in Germany.

• Art
• Rhine
• Christmas markets

Half-timbered houses in La Petite France, a towering cathedral and France's oldest Christmas market.

• Christmas markets
• Old town
• Food

The lakeside Jet d'Eau, a compact old town, and the Alps close by for skiing in winter.

• Lake
• Skiing
• City break

The Charles Bridge, a castle complex above the river, and a beer culture that goes back centuries.

• City break
• Beer
• Old town

Beer halls, the English Garden, Oktoberfest in autumn and day trips to Neuschwanstein Castle.

• Beer
• City break
• Castles

Imperial palaces, the opera house and coffee houses that have served cake since the 1800s.

• City break
• Music
• Christmas markets

The gold-domed Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Roman ruins in the metro and Vitosha mountain above the city.

• City break
• History
• Mountains

The colourful harbourfront at Nyhavn, Tivoli Gardens and a city where everyone cycles.

• City break
• Design
• Food

The Palace of the Parliament, one of the largest buildings in the world, and the lanes of the old town.

• City break
• History
• Nightlife

One of Europe's grandest market squares, and hundreds of small bronze dwarf statues hidden around the old town.

• Market square
• Dwarf statues
• City break

A mountain city with ski areas you can reach by funicular from the centre.

• Skiing
• Mountains
• Christmas markets

The Brandenburg Gate, the remaining stretches of the Wall, Museum Island and a famous club scene.

• History
• Nightlife
• City break

Mozart's birthplace, a clifftop fortress, and the setting of The Sound of Music.

• Music
• Old town
• Christmas markets

A lakeside city with an old town on both banks of the river and the Alps within easy reach.

• Lake
• Mountains
• City break

Steaming outdoor thermal baths, the Parliament on the Danube, and ruin bars in old courtyards.

• Thermal baths
• City break
• Nightlife

The base for the Golden Circle, the Blue Lagoon and, in winter, the chance of the Northern Lights.

• Northern Lights
• Hot springs
• Nature

A colourful market square where two mechanical goats butt heads from the town hall clock every noon.

• Old town
• City break
• Food

A rebuilt Hanseatic old town of tall merchants' houses, amber shops and the Baltic beaches at Sopot.

• Old town
• History
• Baltic coast

Wawel Castle above the Vistula, one of Europe's largest medieval market squares, and the Wieliczka salt mine nearby.

• Old town
• History
• Salt mine

A carefully rebuilt old town, the Chopin museum and Łazienki park, and a fast-growing food scene.

• City break
• History
• Food

A lively student city in south-eastern Poland, and a gateway to the Bieszczady mountains.

• City break
• Mountains
• Quiet

A riverside city in northern Poland with old granaries on the Brda river and an island park.

• City break
• River
• Quiet

Lithuania's second city, with interwar modernist buildings, a castle and an easygoing old town.

• Old town
• Architecture
• City break

A city 350km inside the Arctic Circle, one of the best places for the Northern Lights in winter.

• Northern Lights
• Snow
• Fjords

The official home town of Santa Claus, on the Arctic Circle, with husky rides and Northern Lights.

• Santa
• Northern Lights
• Snow