Flying from Liverpool in May

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

• Winter sun
• Diving
• All-inclusive

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

• Winter sun
• Diving
• All-inclusive

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

• Souks
• Riads
• Culture

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

• City break
• History
• Flamenco

The airport for the Mar Menor lagoon and the Costa Cálida, with plenty of golf resorts nearby.

• Beaches
• Golf
• Families

A palm-lined seafront, the church of Saint Lazarus, and pink flamingos on the salt lake in winter.

• Winter sun
• Beach
• History

A crusader castle above a busy marina, white houses on the hills and boat trips around the peninsula.

• Beaches
• Nightlife
• Boat trips

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

• Beach
• Old town
• All-inclusive

The airport for Turkey's Lycian coast: Dalyan's rock tombs, Ölüdeniz lagoon and the marinas of Fethiye and Göcek.

• Beaches
• Boat trips
• All-inclusive

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

• Winter sun
• Volcanic landscapes
• Beaches

Brightly painted buildings, the Bunk'Art museums in Cold War bunkers, and the cable car up Dajti mountain.

• City break
• History
• Mountains

Flat and easy for cycling, with the Asklepion ruins, long beaches and boats to nearby islands.

• Beaches
• Cycling
• Greek island

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

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

• History
• Food
• City break

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

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

• Beaches
• Dunes
• Windsurfing

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

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

• Winter sun
• Volcano
• Whale watching

A Moorish Alcazaba, desert landscapes where spaghetti westerns were filmed, and the Cabo de Gata nature park.

• Beaches
• History
• Nature

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

• History
• Diving
• Island hopping

Venetian-built Corfu Town, olive-covered hills and turquoise bays on the north-west coast.

• Beaches
• Old town
• Greek island

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

• Winter sun
• Dunes
• Hiking

A medieval walled old town, one of the best preserved in Europe, and the clifftop village of Lindos with its acropolis.

• History
• Beaches
• Old town

The home of pizza, with Pompeii, Vesuvius and boats to Capri all within reach.

• Food
• History
• Islands

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

• Algarve coast
• Old town
• Golf

Navagio Bay's shipwreck beach and loggerhead turtles nesting on the south coast.

• Beaches
• Boat trips
• Nightlife

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

• Beaches
• All-inclusive
• Medina

A city built inside the walls of a Roman emperor's palace, with ferries to Hvar and Brač.

• History
• Islands
• Coast

A medieval old town with a Jewish quarter and riverside houses, and the airport for the Costa Brava's beaches.

• Old town
• Costa Brava
• Food

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

• City break
• Art
• Food

The airport for the Costa Dorada: the beaches of Salou, PortAventura theme park and Roman Tarragona.

• Beaches
• Theme park
• Families

Crete's capital, five kilometres from the Minoan palace of Knossos, with beaches east and west.

• History
• Beaches
• Greek island

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

• City break
• Food
• Coast

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

• Beaches
• Mountains
• Palma city break

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

Famous for its clubs, but also a UNESCO-listed old town, Dalt Vila, and quiet coves in the north.

• Nightlife
• Beaches
• Old town

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

• Thermal baths
• City break
• Nightlife

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

• Hiking
• Gardens
• Mild all year

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

• City break
• Architecture
• Beach

The airport for Bulgaria's Black Sea resorts, including Sunny Beach and old Nesebar.

• Beaches
• Nightlife
• Families

Quieter than its Balearic neighbours, with a coast of small coves and a whole island that's a UNESCO biosphere reserve.

• Coves
• Families
• Quiet

Slovakia's second city, with a Gothic cathedral and a long main street of colourful houses.

• City break
• Old town
• Quiet

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

• City break
• Beer
• Old town

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

• City break
• Museums
• Food

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

• City break
• Wine
• Old town

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

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

• Old town
• City break
• Food

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

• City break
• History
• Food

A port city in north-western Poland with wide boulevards, a castle and the Chrobry Embankment.

• City break
• History
• Quiet

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

• Old town
• Architecture
• City break

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

• City break
• Museums
• Cycling

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

• Old town
• History
• Baltic coast

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

• City break
• Design
• Food

The airport for Limerick, the Cliffs of Moher and the limestone landscape of the Burren.

• West of Ireland
• Cliffs
• Castles

The largest Channel Island: sandy bays, the Jersey War Tunnels and Mont Orgueil castle. No passport needed from the UK.

• Beaches
• History
• Short hop

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

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

• Pubs
• Live music
• City break

The only completely intact walled city in Ireland, with the Peace Bridge across the Foyle.

• History
• City walls
• Short hop

Ireland's second city, with the English Market, Blarney Castle nearby and the coast of West Cork.

• Food
• Coast
• Short hop

The TT motorcycle races, Celtic heritage and a coastline of glens and harbours. No passport needed.

• Coast
• Motorsport
• Short hop