Rome, Italy

Rome is magnificent and overwhelming at the same time. It's a showcase of Western civilization, with astonishingly ancient sights and a modern vibrancy. As you peel through its fascinating and jumbled layers, you'll find the marble ruins of ancient times, tangled streets of the medieval world, early Christian churches, grand Renaissance buildings and statues, Baroque fountains and facades, 21st-century traffic, and nearly three million people. Visit St. Peter's, the greatest church on earth, learn something about eternity by touring the huge Vatican Museums, ramble among the rabble and rubble through ancient Rome's Colosseum and Forum, savor the sumptuous Borghese Gallery, and take an early evening stroll with Rome's beautiful people. 

Athens, Greece

Though sprawling and congested, Athens has a compact, pleasant tourist zone capped by the famous Acropolis — the world's top ancient site. In this historic town, you'll walk in the footsteps of the great minds that created democracy, philosophy, theater, and more…even when you're dodging motorcycles on "pedestrianized" streets. Romantics can't help but get goose bumps as they kick around the same pebbles that once stuck in Socrates' sandals, with the floodlit Parthenon forever floating ethereally overhead.

Greek Isles

Santorini, Greece

Scenic, seismic Santorini is one of the world's most dramatic islands: a flooded caldera (collapsed volcanic crater) with a long, steep, colorfully striped arc of cliffs, thrusting up a thousand feet above sea level. Sometimes called "The Devil's Isle," this unique place has captured visitors' imaginations for millennia and might have partly inspired tales of Atlantis. But the otherworldly appeal of Santorini doesn't end with its setting. Perched along the ridgeline is a gaggle of perfectly placed whitewashed villages, punctuated with azure domes that make this, undeniably, one of Greece's most scenic spots. If this place didn't exist, some fantasy painter would have to conjure it up.

Mykonos, Greece

Mykonos is the very picture of the perfect Greek island town: a seafront village crouched behind a sandy harbor, thickly layered with blinding white stucco, bright blue trim, and purple bougainvilleas. Mykonos' status as a fashionable, jet-set destination and a mecca for gay holiday makers also gives it a certain hip cachet (and sky-high prices) — weary fisherfolk and tacky trinket stalls share the lanes with top-end fashion boutiques. The core of town is literally a maze, designed by Mykonians centuries ago to discourage would-be invaders from finding their way. If you manage to break free, wander up to the windmills for the view, or head to one of the many enticing sandy beaches around the island. Nearby is the island of Delos — one of the Greek islands' top ancient sites.

Çeşme, Turkey

Çeşme is a Turkish resort town west of Izmir, on the Aegean Sea. Overlooking the harbor is Çeşme Castle, a restored military fortress. It now houses the Çeşme Archaeology Museum, with displays of marble busts, metal coins and artifacts from nearby excavations. On the east side of the Çeşme peninsula is sandy Ilica Beach, with warm thermal sulfur springs. Around Çeşme are clear waters and accessible dive sites.