Andorra

All but lost between France and Spain, like the fairy tale pea in the mattresses, the pocket-sized princedom principality of Andorra comprises just a handful of mountainous landscapes and meandering rivers - but the skiing is the best in the Pyrenees.

Bulgaria

Bulgaria has changed swiftly over the last decade, though in the villages you can still find folk who ride the donkey to work, eat homegrown potatoes and make their own cheese. The difference now is that they wash it all down in front of a satellite TV.

Croatia

With its sublime stretch of Adriatic coast, Croatia has long been regarded as one of the most beautiful parts of Europe. The booming tourist industry that was interrupted by war in the early 1990s has swept back in force, and visitors are flocking to its string of coastal and island resorts.

Finland

Finland is for the most part a quiet land, where a ramshackle cottage by a lake and a properly stoked sauna is all that's required for happiness. It's a vast expanse of forests and lakes and more forests, punctuated by towns full of people who are genuinely surprised to see tourists.

Greece

Having exported chaos, drama, tragedy and democracy before most nations were staying up late enough to want souvlaki, Greece boasts an unrivalled legacy. But don't expect a visit there to be a sober study of the ancient world - the Greek propensity for partying dates back to Dionysos.

Ireland

It's said that Ireland, once visited, is never forgotten, and for once the blarney rings true. The Irish landscape has a mythic resonance, the country's history is almost tangible, and its people seem put on earth expressly to restore faith in humanity.

Italy

Europe's kinky over-the-knee boot has it all: popes, painters, polenta, paramours, poets, political puerility and potentates. Its dreamy light and sumptuous landscapes seem made for romance, and its three millennia of history, culture and cuisine seduces just about everyone.

Madeira

Malta

North Cyprus

Norway

Portugal

Romania

Romania has the majestic castles, medieval towns, great hiking and wildlife, and cheap skiing of much of the 'undiscovered' former Eastern Bloc. You'll be floored at how different it is, but you'll almost certainly see signs that it's chasing the dreams of the rest of the West.

Slovakia

Slovakia is not about jaw-dropping sights and superlatives; it's about experiencing a place less touched by the glitz and glam of its more famous neighbours. Outside the cities you can still find traditional villages, folk traditions and tourist trails meandering through the hilly countryside.

Slovenia

Spain

Once away from the holiday costas, you could only be in Spain. In the cities, narrow twisting old streets suddenly open out to views of daring modern architecture, while spit-and-sawdust bars serving wine from the barrel rub shoulders with blaring, glaring discos.

Switzerland

Switzerland may be neutral but it is certainly not flavourless. The fusion of German, French and Italian ingredients has formed a robust national culture, and the country's alpine landscapes have enough zing to reinvigorate the most jaded traveller.

Turkey

Check your Midnight Express stereotypes at the door - this is a rapidly modernising country with one foot in Europe and one in the Middle East. It's not all oriental splendour, mystery, intrigue and whirling dervishes but it is a spicy maelstrom of history knocking up against a pacy present.