Italy, France and Spain

Valencia is an exhilarating mix of history, art and intellectual activity. Brave the 200 steps up to the summit of the amphitheatre, for a giddying panorama of orange rooftops and blue-domed churches. Valencia’s rich Hispanic culture is visible everywhere in the city’s architecture, often reflecting Roman, Visigoth, Moorish, and Aragonese traditions.

Whether the Romans were ever here or not soon becomes irrelevant as you begin to understand and explore this unique and richly historic town. You'll experience its specific style of Italian character. It’s almost impossible to, but make sure you don’t miss this: Cinque Terre is a dream-like patchwork blanket of colourful old buildings, draped over the seemingly inaccessible coast.

Tucked into the Ligurian coastline between the cities of Genoa and Pisa, the charming and atmospheric La Spezia is one of Italy’s most important commercial harbours and home to its largest naval base. La Spezia is also the gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Cinque Terre, a collection of five fantasy-like coastal villages perched immaculately on the contours of the coastline.