Getting sick on holiday is a major drag, but if you have to be under the weather, Montpellier is an ideal place to do it. People have studied medicine here for centuries—the Moors established medical schools in the 9th century, and the Université Montpellier’s school of medicine was founded in 1220. Once the local docs give you a clean bill of health, explore the cathedral, mansions and opera house.

The political, scientific, historical, architectural and business centre of Russia, Moscow displays the country's contrasts at their most extreme. The ancient and modern exist side by side in this city of 10 million. Catch a metro from one of the ornate stations to see Red Square, the Kremlin, the nine domes of St Basil's Cathedral, Lenin's Mausoleum, the KGB Museum and other symbols of Moscow's great and terrible past, then lighten up and go shopping in Boulevard Ring, or people-watch in Pushkin Square.

Glamourous Santorini is deliciously different. Geographical newness is in part to thank. The island’s popular black volcanic Perissa and Kamari beaches are big draws, as is its arguably most famous Red Beach near Akrotiri (which is the place to go for archaeology buffs). Santorini curves round a giant lagoon in the Cyclades islands, offering stunning views from sky-high towns, eclectic cuisine, lovely galleries, thriving nightlife and excellent wines.

Strung below craggy mountains, the Omani capital of Muscat is one of the Middle East’s oldest and most picturesque cities. Between its corniches and modern quarter are Portuguese-built forts, blue-domed mosques, royal palaces, and souks, all heavy with the sense of a lost Arabia.