As vacation destinations go, it’s difficult to beat some of Europe’s most compelling cities and country retreats. Whether you’re interested in watching Parisian crowds from an elegant cafe or sipping wine at a villa in Tuscany, here are just a few great places to experience a life-changing vacation in Europe.

The Isle of Skye, Scotland
Home to towering castles, age-old whiskey distilleries, and craggy mountain bluffs, the Isle of Skye offers visitors a chance to be whisked away to a truly magical and timeless world. Relaxing at one of the Isle’s many pubs and restaurants can feel like an experience straight out of a storybook, and rugged golf courses throughout the region offer players scenic grandeur and challenging links in equal measure. This is a place that no travel buff should miss.

Vienna, Austria
Famous for its elegant coffeehouses and Sachertorte cake, a trip to Vienna is always a delightful experience. Restaurants here are known for their simple but filling dishes, and classical music fans will delight in the concerts that are always on offer in the city. (Vienna is justly proud of its association with great composers like W.A. Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven, both of whom called the city home.)

Paris, France
For hundreds of years, Paris has been a favorite destination of travelers keen to sample the city’s culture and elegance; indeed, visitors to the city always have an enormous selection of museums, parks, restaurants, cafes, and beautiful neighborhoods at their fingertips. There is a reason that great artists and writers like Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and countless other brilliant minds have called the city home; the beauty of Paris is truly something to behold.

Tuscany, Italy
Home base to the Italian Renaissance and creative geniuses like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Dante, and Galileo, Tuscany still offers visitors amazing cultural opportunities at seemingly every turn. The city of Florence remains Tuscany’s regional hub, and its many museums are justly world-famous for their extensive collections.

Outside of Florence, perfectly-preserved medieval towns like Siena also offer travelers a chance to step back in time to a simpler age. Life in the country here trots by at a slow pace, and in recent years, many of the region’s best vineyard manor houses and villas have been converted into hotels and rental properties. These wonderful homes offer visitors a chance to relax in true Tuscan style.

Whatever your interests may be, it’s no secret that Europe offers travelers some of the finest vacation destinations in the world. A trip to some of Europe’s best locations can be a life-changing experience, so enjoy your journey as you take in the best that European traveling has to offer!