You know where. We'll tell you when.

European cities, South American hours

Entry notes: Most visitors from the US, UK, Canada, Australia and the EU enter visa free for up to 90 days.

Best window: Dec to Feb, Mar to May, Sep to Nov

Far away, and worth the flight time

Entry notes: Almost all visitors need a visa or an electronic travel authority before departure, even for short stays.

Best window: Sep to Nov, Dec to Feb, Mar to May

Imperial in winter, alpine in summer

Entry notes: Schengen area. Most visitors from the US, UK, Canada and Australia enter visa free for up to 90 days in any 180.

Best window: Nov to Dec, Jan to Mar

Calm water on one coast, real surf on the other

Entry notes: Most visitors from the US, UK, Canada and the EU enter visa free for up to six months.

Best window: Jun to Aug, Dec to Apr

Small, central and better than its reputation

Entry notes: Schengen area. Most visitors from the US, UK, Canada and Australia enter visa free for up to 90 days in any 180.

Best window: May to Jun

Carnival, coastline and a city with a view from every angle

Entry notes: Visa requirements vary by passport and have changed recently; check before booking.

Best window: Dec to Feb

Mountains, prairie and a very short summer

Entry notes: Visa exempt travellers need an approved eTA before flying. Others need a visitor visa applied for well in advance.

Best window: Sep to Oct, Jun to Aug

Walled city, Caribbean water, endless salsa

Entry notes: Visa-free for many passports for up to 90 days.

Best window: Dec to Mar

A thousand islands and a very short season

Entry notes: Schengen area. Most visitors from the US, UK, Canada and Australia enter visa free for up to 90 days in any 180.

Best window: May to Jun, Sep

Prague, and prices that still make sense

Entry notes: Schengen area. Most visitors from the US, UK, Canada and Australia enter visa free for up to 90 days in any 180.

Best window: Dec, May to Jun

The oldest city in the Americas, and the best value beaches

Entry notes: Most visitors from the US, UK, Canada and the EU enter visa free for up to 30 days. An electronic entry form is required.

Best window: Dec to Apr

The monuments, and a Red Sea most people forget about

Entry notes: Most visitors need a visa. It is available on arrival at the airport or as an e-visa applied for online in advance.

Best window: Nov to Mar

Paris, the south, and everything the train reaches

Entry notes: Schengen area. Most visitors from the US, UK, Canada and Australia enter visa free for up to 90 days in any 180.

Best window: Sep to Oct, Apr to Jun

Beer halls, alpine day trips and some of the easiest group logistics in Europe

Entry notes: Schengen area. Many nationalities enter visa free for up to 90 days; others need a Schengen visa booked well ahead.

Best window: Jun to Aug, Sep to Oct

Highlife, coastline and the loudest December on the continent

Entry notes: Most visitors need a visa in advance; a seasonal December to mid January waiver has run in recent years. Confirm with the High Commission.

Best window: Dec to Jan

Islands that are worth the ferry and the queue

Entry notes: Schengen rules apply. Visa-free for many passports for up to 90 days in any 180.

Best window: Sep to Oct, May to Jun

Vertical, fast and far greener than you expect

Entry notes: Most visitors from the US, UK, Canada, Australia and the EU enter visa free for 90 to 180 days.

Best window: Oct to Dec

Volcanic, expensive and worth every krona

Entry notes: Schengen area. Most visitors from the US, UK, Canada and Australia enter visa free for up to 90 days in any 180.

Best window: Jun to Aug, Sep to Mar

Enormous, overwhelming and completely worth it

Entry notes: Almost all visitors need a visa in advance. The e-visa is issued online and should be applied for at least a month ahead.

Best window: Nov to Feb

Bali as the base, and everything east of it

Entry notes: Most visitors can obtain a visa on arrival for 30 days, extendable once. An electronic version can be bought before departure.

Best window: May to Sep

A small country with a very large welcome

Entry notes: Not in the Schengen area. Most visitors from the US, Canada, Australia and the EU enter visa free for up to 90 days.

Best window: Jun to Aug

Cities you already know, and coastlines you do not

Entry notes: Schengen area. Most visitors from the US, UK, Canada and Australia enter visa free for up to 90 days in any 180.

Best window: Apr to Jun, Sep to Oct

Kingston for the music, the coast for everything else

Entry notes: Most visitors from the US, UK, Canada and the EU enter visa free for up to 90 days.

Best window: Dec to Apr

The most rewarding country to over-plan

Entry notes: Visa-free short stays for many passports. Check the current list before booking.

Best window: Oct to Nov, Mar to Apr

The migration, and a capital with real nightlife

Entry notes: e-Visa required for most passports; apply online in advance.

Best window: Jul to Oct

Temples, kaiseki and the slow half of Japan

Entry notes: Visa-free short stays for many passports. Check the current list before booking.

Island towns, beaches and boat days off Cape Cod.

Two completely different trips in one country

Entry notes: Visa-free for many passports for up to 180 days.

Best window: Nov to Apr

Medinas, mountains and desert within one week

Entry notes: Visa-free for many passports for up to 90 days. Check your own before booking.

Best window: Sep to Nov, Mar to May

Canals, cycling and one of the best club calendars in Europe

Entry notes: Schengen area. Most visitors from the US, UK, Canada and Australia enter visa free for up to 90 days in any 180.

Best window: Sep to Oct, Apr to Jun

Japan's kitchen, open late

Entry notes: Visa-free short stays for many passports. Check the current list before booking.

Altitude, ruins and one of the great food cities

Entry notes: Most visitors from the US, UK, Canada, Australia and the EU enter visa free for up to 90 days.

Best window: May to Sep

Cheap flights, warm water and a festival calendar

Entry notes: Schengen rules apply. Visa-free for many passports for up to 90 days in any 180.

Best window: Sep to Oct, Jun to Aug

Small, expensive, and the easiest logistics in Asia

Entry notes: Most visitors from the US, UK, Canada, Australia and the EU enter visa free for up to 90 days. An arrival card must be filed online before entry.

Best window: Feb to Apr, Sep to Dec

Wine, wilderness and a city built under a mountain

Entry notes: Visa-free for many passports for up to 90 days.

Best window: Mar to May, Dec to Feb

A city that genuinely does not sleep

Entry notes: Most visitors from the US, UK, Canada and Australia enter visa free for up to 90 days. An electronic travel authorisation may be required.

Best window: Apr to May, Sep to Nov

Two coasts, three climates and a country that eats late

Entry notes: Schengen area. Most visitors from the US, UK, Canada and Australia enter visa free for up to 90 days in any 180.

Best window: Sep to Oct, Apr to Jun

Spice island beaches with a safari attached

Entry notes: Visa on arrival or e-visa for most passports. Yellow fever certificate required if arriving from an endemic country.

Best window: Jan to Feb, Jun to Oct

Islands, temples and the best value on this list

Entry notes: Visa exemption on arrival for many passports; the permitted stay varies.

Best window: Nov to Feb

Two islands, one carnival, and the loudest good time in the Caribbean

Entry notes: Many nationalities enter visa free for up to 90 days. Check the immigration division before booking flights.

Best window: Jan to Feb

Two continents, one city, and a coastline most people miss

Entry notes: Many nationalities enter visa free. Others, including some EU passports, need an e-visa which is issued online within minutes.

Best window: Sep to Oct, Apr to Jun

Football Saturdays in West Alabama

The source of the Nile, and a music scene worth the trip

Entry notes: Most visitors need a visa. The e-visa is applied for online and takes several days. A yellow fever certificate is mandatory on entry.

Best window: Dec to Feb, Jun to Sep

Winter sun, and a very serious hospitality standard

Entry notes: Most visitors from the US, UK, Canada, Australia and the EU receive a visa on arrival for 30 to 90 days.

Best window: Nov to Mar

London year round, and a summer festival calendar that never stops

Entry notes: Most visitors from the US, Canada, Australia and the EU enter visa free for up to six months. An electronic travel authorisation may be required before departure.

Best window: Jun to Aug

A different country every few hundred miles

Entry notes: Visa waiver travellers need an approved ESTA before departure. Everyone else needs a visa, and interview waits can run months.

Best window: Mar to May, Sep to Nov

Three climates in one country, north to south

Entry notes: Most visitors need a visa. The government e-visa is issued online and typically takes three to five working days.

Best window: Oct to Apr, Dec to Apr