3- Capri via Naples. Some visitors skip the island of Capri (about an hour and fifteen minutes by ferry from Naples) because they “ink it’s expensive. That would be a terrible mistake; Capri is reathtakingly beautiful and only a bit more expensive than the rest of southern Italy. It can get crowded though, so it’s not a bad idea to make it a day-trip instead of staying overnight. However you go, don’t miss the ski lift to the highest point on the island, and definitely don’t miss the Blue Grotto, a sea cave that by a miracle of refraction is filled with a glowing blue light. Strong swimmers can skip the expensive boat trips into the grotto and swim in after 6pm.

4. Toledo via Madrid. Toledo (about an hour and a half by train from Madrid) is perhaps the most intensely Spanish town in Spain. Perched on a bluff overlooking the Tajo river, Toledo is filled with winding streets, ancient churches, and a thousand years’ worth of architecture, though it’s most famous for its religious art, especially that of El Greco, and for its sword making, which made “Spanish steel” a byword for quality during the Middle Ages. (Now, sadly, most of the swords made here are cheap toys for the tourists.)

5. Monaco via Nice. Unlike most of the destinations mentioned above, Monaco (thirty minutes by bus from Nice) is not a great place to spend the night for a budget traveler, and should be considered purely as a day-trip. On one hand, it is a pretty place, with steep hills and beautiful homes; on the other, if your yacht doesn’t have a helicopter on it, nobody will look twice at you when you pull into Monaco’s harbor. That said, the best things in Monaco (the view, the ocean, and the Botanic Gardens or “jardin exo-tique”) are cheap or free, and hey, going to the little place counts as visiting another whole country.