1. Dublin – The Irish capital is a must-see destination. With plenty of heritage sites, shops, entertainment venues and the friendliest people in Europe, it is a place that every traveller must visit at least once in their lifetimes. Even better, Dublin is easily accessible via ferry and the fares are generally much cheaper than you would find if you chose to fly instead.
2. Barcelona – The most vibrant city in Spain is another of those places that you absolutely must visit at some stage in your life. if the sunshine and warm climate is not enough, there is plenty to do and see, with excellent tours of the city and abundant history to explore. The port in Barcelona is always busy so you can find a route there no matter what time of year you want to visit.
3. Naples – The gorgeous Italian port is famous the world over and an excellent place to land in the Mediterranean. The climate is superb and warm all year round and travelling by ferry is preferable to flying to Naples. Trust me on this one – it comes from personal experience. Visit Sorrento, one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Explore Naples and the shopping there in addition to the fascinating Neopolitan history… and then there is the food! 
4. Dubrovnik – Dubrovnik is the capital of Croatian tourism and is one of the more fashionable holiday destinations going. Not only is it incredibly hot but it is also very peaceful and relaxing. In fact, it is in complete contrast with the lives most of us are living at the moment given the fear that the credit crunch inspires. You can literally forget your troubles there.
5. Copenhagen - The Danish capital is a fantastic place to visit if you are looking for somewhere a little out of the ordinary to go. The climate can be cold but the city is very friendly and welcoming with plenty to see and do for however long you are going there. It will definitely be somewhere that you will want to return to.

Guest Article by Louise Crowley

Paris, Milan, Rome, Berlin, Madrid, Barcelona… all of the big European cities are completely different in terms of the layout but not in terms of the pedestrian friendly design. This most definitely means that those cities are not friendly for drivers! If you are planning a self drive holiday and plan to drive around the cities yourself for the best tourist experience possible then the tips below may help you:

• Rigorously plan out any journey around the European city in advance – There is nothing worse than getting to the city centre and finding that you are completely lost. Make sure you know exactly where you want to go and how to get there.
• Take maps with you and a satellite navigation system if navigation for that city is available – All of the above will give you a great back up should you get lost and may even help you when you are driving through the city centre in the first place.
• Choose a car you can handle – Do not choose some oversized wagon that you just fancied driving because city driving is a nightmare at the best of times. Make sure that you are comfortable and confident with the car.
• Find out when the busiest times of the day are and avoid them like the plague! – All rush hours can be hell but in city centres the problem gets infinitely worse. If you are going to drive through a city then very early in the morning ad late at night are often the best times but just avoid the rush hours at all costs.
• Double check for one way streets, travel restrictions and areas to avoid – The last thing you want on holiday is to be chatting to a local policeman because you went the wrong way down a one way street or because you drove into a no car zone. Always check exactly where you can go and where you can’t before you head out.
• Take the train! – Just don’t drive in the city centre where possible! taking the train is often more enjoyable and less stressful so assess this option too!

Guest Article by Louise Crowley