City guides
What a first-time visitor needs before booking: what tipping is expected, what to wear, whether to drive, and which months of that city's own year are the expensive ones.
Lisbon, Portugal
Tram-lined hills, tiled facades and Atlantic seafood at European prices.
Paris, France
Museums, markets and a metro that makes a car pointless.
Rome, Italy
Two thousand years of ruins stacked between trattorias.
Barcelona, Spain
Gaudi, beach and a late dinner clock that takes a day to adjust to.
London, United Kingdom
Free national museums, expensive everything else.
Amsterdam, Netherlands
A city best seen from a bike saddle or a canal boat.
Prague, Czechia
A medieval centre with the cheapest beer in Central Europe.
Vienna, Austria
Imperial architecture, coffee houses and flawless public transport.
Athens, Greece
The Acropolis above, a food and bar scene below.
Istanbul, Turkey
Two continents, one ferry ride and a very long lunch.
Reykjavik, Iceland
Base camp for waterfalls, lava fields and the northern lights.
Copenhagen, Denmark
Design, cycling and some of the best restaurants in Europe.
Tokyo, Japan
The world's largest city, and the easiest big one to get around.
Kyoto, Japan
Temples, machiya streets and the tightest cherry-blossom calendar anywhere.
Seoul, South Korea
Late-night food, mountain hikes and a 24-hour metro card.
Bangkok, Thailand
Street food worth planning a trip around, and river boats to reach it.
Singapore, Singapore
Hawker centres, tropical gardens and a faultless airport.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Desert, skyline and a winter season that does the heavy lifting.
New York, United States
Walkable neighbourhoods, museums and the price tag that comes with them.
Chicago, United States
Architecture, lakefront and a summer festival calendar.
Mexico City, Mexico
Markets, murals and one of the best-value food cities on earth.
Buenos Aires, Argentina
European streets, Latin hours and a southern-hemisphere calendar.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Beaches under mountains, and a Carnival week that reprices the city.
Cape Town, South Africa
Table Mountain, winelands and beaches within one day's drive.
Marrakesh, Morocco
A walled medina, riad courtyards and the Atlas an hour away.
Sydney, Australia
Harbour, coastal walks and a December summer.