Discover Malta, Italy & France

Valletta (aka Belt Valletta, Città Umilissima) - traditionally reserved for the historic walled citadel that serves as Malta's principal administrative district - is the capital city of Malta, located in the central-eastern portion of the island. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is essentially Baroque in style, with elements of Mannerist, Neo-Classical and Modern architecture. Don’t miss the the majestic St John’s Co-Cathedral, with its imposing bastions and a treasure of priceless paintings. Read more about Valletta, Malta

Valletta (aka Belt Valletta, Città Umilissima) - traditionally reserved for the historic walled citadel that serves as Malta's principal administrative district - is the capital city of Malta, located in the central-eastern portion of the island. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is essentially Baroque in style, with elements of Mannerist, Neo-Classical and Modern architecture. Don’t miss the the majestic St John’s Co-Cathedral, with its imposing bastions and a treasure of priceless paintings. Read more about Valletta, Malta

The Lipari Islands form a volcanic archipelago in the Tyrrhenian Sea, north of Sicily. The largest island is Lipari, and the sole town in the group is on this island, and shares the same name. There are signs of volcanic activity with fumaroles and thermal waters on most of the islands, while the volcano on Stromboli (40km to the NE) puts on a dramatic performance most nights! Read more about Lipari, Italy

Amalfi is a town in the region of Campania, Italy, on the Gulf of Salerno, 40 km SE of Naples. It lies at the mouth of a deep ravine at the foot of Monte Cerreto, surrounded by dramatic cliffs and coastal scenery. Take a drive along the coast, past precipices defying gravity, green terraces of grapevines and groves of lemon and olive trees sweeping down slopes to clear blue water below, and you are presented with some of the most breathtakingly beautiful scenery in the world. Read more about Amalfi, Italy

The isle of Capri is an Italian resort island that lies on the south side of the Gulf of Naples in southern Italy. While it is most often visited by day-trippers from Sorrento or Naples, it is a port of call for small ships. The town of Capri is the main centre of population, with a maze of expensive boutiques and, for historians, the island is dotted with neglected Roman ruins. Read more about Capri, Italy

Sorrento is a small, enchanting, Italian town, located over white steep cliffs that offers a fantastic view over the Bay of Naples, offering views of many famous neighbouring tourist attractions. Indeed, its location allows visitors to comfortably reach the delightful and enchanting towns of Naples, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Capri, Ischia and the Amalfi Coast. Renowned for its natural attractions of landscapes, including the impressive rocks of the limestone mountains, and breathtaking panoramic views, it is also filled with fascinating historical and religious architecture. Read more about Sorrento, Italy

Gaeta, set on a promontory in the Gulf of Gaeta that eventually extends to Naples, is an active, authentic, and ancient portrait of Italy. Historically it has played a conspicuous part in military affairs as noted by the fact that its fortifications date back to Roman times and include, at the top of Monte Orlando, the first century mausoleum of a Roman General. Attractions include numerous famous and architecturally diverse churches, such as the Church of Annuziata and the church of San Giovanni a Mare. Read more about Gaeta, Italy

Porto Ercole is a Mediterranean village on the south-east of Monte Argentario, a peninsula in the Tuscany region of Italy. It lies just 55 km to the NW of Civitavecdchia, the busy cruise port for Rome. Once an island, Monte Argentario is now joined to the mainland by three narrow spits of land that form two lagoons. Read more about Porto Ercole, Italy

Rome, sometimes referred to as "The Eternal City," is the capital city of Italy. Cruises from Rome depart the Rome Cruise Terminal which is approximately 1.5 hours by train North-West of the city centre. Rome is renowned across the world for its rich past, impressive archaeological sites, delectable cuisine, gorgeous gardens, homes of local nobility, and significant structures including the Spanish Steps, the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, and Piazza Navona. Read more about Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy

Seen from the water, Calvi, on the island of Corsica off the southern shores of France, is a beautiful spectacle with its three immense citadel bastions topped with ochre buildings that are sharply defined against a hazy backdrop of mountains. A hangout for European glitterati in the 1950s, the town these days is an interesting resort, in that its glamorous marina, souvenir shops and fussy boutiques contrast with the down-to-earth villages of its rural hinterland. Fascinatingly, Christopher Columbus supposedly came from Calvi, and there is a large statue at the foot of the citadel that commemorates this legend. Read more about Calvi, France

Livorno is the third largest port on the west coast of Italy, and is well known for supporting cruise ship tourism to Florence, the Tower of Pisa, the hill towns of Tuscany, Cinque Terre with its enchanting villages, and the Chianti wine region, generally with time allowed for visiting some famous outlet stores of famous fashion houses. However the port of Livorno itself has a lot to offer visitors. Criss-crossed by Medicean canals that are still navigable, and with its port overlooked by towers and fortresses, this well-planned city is most appealing. Read more about Livorno, Italy

The Marina di Carrara is a port in NW Italy bordering the Ligurian Sea branch of the Mediterranean. The city of Carrara is 6 km inland from the port. This area of northern Tuscany is known for the white and blue-grey marble quarried there, in the stunning white Apuan Alps that reach to 1946 m. Read more about Marina Di Carrara, Italy

Portovenere is a tiny town on the Italian Riviera that overlooks the Gulf of La Spezia. It is a wonderful, delightful village that acts as the gateway to the well-known Cinque Terre that has remained relatively isolated from the rest of the world for centuries, and subsequently has retained the medieval look of the 'Five Lands'. It is accessible by boat and train, and there are some great tours on offer. Read more about Portovenere, Italy

Santa Margherita, an old-fashioned seaside resort of the Italian Riviera, is situated on the shores of Ligure Bay, about 35km SE of Genoa. Set on the Gulf of Tigullio between Rapallo and Portofino, the resort/fishing town of Santa Margherita Ligure really couldn’t be in a better neighborhood. Fashionable but much quieter than Portofino, life in Santa Margherita Ligure centres around the lovely palm-laden harbour, where boating and simple sunning are the orders of the day. Read more about Santa Margherita, Italy

Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco in France. It really has a fairy-tale image with its beautiful Riviera - Côte d'Azur - setting, yacht-filled harbor and the elegant Casino that visitors can’t miss, though most don’t even enter to see the opulence and grandeur reflecting its exorbitant cost. It is an extremely rich place, where fast cars, big diamonds and flashy yachts are the norm. Read more about Monte Carlo, France

Nice is situated on the SE coast of France on the French Riviera, and is the second-largest French city on the Mediterranean coast. Monaco lies 13km to the east. Nice itself is an attraction: the rich blue-green sea, diverse shopping, splendid dining and lovely art-deco façades. Read more about Nice, France