France, Italy, Malta, Spain

Located on the SE coast of France on the Mediterranean Sea, Marseille is France's largest commercial port, and is also the largest French city on the Mediterranean coast. It serves as a gateway to the lush fertile region of Provence and all its cultural contributions to gastronomic excellence, impressionistic art, and ancient architecture. This cosmopolitan city with 300 days of sunshine a year, clear blue skies and the down-to-earth warmth of its residents, boasts a trading history that goes back more than 2,500 years. Read more about Marseille, 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

Cagliari is the capital of the island of Sardinia, a region in Italy. An ancient city, it has seen the rule of several civilisations and in the ‘old city’ that lies on the top of a hill with a wonderful view of the ocean, it’s amazing to see the walls still intact, together with its two 13th century limestone towers. Importantly, the city is also home to exceptional beaches, rocky cliffs and numerous underwater caves. Read more about Cagliari, Italy

The capital of Sicily, Palermo is an historic city in southern Italy and is situated on the NW of the island right by the Gulf of Palermo in the Tyrrhenian Sea. The 2700 year-old city is noted for its rich history, culture and architecture. With Sicily's greatest concentration of sights, and the second biggest historic centre in Italy, Palermo is a complex, multilayered city that can be overwhelming if you try to see too much. Read more about Palermo, Italy

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

Barcelona, located in Catalonia Spain, is Europe's largest metropolis on the Mediterranean coast, and one of the world’s major global cities. Today, Barcelona balances itself on the cutting edge of architecture, intellectual life, and style. Indeed Barcelona won the 1999 RIBA Royal Gold Medal for its architecture, the first time that the winner has been a city, and not an individual architect. Read more about Barcelona, Spain

Located on the SE coast of France on the Mediterranean Sea, Marseille is France's largest commercial port, and is also the largest French city on the Mediterranean coast. It serves as a gateway to the lush fertile region of Provence and all its cultural contributions to gastronomic excellence, impressionistic art, and ancient architecture. This cosmopolitan city with 300 days of sunshine a year, clear blue skies and the down-to-earth warmth of its residents, boasts a trading history that goes back more than 2,500 years. Read more about Marseille, France