The 150-year-old University of Notre Dame is South Bend's biggest tourist draw, and for good reason. Though it's not easy to land seats at the 80,000-plus-capacity Notre Dame Stadium for a "Fighting Irish" football game, you'll find plenty of attractions on the beautiful, expansive campus. Highlights include numerous works of art, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, a replica of the famous shrine. Football fans will also want to visit the College Football Hall of Fame, which features interesting perspectives on the game and inductee videos. Whether or not you remember the Studebaker automobile, which saw its demise in the early sixties, you're sure to enjoy the Studebaker National Museum, featuring more than 75 vehicles drawn from the history of the company, beginning with horse-drawn carriages. South Bend has several fine museums, including the South Bend Regional Museum of Art and the Northern Indiana Centre for History, a complex of four museums. Don't leave without trying truffles or fudge from the South Bend Chocolate Company.

Sitting at the northernmost corner of Virginia in the Shenandoah Valley, Winchester offers visitors the chance to explore historical sites, museums, vineyards, farmers' markets, and tree-lined Old Town streets once wandered by the likes of George Washington and Stonewall Jackson. The fruitful fields of the surrounding Frederick County have earned the area the title "apple capital of the world," with the city hosting the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival annually for almost a century.

With water, water everywhere, visitors to Kill Devil HIlls indulge in fishing and crabbing, quiet kayaking, robust surfing or parasailing, peaceful seaside cycling and that favourite, toes-in-the-sand enjoyment of the beach. This barrier island township is the centre of the Northern beach and home to about 7,000 year-round residents. Summer welcomes visitors anxious to share the natural landscapes and village-like appeal. Savor long stretches of Atlantic views and silky sands. If you’re a history buff, visit area lighthouses and the National Memorial honoring Wilbur and Orville Wright, who accomplished the first controlled powered flight in 1903. In nearby Kitty Hawk, Seascape Golf Links challenge players with changing elevations and coastal landscapes. A popular day trip just 17 miles to the southwest, the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, Elizabeth Gardens and live performances of “The Lost Colony” combine to preserve and present the background of Native American culture and Sir Walter Raleigh’s colonization efforts in the late 1500’s.

On the eastern coast of Texas, Rockport is a relaxing town with plenty of visitor attractions. The Fulton Mansion, overlooking Aransas Bay, showcases Second Empire architecture and is included on the National Register of Historic Places. Also visit the Texas Maritime Museum, the Rockport Center for the Arts and Rockport Beach Park, a great place for swimming or fishing.

Just down the coast from Dune de Pilar, Arcachon’s golden beaches and 1950s villas make it a choice destination for sophisticated holidaymakers. The sweeping ocean views are best enjoyed alongside regional delicacies such as Arcachon oysters and Bordeaux wine.

Many people travel through Frankfurt for business, as it's a major transportation hub and an industrial and financial metropolis. Of course we know that business travellers hate to have any fun on the road (wink), but it's worth lingering in Frankfurt if you can. The 2,000-year-old city has much to offer: skyscrapers, the Main River, a famous opera house, thriving theatre district, zoo, pedestrian shopping street, parks, scores of bars and dance clubs, and more than 50 museums.

Surrounded by golden sands, oyster-filled lagoons, and ancient salt flats, the Mediterranean port town of Sete offers a tranquil change of pace from the busy resorts of the Languedoc. Effortlessly photogenic, the picturesque canals are lined with fishing boats, traditional markets, and seafood restaurants.

While Venice’s mainland suburb of Mestre has a history and character all its own dating back to medieval times, it owes its growth and fortune to its more powerful offshore neighbor. Unfortunately, it’s everything Venice is not: modern, industrial and cheap. But while they may not compare to the romantic canals of Venice, Mestre does have attractions of its own, including the Torre (Tower) dell'Orologio and the Duomo (Cathedral) di San Lorenzo, located on its town square, Piazza Ferretto.