European destinations advice

Berlin

There's a lot of history to be found in Berlin and compared to the likes of Rome and Greece it's largely all pretty recent. Visit Checkpoint Charlie, purchase a piece of the wall and chat to locals and tour guides who remember the time the city was split into East and West. Of course, Germany also has a darker history and names like the Reichstag Building, Potsdamer Platz and Berlin's Olympic Stadium will be recognisable from school text books, but there's nothing quite like visiting these places and discovering their history for yourself. Keep some down time for chilling though, it's Berlin that hosts Europe's largest beer hall and not Munich as you may have initially thought. This is also a city known for its nightlife and much has changed since the Cabaret days with holidaymakers now more likely to dance to techno in one of the modern nightclubs.

Barcelona

Spain sizzles all year round, but in the summer the city of Barcelona is especially hot. Fiestas such as Verge de l'Assumpcio, keep the traditional Spanish flavour whilst the Diada de Catalunya in early September celebrates the town's Catalonian heritage. Destinations such as Parc Guell are also at their best during the summer months with tourists cooling off by the fountains or sourcing picnics from La Boqueria to enjoy in Gaudi's gardens. The city has the added highlight of the beach, and if you're looking to cool off after a day's sightseeing where better to head too than Barcelonata. Join the locals in sipping sangria from one of the exclusive restaurants that look out across the sands, or for something slightly different enjoy a sunset catamaran cruise around the harbour to the sounds of live jazz.

Paris

With the majority of the locals off on their holidays, Paris is surprisingly quiet during the summer months. It's also a great option if you want to take the kids away but can't stretch to a two week break, instead they'll love a weekend at Europe's best theme park: Disneyland Paris. Introduce them to their favourite characters over breakfast or simply enjoy riding the rollercoasters. The summer months sees Disneyland's Summer Time festival when certain areas of the park stay open up to 11pm - ideal if your children can stay awake that long. Of course, one of the highlights of spending time at Disneyland is shopping so be sure to stock up on novelty mouse ears and cuddly toys.