New York, USA

What to do: Book a three-and-a-half hour spa package for two at the Great Jones Spa; take an aerial tour of the city with Liberty Helicopter Tours; Walk along Perry Street, West 4th Street and Bedford Street, then take one of the cobbled streets (Jane Street or Bethune Street) west towards the Hudson River Park.

Where to shop: Check out the fantastic designer shopping (Ralph Lauren, Brunello Cucinelli, James Perse, Juicy Couture, Intermix, BonPoint) along Bleecker Street, between Bank Street and 7th Avenue; make sure you visit Kaas Glassworks for beautiful decoupage plates; pop into top chocolatier Jacques Torres for spiced hot chocolate and lovely gifts.

Where to eat: Get up early for brunch at Paris Commune, loved by those in the know for its warm ginger cake; for lunch, head to The Little Owl, which specialises in Modern American cuisine made with whatever ingredients are fresh at the farmers’ markets that morning; treat yourself to dinner at Raoul’s, a SoHo institution that’s been serving up fine French cuisine for more than 30 years.

Cornwall, UK

What to do: Put yourselves into the capable hands of the instructors at Perranporth Surf School, and work on your wave-riding skills; attend an evening performance at the stunning, open-air, clifftop Minack Theatre; rent bikes from Padstow Cycle Hire and pedal along the Camel Trail, which follows 11 miles of beautiful, disused, riverside railway skirting Bodmin Moor.

Where to shop: Indulge in a spot of wine-tasting at state-of-the-art Lambourne Vineyard at Ruanhighlanes; drive inland to the family-owned Callestick Farm, which sells the best ice cream in the county; Newlyn – home to a riotous fish festival every summer – is the best place in Cornwall to buy a lobster. Head to Stevenson’s on the quay for the freshest and best-value crustaceons in town.

Where to eat: Grab a proper Cornish pasty from Philps Bakery, situated just by the railway station in Hayle. They really are the best in the UK; head to Portscatho for dinner at the Driftwood Restaurant, and tuck into its wonderful, fresh, seafood-dominated menu; eat at the gorgeous Odds – the Restaurant in Cubert. The food is delicious and all ingredients are either grown on the property, or shot and caught by the owner himself.

Tuscany, Italy

What to do: Drive out of Siena in the morning and head towards the beautiful hilltop town of Montalcino. Stop at the stunning, 11th-century Abbey of San Antimo nearby, and listen to the resident monks, who still chant daily at 12:45pm; do the Pienza Ring Walk – this two-and-a-half-hour walk out into the Tuscan countryside and back into Pienza is the best possible way to get a sense of the gentle beauty of this UNESCO Heritage site; walk over to San Marco in Florence. In a city filled with artistic treasures, this religious complex is often foolishly overlooked.

Where to shop: Head for a pre-arranged lunch and wine-tasting session at classic Chianti producer Volpaia; head towards Radda for a visit to the Chianti Cashmere Company – you’ll need to call ahead and ask Nora for a tour of the farm and an introduction to her gorgeous flock of cashmere goats; make your way towards Florence – stopping off en route for a little shopping at the Mall, a collection of designer shops just off the Incisa exit of the A1.

Where to eat: Reserve a table at Tre Cristi, one of the Siena’s best seafood restaurants, and enjoy a plate of fresh crudo – raw fish dressed with olive oil, salt and lemon juice – and a crisp glass of white wine; eat at Il Rossellino, just off the main square in Pienza, and if there’s anything on Enzo and Franca’s menu that contains porcini mushrooms, order it immediately; at Acquacheta in Montepulciano, well-known local character Giulio serves up unbeatable – and very rare – steaks. Don’t even try to ask for them to be cooked any other way.

Dublin, Ireland

What to do: Catch a train out of the city, either to Howth Head for some clifftop walking or Dun Laoghaire for a stroll along the sea shore; head to St Stephen’s Green for an hour or so on the grass with that copy of James Joyce’s Ulysses you bought from Books Upstairs on College Green.

Where to shop: Make sure you take a look at the vintage clothing in Flip and Eager Beaver, and the innovative designs in Sesi; take a big bag out to Dublin’s Saturday markets. The Book and Record Market in Temple Bar Square is the perfect place to pick up those Roddy Doyle first editions and battered U2 45s, and the Fashion and Design Market on Cow’s Lane is where to head for up-and-coming Irish designers.

Where to eat: Get up early and head for breakfast at Elephant & Castle, Dublin’s favourite brunch spot; go on to the Lobster Pot for a meal of wonderful, fresh seafood. The menu changes daily, based on what’s been caught in Dublin Bay that morning; for dinner, indulge in high-end Irish cuisine, such as seafood chowder with treacle bread and corned beef with cabbage and horseradish mash, at the Winding Stair Restaurant & Bookshop.

The South of France

What to do: Suck in your stomachs for a spot of bathing on the same Cannes beach where Coco Chanel made the suntan fashionable; stop at Les Baux de Provence and enjoy a dejeuner sur l’herbes with stunning views of the Camargue as your backdrop; check out Montpellier’s excellent Musée Fabre, home to a superb permanent collection of French and international art, as well as some fabulous exhibitions.

Where to shop: Stock up on fresh treats from the St Tropez’s food shops and fish market at the Vieux Port – or, if you’re there on a Tuesday or Saturday, the market in places des Lices.

Where to eat: Head to L’Oustau de Baumanière for a dinner of world-renowned haute cuisine at the hotel’s two Michelin-starred restaurant; stop for lunch at La Chassagnette in Le Sambuc, a genuine destination restaurant in a former sheepfold. Sit outside and tuck into fresh, seasonal cuisine made with totally organic ingredients, many of which come from the restaurant’s own vegetable garden; opt for dinner at Le Grillardin in Montpellier, if only for its excellent – and very affordable – prix fixe menu, which includes such delights as pigs’ trotters, cuttlefish and sticky caramelised belly pork.