It’s a sad fact, but the hotels that I am least likely to stay in are my favorite ones. When planning trips, I tend to focus on promising new properties and current recommendations that have generated controversy. Alas, I can seldom justify return visits to classic hotels in which I have complete confidence. But, of course, it is very often the famous and highly rated places that Andrew Harper members are eager to experience. I decided, therefore, to outline some of the European journeys I would be most keen to repeat given the time and opportunity. Each of the suggested itineraries below includes longtime favorite hotels in some of Europe’s most magical destinations.

Italy: Florence, Tuscany, Rome and the Amalfi Coast

Where to begin but Italy. I’ve long since lost count of how many times I’ve visited the country, yet I look forward to each return trip as if it were my first. The great cities like Venice, Florence and Rome are astonishing, but spending time in the small towns and idyllic countryside can be one of life’s supreme pleasures. On this occasion we begin in Florence and end in Ravello, some 1,000 feet above the sea. 

France: Paris, Plus Provence and the Côte d’Azur

My favorite place in France is whichever region I visited last. Countless wonderful itineraries are possible here, including in Normandy, Brittany, the Loire Valley, the Dordogne, Burgundy and Bordeaux, to name only a few. But if I were drawing a French trip out of a hat, I would most hope for Paris, where this itinerary begins, plus Provence and the Côte d’Azur. 

England: London, the Cotswolds and the West Country

The southern part of England is densely populated, and yet it still contains pockets of tranquil countryside, dotted with villages that appear to have changed little in the past 300 or 400 years. As you head into the so-called West Country, the landscape becomes progressively wilder. This transition culminates in the high moorland of Dartmoor in Devon and the dramatic cliffs of Cornwall’s Penwith Peninsula. We begin in London and end our trip in Sussex, amid the rolling chalk hills of South Downs National Park. 

Spain: Barcelona, Madrid, Andalusia and Mallorca

The Iberian Peninsula has a remarkably diverse topography, ranging from the snowcapped Pyrenees to the verdant coast of Galicia to the sunbaked hills of Andalusia. But although I love touring the countryside — Abadía Retuerta, in the Ribera del Duero, was our Hideaway of the Year in 2017, for example — I find Spanish cities irresistible. We start our trip in the capital of Catalonia, Barcelona, making our way to Mallorca, the largest of Spain’s Balearic Islands. It’s hard to imagine a better conclusion to a Spanish journey.

Central Europe: Berlin, Prague, Vienna and Budapest

History runs deep in Central Europe, the architecture is magnificent, and the food and wine are far better than most people imagine. And in this moment of sky-high hotel prices, the rates of most properties in this itinerary are refreshingly reasonable. Berlin always seems to be in a state of reinvention, and that’s where we begin. And we end in the atmospheric city of Budapest, once part of the Ottoman Empire. 

The Swiss Alps and the Italian Lakes: Zurich to Como

Prior to World War I, Switzerland was the leisure destination of choice for wealthy and aristocratic Europeans. As a result, the country has many grand historic hotels set amid glorious mountain scenery. An itinerary here is a classic travel experience. The only way such a trip can be improved is by concluding it in Italy, which is exactly what we’ve planned. 

Crossing the Alps: Munich to Venice

It’s hard to imagine a more enticing road trip than this itinerary, which includes sensational landscapes, beautiful cities and top-rated hotels and resorts. We begin our 14-day journey in Munich, an engaging place to start a vacation, as its museums rival those found in Berlin. From the Italian Lakes, we end in Venice at the Cipriani.