Destination: Paris

The big tip -- book two months out for Michelin star restaurants and popular boîtes.

What can one say about a city that has drawn lovers for centuries and still remains alluring? There's beauty everywhere -- but also a taste for the good life, in food and wine, art, fashion, and the simple pleasure of strolling on foot.

Chic hotels abound, like the iconic Plaza Athenee, the peerless Ritz (finally emerged from its renovations) and the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome with its modern interiors. If your passion is for the winding streets and cafes of the Left Bank, you'll be pleased with the boutique Esprit Saint Germain, or the Hotel d'Aubusson, a stone's throw from the Seine.