Kayak with dolphins off the coast of Ireland, bag a peak in Scotland, roll homemade pasta with a nonna under the Tuscan sun or hike vast glaciers in Iceland or Norway. France has the smoothest roads no matter how remote the area – from the depths of Provence to the villages of the Dordogne, the beaches of Normandy or vineyards of Burgundy. Italy has plentiful pasta and pockets of good biking in the Veneto, Tuscany, Puglia or Sicily. Italy’s other strength is the hiking – the Roman ruins and lemon groves of the Amalfi Coast or pink-granite Dolomite mountains.

Spain offers up Andalucia, Catalonia, the Camino de Santiago, as well as the stunning bike and hike mecca of Mallorca. Portugal is the new darling, with Porto and the wild Alentejo. Greece is great for yachting among and hiking across the Cyclades islands or biking the Peloponnese. Gray & Co. goes far beyond the ordinary, finding scenic hikes, the quietest roads, the most charming villages, the tastiest bistros and the best places to stay.