The best time to go to Italy: plan your trip with our seasonal guide

For travellers planning a culture-focused adventure, as hubs of human creativity, cities are the best place to start. From Milan to Riyadh, Budapest to Shanghai, the world abounds with buzzing metropolises, each offering something unique in the cultural sphere. Some cities function as living galleries in themselves through city-wide street art or award-winning architecture. Others offer artistic ways to explore history and culture, from immersive exhibitions to forward-thinking initiatives. But whichever you choose, you'll find inspiration on every corner. Here are five of the best.

Europe’s airports are regularly ranked from best to worst to help travellers make informed choices.

In the historic streets of Trieste, an often overlooked town on Italy’s Istria peninsula, there is an aroma of coffee in the air. Dating back to the early 18th century, when the tax on coffee beans arriving at its port was waived, the city has had a deep association with coffee and was the main entry point for coffee beans into Europe. In the historic centre, visitors can still find some of the original coffee houses, modelled on those found in Vienna at the time and, each year, the city hosts the Trieste Coffee Festival.

As options for the traditional chalet ski break have dwindled and prices risen, venturing to Europe’s far corners and beyond for a ski break can reap rewards. Costs are often lower, while luxury accommodation can be similarly priced to budget options in mainstream European ski resorts. As well as being potentially cheaper, skiing in territory off the beaten track can offer a rich cultural experience, plus better flight routes, less crowded slopes, sunnier days and a friendlier welcome.

Mercure has partnered with Munchies and TOPJAW to inspire the palates of world travelers with 50 amazing food & drink experiences around the globe.

Moving to a new country can be daunting, especially if you don’t speak the language.

You know who we’re talking about. Maybe they tote an impractical, tiny leather backpack with a fleur de lis stamped on it, name drop the restaurant on Borgo Pinti they frequented while studying abroad in Florence, or have a lot to say about the correct espresso-to-milk ratio of a cortado. There's no questioning it: The traveler who checks these boxes is dreaming of visiting Italy. Luckily, this friend is damn easy to shop for, considering the way Italian craftsmanship touches nearly every single cultural realm—food, wine, literature, film, and fashion included.

Compelling books on travel inspire readers to not only learn about destinations and cultures across the globe, but also, lock in that bucket list trip they’ve been dreaming about. As most travelers can attest, exploring a new locale keeps the brain sharp, curiosities peaked, and humanity intact. Much may be gleaned through reading the memoirs, poems, and true tales of adventurers; seeing beautiful photography; and following writers down the rabbit hole, through verdant valleys, and up and over mountain peaks.

Of the key Alpine ski destinations, Italy offers the best value for money. Here, an espresso can cost €1.50 (£1.30) a shot, and a piste-side plate of pasta €10-15 (£9-13), items that are often 70-100% dearer in the A-list ski areas of France. And a peak-week, February half-term holiday in a three-star hotel can come in less than €1,745 (£1,500) per person half board, including flights and transfers. And that’s not taking some back-of-beyond resort as a point of comparison, either: all these prices are available in or around Canazei in Val di Fassa, part of the vast Dolomiti Superski area. On its doorstep, more than 300 miles of perfectly groomed pistes spin off the central Sella Ronda circuit; explore the area’s outer limits and that total hits 745 miles.

According to online travel agency Trip.com, China is broadening its unilateral visa-free policy for ordinary passport holders from six nations—France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia—in an effort to bolster the recovery of the East Asian giant’s tourism sector industry. For now, the program is being implemented on a trial basis, with plans to keep it in effect from December 1, 2023, to November 30, 2024.

Since the holidays can be a hectic and stressful time of year, why not gift the person you care about a destination-inspired candle? This way they can whisk themselves to their favorite places in the world, right from the comfort of home and whenever the mood strikes.

The highest echelon of hotels know how to take an experience and bed it into something that lives on in the heart. The world’s finest perfumiers do a remarkably similar job. So it’s fitting that - increasingly - the two are coming together as hoteliers create brilliantly evocative scents - and perfumiers pay homage to their favorite hotels creating an experiential circle of glorious memories.