Winter
One glance out the window and you'll want to book a week at an all-inclusive, the sooner the better.
If you don't venture off the property -- and some of the newer, more upscale resorts are so attractive you may not want to -- the only out-of-pocket expense might be a snack at the airport.
But I advise a little time away from the beach seeing the country you're visiting.
Mexico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic remain the three most popular destinations. I've been to each at least a couple of times, and my personal choice is Mexico's Mayan Riviera. It's only four hours by air from Toronto and has more four- and five-star resorts than either rival.
Something different? Grenada is mountainous and incredibly lush, one of the most beautiful islands of the Caribbean islands. The locals seem to really like Canadians.
Spring/fall
Love cruising? Europe's a hot spot, especially boats plying the Rhine and Danube rivers or gliding through some of France's wine regions.
Conventional cruises in the Mediterranean and Aegean seas offer good value and shore trips that give a glimpse of such impressive cities as Florence, Rome and Dubrovnik, stunning Greek islands such as Santorini, and Turkish ruins at Ephesus.
Spring or fall is the time to visit these countries, which are too hot and crowded in summer.
Italy is a favourite destination for my wife and me. We're thinking of returning next year, if only to stay again in Ravello, on the Amalfi Coast.
One of our most unforgettable views was from the tiny balcony of our room at Hotel Ristorante Garden, 335 metres above the sea. Visit gardenravello.com and you'll see what I mean.
Another modest little Italian hotel with a memorable location is the Riva in Venice.
When we first visited, nearly 40 years ago, it was a "locanda'' -- one step below a pensione. By 2004, when we were back, it had been upgraded to a one-star hotel.
The Riva is right behind St. Mark's Square and at the junction of two canals. Gondoliers took coffee breaks there, and we often watched out our window while they shouted at one other while they jockeyed for position. If you don't mind a bit of "street" noise, request a canal-view room. Visit hotelriva.it.
As garden lovers can attest, spring's the best time to visit Britain, Holland or France. If you like escorted tours, choose one that spends at at least two or three nights in each place instead of the blur of eight countries in seven days.
The major capitals are never out of fashion. My wife and I will revisit Paris and take advantage of a cruise departing later from England to spend a few days in London.
Summer
This is no-brainer -- Canada, so big and so diverse I doubt you could see it all in a lifetime of travel.
My destinations in 2008 included the rugged Yukon and the charming Magdalen Islands.
If the economic downturn or the price of gas dictate trips closer to home, here are three suggestions, all places my wife and I have been to and thoroughly enjoyed:
- Essex County, for wineries and roadside stands brimming with fresh produce.
- Prince Edward County, for poking around boutique-filled villages and meandering along back roads.
- Parry Sound, for the Festival of the Sound and a Georgian Bay cruise on the Island Queen.
Cruise trends for 2009
When Beauty removes her bonnet
Opel’s range-extended Ampera EV will bow at Geneva
Romantic getaway in Mexico
