County Kildare is home to the windswept Bog of Allen, and to a leisurely section of the restored Royal Canal. There’s a masterpiece of an 8th-century High Cross in Moone. Maynooth Castle anchors the leafy university town of the same name. Kildare is also home to one of Ireland’s great driving routes. Following the course of the Gordon Bennett Cup, which saw racing daredevils whizz through Kildare, Carlow and Laois in 1903, the 104-mile circuit recalls a time when Ireland’s speed limit was just 12mph. The county is a marvellous mix of old and new, of natural landscapes and precisely manicured gardens, of horseracing competitions and stylish fashion events.

This is a quiet little town surrounded by fields of fruit and tomatoes, ideal for family trips. Almynta’s tomb is the town’s symbol, and nearby there are several Lycian graves. In the market there are small fish counters where you can choose what fish you want to eat. One of Turkey’s most spectacular beaches, Ölüdeniz (the Dead Sea, meaning the Calm Sea), lies about 25 minutes by bus from Fethiye’s centre. Come here on a local bus or dolmus.

Electric Picnic is a boutique festival held every September at the 18th-century Stradbally Hall, it’s as famous for its eclectic music line-up as its food and hot tubs, teepees, gourmet grub and family campsites.