Europe
Glens, steam trains and a motorcycle race that takes over the island.
The Isle of Man sits in the Irish Sea between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, a self-governing Crown Dependency with its own parliament, Tynwald, which claims to be the oldest continuous one in the world. Douglas has a long Victorian promenade, while Castletown's Castle Rushen, the Laxey Wheel and the view from Snaefell show off its history and hills.
It is a gentle, outdoorsy trip: coastal walks, quiet glens, Manx kippers and queenies (small scallops), and heritage railways that feel like part of the scenery. Most visitors arrive by ferry or a short flight from Britain or Ireland. May to September brings the best weather, but book well ahead for the TT races in late May and early June, when the island fills up.
May, June, July, August.