Why go now Paris in the spring . . . what more to say?

How do I get there Aer Lingus (www. aerlingus. com) into Charles de Gaulle, Ryanair (www. ryanair. com) into Beauvais.

Where to stay Hotel de Nice (00 33 142 785529) is in a great location on Rue de Rivoli, on the edge of the Marais and close to both Notre Dame and the Bastille. Doubles from 120 per night. On the other side of the city, close to Rue Faubourg St Honore, is Hotel Daniel (00 33 1 42561700, www. hoteldanielparis. com), a gem of perfection that's close to shopping heaven. Doubles from 380.

2. OPERA IN MILAN What's special Opera. La Scala theatre reopened in 2004 after closing for renovations to improve acoustics. Italy's style capital has resumed its status as Europe's most glam music venue.

Why go now Tickets are still available for spring shows (00 39 02 7200 3744; teatroallascala. org). This month sees performances of Puccini's Tosca. Tickets from 24 .

How to get there The options include Ryanair into Bergamo and Aer Lingus into Linate or Orio.

Where to stay Town House 12 (00 39 02 8907 8511; townhouse. it) is a chic 18-bedroom boutique hotel. Its most striking feature is a cool bar. Literally. Everything is made of ice. Doubles from 230 including breakfast. For greater style head to Bulgari Milano (00 39 02 805 8051; bulgarihotels. com), the first (and suitably fabulous) hotel venture of the famous fashion and luxury goods house. Doubles from around 590 per night.

3. OPEN SPACES IN KRAKOW What's special Greenery. With more than 40 public parks, Krakow is one of Europe's most impressively verdant cities.

There is also the wonderful Planty, a zone of 30 or so gardens encircling the Old Town.

Why go now To see the spring flowers in bloom.

How do I get there Abbey Travel (01 8047100, www. abbeytravel. ie) offers a two-night package on a bed and breakfast basis at 357 per person, including return flights from Dublin. An additional night is priced at 65 per person. If you want to book accommodation independently, Aer Lingus and Ryanair both fly to Krakow.

Where to stay The above package includes accommodation at Hotel Senacki, a three-star, central hotel, at the foot of Wawel Castle and close to Old Market Square.

4. SPA IN BUDAPEST What's special Thermal spas. Apart from the majesty of the Hapsburg Empire and Hungary's imperial past, the twin cities of Buda and Pest boast 130 mineral water springs. Take in the Chain Bridge across the Danube, the Roman ruins of Aquincum and the cobbled Castle District.

Why go now For a healthy warm-up after winter.

How to get there Aer Lingus and Malev (www. malev. com) fly direct. Arrow Tours (041 9831177, www. arrowtours. ie) have a range of hotels in their short break packages, priced from 256 for flights and two nights bed and breakfast.

Where to stay The four-star Grand Hotel Margitsziget on Margaret Island offers access to a full range of therapy spa treatments. Available through Arrow Tours, it is priced from 340 for a two-night package.

5. MODERN ART IN NICE What's specialModern art. This belle epoque resort is home to two of Europe's most charming art galleries. Musee Matisse (00 33 4 93 81 08 08; musee-matisse-nice. org) at 164 avenue des Arenes de Cimiez, the house where the artist lived, contains much of his work. Open daily except Tuesdays, 10am-6pm, admission 4. Musee Message Biblique Marc Chagall (00 33 4 93538720; musee-chagall. fr) also houses a large collection. It re-opened last week. Open daily, 10am5pm, admission 6.50.

Why go now For sunshine and largely empty galleries.

How to get there Fly Aer Lingus from either Dublin or Cork.

Where to stay Sleek Hotel Windsor (00 33 4 93 88 59 35;

hotelwindsornice. com), on 11 rue Dalpozzo, is a cheap but chic boutique. Doubles from 80.

6. MUSIC IN SALZBURG What's specialMusic. This glorious city of Baroque houses, castles and palaces was the birthplace of Mozart in 1756. It usually is a magnet for music lovers, but this year is special. . . (It's also, of course, Sound of Music territory. ) Why go now To celebrate the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth a host of concerts are taking place between now and November. These include a Mozart Spring Festival on 2730 April and 25-28 May. Details from www. visitaustria. com How to get there Aer Lingus have direct flights to Salzburg, three times a week, from Dublin.

Where to stay Hotel Sacher (00 43 662 889770, www. sacher. com) is the Salzburg branch of the famous Vienna hotel.

Standard doubles from 209 per night in late April with breakfast at 26 per person. A superior double is 286.

7. ARCHITECTURE IN BARCELONA What's special Architecture. From the Gothic Old Town to the dramatic new constructions around the port area, this is a city of immense visual richness. Its most distinctive buildings are those of Modernista architect Antoni Gaudi, who died in 1926. See his work at the unfinished Sagrada Familia cathedral, at the Parc Guell and at his apartment building La Casa Mila, which has now opened as a museum.

Why go now In a couple of months Barcelona starts to get very hot and very crowded, which is not the best time to visit.

How to get there Ryanair into Girona or Aer Lingus directly into Barcelona. Aer Lingus flies from both Dublin and Cork.

Where to stay Casa Camper Barcelona (00 34 93 342 62 80; casacamper. com) is one of the quirkiest new additions.

An offshoot of the funky Camper shoe store, the hotel is set in a 19th-century building which is near the heart of the city and offers 25 comfortable rooms . . . along with a distinctly wacky atmosphere. Doubles start from 200 per night.

8. RELIGION IN VILNIUS What's special Churches. The Baroque Old Town is a Unesco World Heritage Site, with its churches, among them late 15th-century St Anne, glorious white-stucco Sts Peter and Paul and St Casimir.

Why go now It's best as the weather warms up.

How to get there Air Baltic (www. airbaltic. com) fly directly from Dublin and Ryanair are introducing a new direct route there in June.

Where to stay Stikliai Hotel (00 370 5 264 9595; stikliaihotel. lt) at 7 Gaono street dates from the 15th century and offers 44 sumptuous bedrooms. Doubles from 220.