For many travelers the ideal vacation is a trip to Europe, and the European countries of the Mediterranean are among the most popular vacation locations for travelers. Italy alone offers enough fulfillment to fill a lifetime of vacations, Greece and its islands offer an incredible touchstone with our past history, the myths on which our civilization was built and ideal respites, the Riviera of France is renowned, while Spain offers a culture with flair -- home to the cutting edge art of Picasso and the wild architecture of Gaudi. What links all the European Mediterranean countries together may be attractive beaches and a healthy lifestyle.

While winters along the Mediterranean are cold, it can an ideal time to visit to avoid the crowds in peak gravel months, which would be summer. The weather is hot and sunny in summer and the sea is warm, causing many European and others to line up along the coast to soak up the sun on beach vacations. If considering a Mediterranean cruise, the spring months of May andJune and fall months of September and October are ideal.

As typical of Europe, the transportation infrastructure is generally excellent, with good flights between cities, and an excellent rail network. Within cities there are buses, taxis and private cars can readily be arranged.