Is Venice nice in winter, or Basel the place to be in June? Find out with our guide to the year ahead, and make the most of your visit, says Mike Peak

The three wise men knew a thing or two about travel. It goes without saying that packing sandwiches and suitable footwear were right at the top of their list when they set off for Bethlehem that cold December night, but history doesn’t record where they ambled off to next. Today’s wise traveler plans his whole year in advance. He laps up the best weather, he rocks out at the coolest events, and he’s in exactly the right place at exactly the right time when Mother Nature gives up her most precious treats. In these price-watching days of internet booking, planning brings savings, too. Why go somewhere on a whim when you can seal the best deal up front? Even Britain and the US invaded Iraq off-peak!

Knowing Europe like the back of our hand, we’ve picked out 12 top destinations that we think are worth visiting.

JANUARY
VENICE

It’s a cliché, but it’s true – Venice is beautiful at any time of the year. Sure, the place can whiff a bit, and it’s as scruffy as suburban Chicago in parts, but the Italian city is a must-visit for anyone who likes culture, fi ne food, walking and history. Every January, when the watery stopover is most likely to be dusted with snow, Venice takes on a magical feel, unlike many cities whose post-Christmas vibe is distinctly drab. The annual carnival takes place 25 January–5 February, a wonderfully subversive event based around maskwearing that began almost 750 years ago and has facilitated anonymous fumblings for randy Venetians ever since. Buy a mask, fi nd a party, and pretend you’ve lived there for years.
Fly to Venice from 13 destinations across the Ryanair network including Rome & Shannon

FEBRUARY
MALTA

I’m never quite sure what country this most resembles, but Malta is geographically closest to Sicily, and plays upon its Italian neighbour’s fl amboyance every February with the mother of all carnivals. With weather among the hottest in the Med at this time of year you needn’t pack the winter warmers, instead you can go with the fl ow and help the locals go nuts over fi ve days of mayhem, which date back to the days of the Knights of St John who arrived in the 16th century. Every city embraces it, but Valletta is the true home of the carnival, with street parties, singing, theatre and dancing. The main sight in the event (1–5 February) is the neardaily procession of colourful fl oats.
Fly to Malta from eight destinations across the Ryanair network including Dublin, London & Pisa

MARCH
DUBLIN

As St George quietly disappears into obscurity, more and more people are embracing St Patrick, the 1,500-year-old missionary whose legacy seems to be based around drinking lots and lots of beer. In Dublin there are fi ve days of merriment around St Patrick’s Day, 17 March. The festivities regularly attract crowds of half a million, and if you can stomach the sight of so many people in miss-matched shades of green – plus the inevitable strains of a man with a bodhran – it’s the place to be. You could also try Munich, Copenhagen, or pretty much any major European city with a good-sized Irish expat community, and let the Guinness fl ow!
Fly to Dublin from 82 destinations across the Ryanair network including Tampere & Basel

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