This hotel embodies the "Sicilian Spirit" at its best. “It’s an unforgettable arrival,” Marilena Calabrò, hotel manager at Mazzarò Sea Palace, said with a smile, catching me staring out at the perfect blue bay from the lobby.

From sipping champagne on island beaches to floating through Europe’s storybook rivers, 2026 is already looking dreamy. Book one of these early bird deals and give yourself something spectacular to look forward to.

Skip the Amalfi Coast and visit some of the other amazing spots in Southern Italy instead, such as the Aeolian Islands in Sicily or Matera in Basilicata.

There’s less crowds, the produce is at its finest and it’s the ideal temperature for eating al fresco —now is the time for a Sicilian sojourn, says

Scattered across the Tyrrhenian Sea to the northeast of Sicily, the Aeolian Islands were home to fishermen and farmers who were still living in "19th century" conditions when Italy's neo-realist film directors began using the islands as film locations in the 1950s.

With thousands of islands to choose from, Europe has plenty of opportunities to escape the crowds and high prices of tourist magnets