Great destinations to consider

We were talking with some friends the other day about some of the great destinations they are thinking about. Here's a couple of the more interesting ones.

It's all Greek to me

The Greek isles come up frequently as a great destination. While many people have heard about Rhodes, Mykonos, Delos or Santorini, most really don't know much about them. And of course everyone knows something about Athens. These are tremendous places to visit as they offer a range of experiences and interests; everything from history to art and sculpture to beaches and beautiful blue skies to fantastic little villages and great local food.

The easiest way to do Greece is via cruise ship since so much of the country are islands. And just about all the cruise companies offer sailings. So you can get a taste of Greece on a large mass market ship at tremendous value or a small, luxury ship from Silversea giving you access to unique ports.

Slovenia and Croatia

The tourist market for Croatia has been open for a while. Dubrovnik has become one of the most tourist - saturated cities in the world. But there's so much more to Croatia. And Slovenia is really just now opening up. You can visit the resort town of Bled with historic castles and snow capped mountains.Visiting the beautiful capital city of Ljubljana with it's large pedestrian area and 15th century town hall. And sampling all local foods is a great way to see the region.

The best way to see these countries is by a land tour, such as by Collette Tours or with Globus Tours. This way language is not an issue, you'll be sure to catch all the most important sites and all the hotels and many meals will already be booked ahead of time.

Many cruise ships also offer itineraries for Croatia. This Oceania cruise, for example visits the Croatian ports of Dubrovnick, Korcula, Split and Zadar. These are all great destinations.

Northern Norway

When you think about Norway, think Hurtigruten and a great vacation destination. You can explore the way far north in Spitsbergen with this Expedition cruise. Or simply explore the Norwegian coast above and below the arctic circle on this Hurtigruten cruise. This is such a great way to spend a week or two - no one knows Norway as well as Hurtigruten

You can also do a land tour like this one from Insight Vacations. Here you can spend time with local families, visit UNESCO sites, experience scenic overlooks of fjords, explore Lillehammer, home of the 1994 winter Olympics and journey up one of the world's steepest railways at Flam.

Other great destinations

Here's some other great destinations we've written about:

• Different destinations to consider
• Wish list destinations
• Destination ideas from luxury to a quick weekend

With a great travel agent, you'll be sure to find a destination that's great for you.