Bask on four miles of golden beaches, hit the Mediterranean Sea on water skis or stroll along Benidorm's promenade and revel in its seaside charms; it's a true Spanish beauty of the Costa Blanca.

A gorgeous backdrop of pine-clad mountains looms behind the seaside resort of Marmaris in southwest Turkey. Popular as a cruise ship and yacht port and with the British budget holiday crowd, Marmaris offers an abundance of fast food restaurants, the restored castle of Suleyman the Magnificent and an appealing cobblestoned old quarter.

It's the East Coast's answer to Las Vegas. Atlantic City's casinos draw tourists by the car- and bus-load, but even if your main objective is to play some blackjack, you'll want to save time for sightseeing.

Mountain views, raucous nightlife and a C-shaped bay with a plethora of beaches make Acapulco a more upscale, yet reasonably priced, escape than its spring-break cousin, Cancun.