IMAGINE if you’re given a whole year to tour Europe. What will you do and where will you start? The most rational way of celebrating New Year in Europe is right at the heart of London when Big Ben announces the strike of 12 midnight to usher in the new year. That is if you’re a partygoer. But there are lots of more romantic places to spend New Year’s Eve or simply New Year’s as they say. One can be at candlelit midnight dinner at the roofdeck of a five-star hotel overlooking the Eiffel Tower and River Seine with New Year fireworks as the backdrop of your very intimate dining experience. It can be helped if there is a live jazz band around but if you’re not into public display of affection with your loved one, then recorded romantic music will do. Don’t worry about the preparations, let your French date handle that. They surely are the most romantic bunch in the world, whether male or female. And with the fully lit Eiffel Tower in the distance, your New Year’s holiday can never be close to this fantastic. It is not even a difficult trip to plan - look into a eurorail passes which will give you economic flexibility and so you can relax on your European break, knowing the travel side of the vacation is taken care of. Be aware of the frequent offers too - this can really help cut costs on your travels!

After New Year festivities are over, it’s time now to hop onto the numerous attractions in Europe. If you are into wintry sports, then try the Swiss Alps. Aside from skiing, there are also sled racings, mountain bikings and other winter sport variants available in the Swiss Alps. Of course, staff at hospitality resorts in the Swiss Alps are well-trained since they are educated at Swiss hotel colleges which are the toughest and the best in the world. It’s like Harvard in the world of hospitality education. And resorts all over Europe have one common denominator – they are all given the blue flag accreditation which means they are inspected every quarter by the European Union for quality of service. But if the Swiss Alps is not your thing, then there’s another alternative winter destination – the Pyrenees somewhere in the Spanish-French border.

During summer, the most favorite destination of mine are the nudist beaches. I don’t know if that suits your taste too but I will roll out to you the hottest nudist beaches in Europe which you will never ever find in Jersey City. The best of the best can be find in the domed city of Cap d’Agde in France. It is actually a huge seaside shopping mall but everybody – from salesladies to patrons – are nude. Cap d’Agde also doubles as a hotel complete with a spa as well as a beach resort. Other hot nudist beaches in Europe are the Plage de Tahiti in the French Riviera, Paradise Beach in Mykonos and Playa d’En Bossa in Ibiza.

Summer can also be relaxing in such areas as Valencia where real estate development along the coastline is in full swing in preparation for America’s Cup 2009, the premier sailing race in the world.

Furthermore, if the water appeals - don’t forget about Europe’s most unique city - Venice! The architecture is extravagant, the food is delicious and the atmosphere is buzzing- it really is the perfect city break. With respect to cost, the home of St Mark’s Square more pocket friendly than one migt think when considering the grand cathedral and city centre edifices. Hotels in Venice are varied - like any big city, the accommodation there is over a wide scale and so every budget is catered for - similarly with regard to restaurants, bars and nightlife. Tourist attractions are relatively cheap and furthermore, if you go in the low season, you’ll not have to waste a minute queuing!

WINTER is definitely a very cold place in Europe but that’s the way some tourists like it. There are only five kinds of people who love being in Europe at this time of the year – the Americans, the Canadians, the Japanese, the Koreans and themselves. Of course, Middle Easterners, Africans and those living in the tropics cannot withstand the cold here as it tends to get -3 degrees Celsius in early January or so. That’s after Christmas already so spending a few weeks during the holiday season here may not be all that bad either.

A journey to Europe during Christmas time begins at home wherever you are in the world. Choose a travel agency who will do the booking for you. The most popular ones are found online – Expedia or Travelocity. But they tend to be a little expensive during Christmas time because its peak season so go for some little known but equally impressive travel agencies. They may be found in your home country so you may just as well inquire there. Besides, queuing in those telephone calls may not be worth it. But the nice thing about Expedia and Travelocity though is that these competitors both give quality service because of the stiff competition between them.

A typical customer service staff will get your call and will convince you to get whatever package is cheapest that you can afford. So better grab that opportunity if I were you. And if you reserve early to any of these places in Europe from Bonn to Lisbon, then it may as well be the ride of your life. The most thrilling places in Europe to go to during the holidays is Switzerland and France because it is there that you can find the Alps. The Alps is the winter’s haven in Europe as lots of activities are happening around here – from skiing to ice skating or even dog sled racing. There are also mountaineering, hiking and biking activities amidst a snowy background where even your breaths turn into vapor and perspiration may tend to become icy.

Downhill at the urban centers is where you find the glittering lights of Christmasdom. And I don’t mean churches. I mean shopping malls. It is here in Europe where you can hit the biggest discounts on things – from game consoles to PDAs and iPhones, name it, they have them all here. It’s even much cheaper to buy here than anywhere else in the United States or in Japan so better buy these gadgets before heading home in New Year.

But wait, New Year may as well be a great place to stay here in Europe. Gaze at the spectacular fireworks during New Year’s Eve and have a photograph taken with those fireworks with the Eiffel Tower, the River Seine, the River Thames, the Venice Canal or the London Eye as your background. But if you still want to spend Christmas the good old fashioned way, then hit Spain, Portugal or France. These are the most religious folks in Europe.

IMAGINE yourself just turning 40 and you have just gotten your first pension payment in a lump or bulk sum. You have been retired early because of a disability but this physical disability can certainly not hinder you from touring around the world with your wife and kid. Where will you go especially if the pension that you will be receiving monthly is something akin as luxurious in the middle class? In other words, you can afford to spend touring around the world. If you are from the United States, you must not go to such countries as Canada and Mexico or even the Caribbean because they’re so boring already.

Take a trip across the Atlantic. Take Europe. Of course, you can’t bring your kids with you because they need to be in school and especially if you’re planning a one-year trip. Now you need to leave them at home with a nanny. Of course, you must talk to them beforehand to settle whatever emotional difficulties they may have in separating from their parents within a year. And there is no hindrance if your wife or your spouse is a homemaker. When you’re planning to spend a year in Europe, take it as a bulk. You must allocate and reserve or book flights and hotels early so that you won’t get stranded at the places that you will be going.

Let’s take the virtual tour according to the calendar year. It’s much better to spend the New Year in another country rather than celebrating it in a monotonous suburb in New Jersey, your home for 40 years. The most logical country to go to is Spain. Spain has that utmost devotion to Catholicism and New Year is still part of the Christmas celebration. In the civilian sense of the word, New Year is a secular celebration but as a religious rite, it is when the Motherhood of Mary is celebrated. Catholics from all over Spain are compelled to go to mass during this day. And before New Year’s Day, you must have booked your stay in Spain already. How about Madrid and enjoy the fireworks there with a bang?

Let the holidays first settle down before embarking on another trip across the country. Let it remain until the first Sunday of January to settle in Madrid. The first Sunday of January is the last day of the Christmas season and of course it’s the last day of shopping season. For the religious, it is called the Feast of the Epiphany but for the shoppers, it is the time to troop to the malls for the last time to get some bargain sales. It’s nice to splurge shopping here in Madrid. Then you can troop to other areas – along more exotic areas that are. Try Costa Blanca for example. It is located beside the Mediterranean so there are lots of fresh seafood right there. In fact, if you’re renting a vacation home from there with a grill, then you can buy your own fish catch and grill it yourself. Try to mix your barbecued grouper or salmon with olive oil because it has low fat content – it is touted as the healthiest cooking oil in the world.