Mediterranean cruises are like a tonic for the soul, and they are one of the most effortless ways to experience the best of Europe. In the span of a week, you can glide between Italy, France and Spain, or you can trace Turkey's Ottoman past and Greece's whitewashed islands — all without wrestling luggage, train timetables and hotel check-ins.
Instead, you'll spend your days hopping between ancient ruins and UNESCO-listed old towns, browsing local markets and designer boutiques, lingering over exceptional food and wine, or lazing on white sand beaches. Come evening, it's aperitivo hour: Aperol spritz in hand, sunset on repeat and the unmistakable feeling of sailing through living history.
While most itineraries focus on either the eastern or western Mediterranean, longer sailings cleverly combine both. The French and Italian rivieras remain crowd-pleasers, but the Adriatic — including Montenegro, Slovenia and Croatia — is fast becoming Europe's hottest ticket.
A great solo travel tip spotted this week on The Points Guy Articles.
