1. Paris
WHO DOESN'T LOVE PARIS in the springtime? Or at any time of year, come to that - PARIS is always a good idea, as Audrey Hepburn said. But go now, when the city is warming up. The trees around the Tuileries are in blossom and new greenery, when we can join the young Parisians to come out blinking into the spring sunshine, shrug off our good coats to bare a new-season Breton stripe, sit out beside the CANAL SAINT-MARTIN and smoke a Gauloises, or stroll a long, golden-evening stroll along the Seine, hand in hand with someone else who loves Paris in the springtime. Here's our pick of fun things to do in Paris, by day and after dark. Find flights to Paris>>
Read our feature on restaurants in Paris...
The best small restaurants in ParisThe best small restaurants in Paris
Alamy
Cuba
2. Cuba
FOR LONG-HAUL, guaranteed sunshine, CUBA is a perfect option. April and March are the best months to go to Cuba, weather-wise: when it's pretty dry, hot-but-not-too-hot (between 19ºC at night and 29ºC in the daytime) and days are long and sunny. Prices, meanwhile, aren't bad, the holiday traffic long gone. HAVANA is heaven; we can't recommend it enough (one of our destinations to watch for 2016). But go to the beaches, too, for unspoilt Caribbean white sands and turquoise seas, with a Latin beat. Find flights to Cuba>>
Read our feature on Cuba...
Ivan Chef JustoOld Havana's new tricks
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Marrakech
3. Marrakech
TURNS OUT, MARRAKECH is not hot all year round. Yes, it's in Africa, near the SAHARA but in winter it can be chilly and only marginally brighter than Manchester, and that zellig tiling doesn't offer much cosy warmth. Our tip: wait til spring, the best time to visit MOROCCO, when it starts to warm up a bit and you can at least hope to waft around your pool in a floaty kaftan, rather than hunkering down with a book, wearing 12 cardigans and a scratchy djellaba. The hillsides are bursting with almond blossom, and the city comes alive with colour, and sunlight casts ornate shadows in every sensational courtyard. Find flights to Marrakech>>
Read our feature on Marrakech...
New hotels, riads and kasbahs in Marrakech | MoroccoBest new hotels in Marrakech
Ana Paula Carvalho
Lisbon
4. Lisbon
WONDERFUL LISBON has absolutely every element vital for a great weekend break (or more). Burgeoning social, food, arts and design scenes; great little places to eat and drink; interesting old corners and markets to poke around; glorious architecture with just the right amount of crumbling, poster-paint-bright historic facades. There are old palaces to stay in, rooftop bars with pools to hang out in. It's beside the sea! And it's all ridiculously, delightfully affordable. Go at any time - though April is a great time to go to Lisbon, when the days are long and sunny and the cobbled streets are beginning to warm up. Find flights to Lisbon>>
Read our feature on Lisbon...
Why Lisbon is Europe's coolest city right nowWhy Lisbon is Europe's coolest city right now
James Bedford
Cyprus
5. Cyprus
FOR SHORT-HAUL SUNSHINE in Europe in April, CYPRUS is an excellent destination for a beach holiday, or for walking. This roughly beautiful and interesting island in the southernmost reaches of the Mediterranean is wonderful in springtime. It's beach weather at the coast - warm enough to swim in the sea, and not yet too hot; while in the rugged interior, April is the greenest month of the year, and the hillsides are bursting with wonderful light and colour: wildflowers and orchids grow along the pathways and fragrant herbs scent the air. Find flights to Cyprus>>
Read our feature on Cyprus...
Cyprus insider guide | Kalidonia waterfallInner beauty of Cyprus
John Huba
Texas
6. Texas
SPRING IS A LOVELY TIME of year in TEXAS. The weather is not yet too intensely hot (high twenties during the day), the skies are blue and clear, and things start to move outdoors - festivals, gigs, parties, eating and drinking. AUSTIN's SXSW influx of visitors have left (unless of course SXSW is what you seek, in which case come in March) but the city is still abuzz with live music and vibrant happenings. The weather in MARFA, out in the HIGH TEXAN DESERT, is just right for walking the many miles around Donald Judd's large-scale installations and land art out under the desert sun (at this time of year, not too harsh), and just right too for staying in a vintage van or airstream at EL COSMICO. Find flights to Texas>>
