From Shoreditch’s swaggering style to Camden’s punky vibe and chic Portobello Road, London is many worlds in one. The city’s energy means that no two days are the same. Explore royal or historic sites, tick off landmarks from your bucket list, eat and drink in exclusive Michelin-starred restaurants, enjoy a pint in a traditional pub, or get lost down winding cobbled streets and see what you stumble across – when it comes to London, the possibilities are endless.

Home to Windsor Castle, the second residence of Queen Elizabeth II, Windsor is a popular day-trip destination from London. Those who tarry in the riverside town fill their time wandering the cobbled streets, popping in and out of the luxe boutiques, restaurants, and tea shops that tumble down toward the Thames River.

The Isle of Wight is the perfect place to enjoy some peace, quiet and natural beauty. Except perhaps in the summer, when the Isle of Wight Festival draws visitors from all over the world. In 1970, the Festival was the largest rock-music event ever held. It was called Britain's Woodstock and featured Jimi Hendrix and The Who. (Not so much peace or quiet that week.) The island is also known for its world-famous sailing and lovely resorts, where people have been holiday-making since Victorian times.

Just west of London, Reading offers redbrick Victorian buildings, medieval ruins, a thriving university, and pretty waterside walks along the Thames River. Its student community and annual rock-music blowout—the Reading Festival—add an offbeat edge.

If you need a word to perfectly describe New Forest, “welcoming” would be it. The lowland (i.e. no mountains) park is filled with scenic views and wide trails that beg to be explored as they wind through centuries-old woodlands. Visit Bolderwood, a protected forest and deer sanctuary that was once the hunting grounds of the Norman kings. Fish at Moors Valley before heading skyward for a treetops walk. Prefer the country-house life? Head to Beaulieu, where you can get lost in the Victorian-era at the Palace House before following in the footsteps of medieval monks at the property’s abbey.