California

Anyone who has seen the movie Sideways will know that exploring California's wine regions will be a trip of a lifetime before you've even packed your bags. The Golden State not only has some of the most exciting pinot noirs on the planet, it is home to artisan towns, epic scenery, great wildlife, welcoming locals and, of course, fascinating wineries.

Few adventures still stir the soul like the great American road trip. This near-mythical experience seems to go to the very heart of the world's third largest country - the Mustang, the Charger, the Bronco all being cars that conjure up the spirit of riding horseback across wild, unchartered land - and hitting the road is the embodiment of freedom in the land of the free.

You've probably got a mental picture of California. Maybe it's rows of palm trees against a perfect, azure sky. Maybe it's the Hollywood sign, Mullholland Drive twisting into the night above a million twinkling lights, the mansions of Beverly Hills. Maybe it's the Golden Gate Bridge, the precipitous streets of San Francisco, the vast, glittering Pacific Ocean. These things are all California icons, and you should definitely go and see them, but there's a lot more in between that you miss while cruising at 35,000 feet. California is huge and varied: dramatic mountains, sun-baked vineyards, blissful beaches. To really get to know the Golden State, you need to be in a car. Forget internal flights with their dull check-ins and romance-free shuttle buses, and get behind the wheel. Here are three great road trips that we suggest.

San Francisco is a city with an abundance of historic charms. The Golden Gate Bridge, steep streets lined with colourful Victorian-era homes and the city’s iconic cable cars are a powerful reminder that you’re in one of the most culturally important cities in the USA.

Foodie focus

In addition to this city’s rich heritage, the Northern Californian metropolis continues to innovate and inspire, with a pioneering farm-to-table restaurant scene, legendary covered food market and all-compassing eco vibe.

Offering golden-age glamour next to golden sands, vibrant culture and cuisine, all overlooked by dramatic canyons, Los Angeles has no shortage of oft-filmed assets to recommend it. But there’s one in particular that always gives it an edge over anywhere. Los Angeles offers a rich melting pot of cultures bubbling up with surprises, the cosy climate also makes the region’s golden beaches, breathtaking hills and sumptuous surf seriously tempting. Can you take it all in during one short break? You better believe it...

Sliced bread. The electric guitar. Non-iron shirts. History is littered with examples of well established ideas that, at a stroke, were tweaked and elevated to a higher plane even when it didn’t seem necessary. The Californian road trip is already iconic. Its promise of louche adventure and itinerant escapism on vanishing point highways and winding coastal routes has long since been immortalised in popular culture and is as quintessentially American as the stars and stripes.

Endless sunshine, vibrant cities, fine wines, great shopping, world-class golf courses, stunning scenery - no matter what you want to see and do on your next holiday, California has it.  This is a land of boundless opportunity to explore and discover something new each time you go out, a place where you don't just dream,  you dream big.  Golf enthusiasts can discover over 1,000 golf courses. Food lovers feast on flavourful dishes made with locally sourced ingredients no matter where you eat.

A visit to San Francisco should be on everyone wish list of places to visit at some point. The city offers great food, a wonderful skyline, the sunny climate and a warm welcome for it visitors.  Depending on whom you speak to about San Francisco it conjures up different memories and thoughts, whether it’s from the movies, music, history or business and technology something will spring to mind thus, it’s easy to see why San Francisco is regarded as one of the world’s top destinations.