Terceira in the Azores — the UNESCO old town of Angra do Heroísmo, the lava-walled vineyards of Biscoitos, and the green patchwork seen from Serra do Cume.

Portsmouth to Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door: four hours door to door on our call, two of them on the coast, and 30 to 40 minutes on the cliff path.

Stavanger cruise port on your own: the ship ties up in Vågen, the Lysefjord boat leaves from Strandkaien a few minutes away, 3–3.5 hours for NOK 890.

Geiranger on your own: tender or SeaWalk, the local bus to Dalsnibba and the Eagle Bend against the ship’s excursion price, what is walkable, and the buffer to plan.

The Lofoten Islands in northern Norway — Svolvær’s harbour, the fishing village of Henningsvær, red rorbuer cabins and peaks that fall straight into Arctic water.

Longyearbyen on your own: ships lie alongside at Bykaia, the museum is ten minutes away on foot — and the town boundary, where you may not go without a rifle, is marked.

Hesteyri in Iceland’s Westfjords can only be reached by boat from Ísafjörður — about 70 minutes each way, and only in summer. What is left of the village, how to get there, …

How to do Iceland’s Golden Circle without overspending — hostels and guesthouses in Reykjavík, where to eat cheaply, and whether to rent a car or take a combo tour.