Essential sights to discover in France, Spain and Italy

If you're short on time but big on an appetite for travel, you want to get straight to the highlights of a country and know exactly how to get to them. So, who wants to go to France? Italy? Spain? We've got the unmissable gems in each of these destinations, ready for you to browse, right here.

France

Top 18 experiences in France: the big ticket sights, island day-trips and a tour of the sultry South.

Spain

Perfect trips in Spain: take a merry voyage through one of these big-ticket regions of Spain.

• A perfect trip to Catalonia

• The ultimate guide to Galicia

• Granada beyond the Alhambra

• Top 10 architectural gems of Barcelona

Italy

Must-see Italy: wineries, basilicas, dive-tempting lakes - Italy's art, history, architecture, landscape and food all deliver knock-out blows to the wandering gourmet or adventure traveller. Discover why.

This article was first published in June 2010 and was refreshed in August 2012.