It's one of life's most common hypothetical questions: what would you do with your time if you knew you only had one week left to live? If you've already been bitten by the travel bug, the chances are your answer will involve knocking a few more places off your destination bucket list. But with teleporting yet to become an option, one week isn't really that long when it comes to traveling, so you'd better choose wisely. Luckily, we've compiled some of the world's most tempting one week travel itineraries:
1) Florence, Tuscany and Rome: Italian Romance
If you only have a week left on this planet and you're yet to visit Italy, you need to get there. Florence, Tuscany and Rome make up the perfect trio for a week's itinerary, and have a lot to offer between them.
Start off by strolling through the historic streets of Florence, visiting the legendary statue of David and admiring the architecture of the city's unique Duomo. Watch the sunset wash the river and surrounding buildings sepia pink, before retiring to an authentic restaurant with a bottle of the region's finest red.
Next, take a few days to explore some of the most beautiful countryside in the world, in the region of Tuscany. Take in forestland, mountains and vineyards, and maybe even pop over to a gorgeous Tuscan beach town as you wind your way South towards the capital.
When in Rome...well, the rest is history. Rome is packed with beautiful historic landmarks like the Coliseum, the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain. Make some time to visit Vatican City and then fill the rest of your time getting lost in the historic streets, gelato in hand. Pure bliss.
2) Sofia, Bucharest and Budapest: an Eastern European adventure
Eastern Europe is a region of the world sometimes overlooked (with backpackers often focussing on the Western side of continental Europe). Nonetheless, it's one certainly an area worth seeing before you die. Get off to a relaxed start in the laid-back capital of Bulgaria, admiring Sofia's Ottoman mosques, onion-domed churches and Red Army monuments. Next, take on the hiking trails of Mt Vitosha for some serious natural beauty.
Then, step things up a level in the dynamic capital of Romania. Bucharest's mix of modern architecture and 17th-18th Century orthodox churches is accompanied by a host of fascinating museums and trendy cafes. If you appreciate the outdoors, dedicate a chunk of your time to exploring the unmatched beauty of the castle-studded Transylvanian countryside before moving on.
Finally, let your trip come to a climax in the historic party city of Budapest. If parties aren't your scene then simply appreciate the architecture, from the decadent Hungarian Parliament Building decorated inside with real gold, to the still-functioning thermal baths. If parties are your scene then think nightclubs in the thermal baths, and bar crawls through eccentric, artsy bars in abandoned buildings. Budapest nightlife is some of the best on the continent, and the perfect way to go out with a bang.
3) Bangkok, Ayutthaya and Hua Hin: Thailights tour