One interesting new addition to the European traveler's transport menu this year is easyCruise. The brainchild of easyJet guru Stelios Haji-Ioannou, easyCruise allows vacationers to spend a week cruising either the French Riviera (St. Tropez, Cannes, and Nice) or the Italian one (Imperia, Genoa, and Portofino) for around $95 a night. You can stop off overnight anywhere you like en route, as long as you spend two nights on the ship.

If the thought of this…ahem…floats your boat, a cruise around the Greek islands is another option for further satisfying your wanderlust. With over 2,000 islands to choose from—each with its own unique history—island-hopping provides a refreshing alternative to concrete jungles bustling with backpackers. Once you've had your fill of one island, simply show up at the harbor and book yourself on the next boat out of town.