Any guidebook can tell you how to get to the Eiffel Tower or Big Ben. To really see the best of what a region has to offer, you need to ask either the people who live there, or the people who have struck out on their own. We asked a few of Council Travel's most seasoned travelers for recommendations on what to do when you're bored with the big cities. They came back with these ideas.

Parting Paris
There are the usual day trips to Versailles and Giverny, but for something different, spend a day in Épernay. The home of Dom Perignon and some of the best champagne in the world, Épernay is a quiet village in the Champagne region, about 75 minutes away by train. You can tour vineyards and champagne cellars for around $5, and a tasting of two or more wines is included with most tours. Pick up a baguette, cheese, fruit, and of course, a bottle of bubbly for a perfect picnic lunch on the banks of the Marne.

If you want to visit the Loire Valley, famous for its chateaux and vineyards, but don’t have much time to spare, then Blois is the place to go. It’s one of the few Loire Valley cities and chateaux accessible by train (about a two-hour ride), and makes the perfect base for a side trip to visit the two best-known chateaux in this region: Chambord and Cheverny. If you’re short on time though, just visiting Blois makes a great excursion, and can be done easily from Paris in a day. - Marbree Sullivan

Leaving London
Spend a few hours or the whole day in Greenwich, the place where time begins. (All time zones are based on Greenwich Mean Time.) The boat ride to Greenwich from London takes about an hour each way, leaving lots of time to sightsee and hangout. You can climb the big (steep) hill to the observatory and learn about the Prime Meridian and GMT, or just take a book and relax by the water or at the park. - Rebecca O'Connell

Fleeing Florence
An easy side trip by train is Cinque Terre, a string of five villages connected by train and walking trails through the hills and cliffs along the Mediterranean. The train from Florence takes about three hours, and makes a great diversion on the way from Florence to Rome. Pick one town as the base when you get there (I chose Monterosso for three nights), and spend some time hiking the trails between villages each day. The seafood is awesome, as these are real fishing villages. The beaches are beautiful, but don’t expect soft, powdery sand; they're mostly pebbles. The hiking trails are long but pretty easy, especially if you take your time to enjoy the views. Plus, you can always take the train between villages if you don’t feel like walking. - Liz Meggison

Making Tracks From Madrid
Take a day trip from the main train station to Toledo, approximately 90 minutes by train each way. There you can visit the Alcazar and a beautiful cathedral. There's also a fantastic museum filled with El Greco paintings. Toledo will give you a great feel for small city life if you've only seen Madrid. - Sue Cool