Paris rewards slow travel — the kind where you linger over a café crème at a corner table and have nowhere to be. We've stayed at the Park Hyatt Vendôme, Shangri-La, the Ritz, and Four Seasons George V. We've walked every arrondissement, eaten at one-star bistros and three-star institutions, and watched the Eiffel Tower light up at midnight from a rooftop terrace. Paris is the destination we recommend most and know best.

Tokyo is the most layered city in the world. Ancient shrines next to neon-lit districts, Michelin-starred ramen next to omakase sushi temples, TeamLab Planets next to Tsukiji Market at dawn. We've visited multiple times and it continues to reveal something new on every trip. The Conrad, Mandarin Oriental, and Andaz offer exceptional hotel points redemptions. JAL's Sky Suite business class is one of the finest flight experiences available anywhere.

Where Tokyo moves fast, Kyoto breathes slowly. Fushimi Inari at sunrise before the crowds arrive, the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest at golden hour, kaiseki dinners that last three hours and change how you think about food. The Hotel Mitsui Kyoto — a former brewery transformed into one of Japan's finest luxury properties — is the best hotel we've stayed at in the country. Best combined with Tokyo for a complete Japan itinerary.

Singapore defies every expectation. Michelin-starred hawker stalls next to rooftop fine dining, Gardens by the Bay at night, the Jewel at Changi Airport before you've even left the terminal, and the Formula One night race which is unlike any sporting event on earth. We've been multiple times — and Singapore Airlines' business class is one of the finest in the sky. The Suites — a fully enclosed private cabin — is the most aspirational redemption in the points world.

Italy is a country that deserves multiple visits because every city has its own personality. We've stood at the Colosseum, eaten at Osteria Francescana in Modena, driven the Ligurian coast from Portofino to the Cinque Terre, watched the sunset over the Vatican, walked every corner of Florence, and eaten the best pasta of our lives in a Trastevere side street at midnight. Italy rewards the unhurried traveler who has nowhere to be and everywhere to go.

Dubai is pure spectacle — the Burj Khalifa at night, desert safaris at dawn, the world's most extraordinary airport, and a dining and hotel scene that has no parallel. We've personally flown Emirates Business Class into Dubai and upgraded to First Class on points — 46,000 points for a cabin that sells for $3,000 cash. Emirates First Class has its own shower suite at 40,000 feet. There is genuinely nothing else like it in the sky.

Porto and Lisbon are two of Europe's most underrated cities — cobblestone hillsides tumbling toward the ocean, world-class wine at café prices, pastéis de nata still warm from the oven at sunrise, and a warmth that feels nothing like the rest of Western Europe. We've walked every corner of both cities personally. Porto in particular surprises every first-time visitor. These are the cities we recommend to anyone who has done Paris and London and wants something genuinely different.

Madrid and Barcelona are cities that come alive after midnight. We've been to both — the Royal Palace and Prado Museum in Madrid, the Sagrada Família and Mercat de la Boqueria in Barcelona, and the extraordinary dining scene that makes Spain the world's most celebrated food destination. Sale de Despiece in Madrid remains one of the most memorable meals we've had anywhere. Spain is also where our most underrated points sweet spot lives.

Borough Market on a Saturday morning, Camden on a Sunday afternoon, a proper pub dinner somewhere in Shoreditch to close the day. London rewards the curious traveler — there is always a new neighborhood, a new restaurant opening, a new exhibition worth queuing for. We've walked every corner from Notting Hill to the City. London also makes a perfect gateway for onward European connections using British Airways Avios at remarkable short-haul value.

Switzerland is the most visually dramatic country in Europe — the Matterhorn rising above Zermatt at sunset, the Swiss Alps in every direction, Geneva's lakefront, and Zürich's extraordinary dining scene. We've experienced it personally and it belongs on every serious traveler's list. Swiss Airlines is one of the finest European carriers and the Zürich → Los Angeles business class route is one of our own verified redemptions — 70,000 points for a $6,000 cash flight.