Items14The creator’s order
  1. 1Republic of IrelandRepublic of IrelandThe gentlest possible landing in Europe. English is everywhere, the overnight flight from the East Coast is short by transatlantic standards, and the airports at Dublin and Shannon both let you clear US customs before you board for home, so you land back in the States as a domestic arrival. What…0
  2. 2IcelandIcelandIceland has topped the Global Peace Index for 19 years running, and it feels that way on the ground: calm towns and locals who switch to English without blinking. Waterfalls, black-sand beaches and steaming lava fields sit within a day's drive of Reykjavík, so a first-timer can see a lot without…0
  3. 3QuebecQuebecThe closest thing to Europe without crossing an ocean. French is the language of street signs, menus and daily life, which gives even a long weekend a real sense of being abroad, yet Montreal's service staff switch to English easily and the time zone matches the East Coast, so there is no jet lag…0
  4. 4British ColumbiaBritish ColumbiaThe West's answer to Quebec, and the easiest first passport trip for anyone flying from the Pacific side or the Mountain states. Vancouver puts beaches, rainforest trails and ski slopes within sight of downtown, and a ferry ride takes you to Victoria on Vancouver Island, a harbor city with…0
  5. 5Costa RicaCosta RicaFor a first trip built around nature rather than museums, Costa Rica is hard to beat. Rainforest lodges, volcano hikes, zip lines and two coastlines are all set up for visitors, and the tourism industry is used to guiding first-timers with packaged transfers and tours. The money is easy too. The…0
  6. 6BermudaBermudaA passport-stamp trip that is almost impossible to get wrong. Bermuda is a short flight from the East Coast, English is the everyday language, and the Bermuda dollar is pegged one to one with the US dollar, which is accepted interchangeably everywhere on the island. Its airport also has US…0
  7. 7The BahamasThe BahamasThe shortest leap on this list. Flights from the US East Coast can take as little as an hour, English is the official language, and the Bahamian dollar is held at the same value as the US dollar, with both accepted interchangeably on every island. Nassau's airport has US preclearance too, so the…0
  8. 8ArubaArubaThe Caribbean pick for anyone nervous about weather. Aruba lies just outside the main hurricane belt, so it is rarely affected by storms, which makes it a safer bet than most islands for a fall or early-winter trip you have been saving for. It is dry, breezy and sunny, with long white beaches on…0
  9. 9EnglandEnglandThe country most Americans already half know from books, TV and history class, which is exactly why it works. You can read every sign, follow every conversation and still be surprised daily, by stone-roofed Cotswold villages, thousand-year-old churches and a pub culture unlike anything at home. The…0
  10. 10ScotlandScotlandChoose Scotland over England if you want drama in the landscape rather than the capital. Edinburgh is compact enough to cover on foot, with a castle on a volcanic crag above the medieval Old Town, and from there organized day tours reach lochs, glens and Highland villages, so you can see wild…0