Iceland

Iceland 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 changing hotels every night. It also works as a trial run. On Icelandair's stopover program you can add up to seven days in Iceland on the way to Europe with no extra airfare, which turns one nervous trip into two easier ones. Passport control takes your fingerprints and photo under the EU's Entry/Exit System. The trade-offs are price, since meals and tours cost noticeably more than at home, and weather that can change plans within the hour.