Florida

Daytona's reputation for speed goes back a long way. Thanks to its tightly-packed sand, the beach was a favourite with pioneering auto enthusiasts such as Louis Chevrolet, Ransom Olds and Henry Ford who came here in the early 1900s to race their prototype vehicles.

Eventually racing moved to the International Speedway and the beach was left for the sunbathers and pedestrians. Or nearly. Daytona Beach is one of the few beaches left in Florida that you can drive onto. The only difference is that nowadays the pace is more sedate (10mph) and there are pedestrian-only areas on the beach.

The beach is boardwalk-classic with carnival rides around the main pier, water sports, golf cart rental and big, big waves. There's not much else to do, which is good if you want to work on your tan. Raise the excitement levels by taking the Sky Ride from one end of the pier to another, or go for the more toe-curling experience of the Sky Coaster Ride.

Speed is always the main attraction in Daytona, and the International Speedway is its home. If you're not there on a race day, a guided tour will give you a chance to see the sheer size of the track and the remarkable gradient of the curves - which help make it one of the fastest race tacks in the world.