If you’re going to be traveling in 2017, you probably have a penciled-in shortlist of places that you’re interested in visiting. However, if you’re trying to knuckle down that list, you can trust the experts when it comes to a few destination goals.

Five places in particular to head to (for reasons to be described below) include making it to Portugal, Norway, Greece, Montana, and Japan. There are reasons especially in the coming year that make these places great destinations, and depending on what type of vacation you plan on making (solo, honeymoon, family, etc.) they’re all worth exploring from the outset.

Portugal

Traveling to Portugal this coming year is going to be all about the weather and the cash flow. Whether you’re trying to beat the heat or escape from the cold, the climate in Portugal is perfect for just about everybody. Add to that it’s one of the least expensive places to visit as well as allowing for whatever type of luxury you’re interested in, and that makes it pretty much the perfect destination for anyone looking to do something beautiful, relaxing, and affordable!

Norway

Want to visit the happiest place on Earth? Then you’d be headed to Norway this year! It’s the first year they’ve topped the list, and there are a plethora of reasons they have self-described their families, their culture, and their country and the happiest location you can put yourself in. Political, geographical, intellectual, spiritual – all the reasons for a population to be satisfied with their existence – that’s current where Norway sits on the world scale. But until you actually go there, you’ll only believe it in theory.

Greece

Greece has taken a bit of bad press in the last few years, but they’re currently on the rebound, and there’s no time like the present to fly to Greece to see the combination of history and modernity reshaping itself in the image of the population as it changes and thrives in present day. You get to appreciate everything about the old culture, while watching a new culture take shape, all from the comfort of a vacation perspective.

Montana

In the United States, visiting Montana as a travel goal should definitely be on your list. There are some amazing pieces of natural beauty there unlike anywhere else in the world, and the best time to see these places is the present, before time, weather, or circumstances affect their standing.

Japan

And if you want to immerse yourself in a culture shock, but still appreciate the safety of modernity, then a trip to Japan should be on your horizon. This might be a bit more expensive of an option, but you’ll be treated to a culture with an intense history that is in the middle of becoming even more fiery in the current geopolitical spectrum.