Wherefore art thou?
Inspired by the Bard Ken Bennett has a selection of Shakespearean breaks that won't end in tragedy...
There has been an enthusiastic revival in the works of William Shakespeare with some of Britain's most distinguished actors clamouring to star in some of his plays.
He would have been 442 years old this month and to celebrate his birthday you could visit one of the lavish locations that inspired our greatest playwright.
The Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO) is offering trips to many dramatic locations used by the Bard.
For example, you could be tempted to visit Copenhagen, a short drive from Hamlet's home of Helsingor Castle in Denmark or Athens, the setting of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Even Bermuda - rumoured to be the mysterious isle Prospero encounters in The Tempest.
And if Will was still alive, he could have enjoyed a city break to Vienna, home of Measure for Measure or the bullfighting town of Pamplona, where Love's Labours Lost takes place.
Then again, perhaps he would have preferred a cookery course in Gascony, featured in Henry VI, or taken in Egypt and Syria, described in scenes from Antony and Cleopatra.
However, the characters in Much Ado About Nothing were too distracted to appreciate the idyllic city of Messina, but you don't have that excuse.
Just outside the town of Taormina, a bustling blur of medieval buildings, lemon groves and botanical gardens, the Villa Belvedere is a superb jumping off place for Messina itself, the picturesque Sicilian coastline and countryside.
Set in tranquil gardens, this ochre-coloured property boasts rooms with sea-facing terraces, a large swimming pool and uninterrupted views of Mount Etna and the Bay of Naxos.
Or maybe you'd like to reflect on another of the Bard's classics on a trip to the Ardennes Forest.
It offered Rosalind a tranquil, peaceful place to escape and reflect in Shakespeare's As You Like It and it still promises a similar solace today.
This hilly region is located on France's border with Luxembourg and Belgium and has wooded valleys and winding rivers.
The two-star Auberge du Port, on the banks of the River Meuse in two acres of landscaped grounds, could be just the place to chill out.
Or you could immerse yourself in retail rapture on a visit to Venice from £567 a head with Sunvil Discovery.
The fashion, the food and the jewellery are set against the sublime backdrop of bridges, canals, churches and palaces, glinting waters and gliding gondolas that inspired The Merchants of Venice.
Ideally situated between St Mark's Square and the Rialto Bridge, the for-star Hotel Bonvecchiati Palace offers something very unusual for Venice: comfortable contemporary minimalism in a building dating back to the 1800s.
Shop until you drop, chill out in the hotel's jacuzzi and then head out for some serious dining.
Alternatively, share sunshine, stalactites and Shakespeare on Explore's Asia Minor Explorer tour. As well as seeing the marble ruins of Aphrodisias and the acropolis of Pergamum, relive Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors at the Greco-Roman seaport of Ephesus and the playwright's Troilus and Cressida at the ruins of ancient Troy. Visit the volcanic area of Cappadocia, the white stalactites of Pamukkale and the mountainous Lycian coast.
You could choose to re-enact one of the world's most romantic stories, Romeo and Juliet, in beautiful Verona and stand at the balcony where, legend has it, Juliet spoke her immortal lines "Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thoug, Romeo?"
Closer to home, you can discover Macbeth's home on Classic Travelling's Scenic Scenic Scotland tour. It can't make "Birnam Wood come to Dunsinane", but it can offer a bewitching combination of castles, lochs and mountains.
Starting from Glasgow and culminating in Edinburgh, the eight-day self-drive route stops at Loch Ness, the Cairngorm Mountains and the home of golf, St Andrews.
There's time for a drive over the Sidlaw hills, the location of Macbeth's home, Dunsinane Castle.
In Shakespeare's All's Well That Ends Well, set in Florence, events only turn out happily in the final scenes, but have a copy of The Purple Guide to Tuscany and Assisi - which includes a detailed section on Florence - there should be no tragedies.
Witty and intelligent, like the great man himself, and full of insider knowledge, this ideal travelling companion leads you to the city's best-kept secrets.
* Guides are constantly updated on the web at www.purpleguide.com. To buy a Purple Guide (£12.99), visit the website, call 020 8614 2277, or visit your local bookshop.
MESSINA: Seven nights' accommodation at the Villa Belvedere, with breakfast, costs from £476 a head until October, excluding flights. Call Real Holidays on 020 7359 3938 or visit www.realholidays.co.uk
ARDENNES: VFB Holidays offers two-night breaks in April from £141 a head, two sharing, including Channel crossings, accommodation, breakfast and dinner. Call 01242 240310 or visit www.vfbholidays.co.uk
VENICE: A three-night stay costs from £567 includes return flights with BA from Gatwick and three nights accommodation with breakfast. Entrance to Venice's Casino, a motor launch excursion to nearby Murano, a visit to the famous glass factory, and a Purple Guide Book are included. Call: 020 8758 4722 or visit www.sunvil.co.uk
ASIA MINOR: With departures on 6 May and 3 June, the price of £815 per head includes Heathrow flights (regional connections from £85 each), all transportation, 14 nights' hotel accommodation, some meals, local payment and the services of a tour leader. Call: 0870 333 4001 or visit www.explore.co.uk
VERONA: Romeo and Juliet. Kirker Holidays offers four nights for the price of three at the five-star deluxe Due Torri Baglioni, a traditional hotel in the heart of the old city, priced from £712 a head - saving of £140 per person. The price includes four nights' accommodation with breakfast, return scheduled flights from Gatwick, return private car transfers and Kirker's unique Guide Notesto restaurants and sightseeing. Call: 0870 421 1201 or visit www.kirkerholidays.com
SCOTLAND: Available anytime, the tour costs either £499 a head with Classic accommodation or £749 each with Select Accommodation. Both include eight nights' accommodation with breakfast, a full and detailed tour book and a map. Call 0870 3500 122 or visit www.classictravelling.com
To explore a variety of Shakespearean locations, find your nearest AITO Specialist Travel Agent by calling 020 8744 9271 or: www.aitoagents.com
