Henley-on-Thames, United Kingdom

Three counties – Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire – meet at HENLEY-ON-THAMES, long a favourite stopping place for travellers between London and Oxford and a handy base for outings into the Chiltern Hills. A good-looking, affluent commuter town, Henley is at its prettiest among the old brick and stone buildings that flank the short main drag, Hart Street. Above all, however, Henley is renowned for its relationship with the River Thames and particularly for the Royal Regatta, the world's most important amateur rowing tournament, which begins on the Wednesday before the first weekend in July and runs for five days (Tel:01491/572 153, Web: www.hrr.co.uk ).

Henley is well served by trains from London, and by buses from Reading and beyond.