Sunday Times travel award winners announced

The Sunday Times Travel Magazine has revealed the winners of its latest reader awards, with Australia taking the top accolade of best worldwide country.

Readers of the magazine said that Australia was a worthy winner on the basis of its "sport, sunsets and super-happy people".

The country won the award ahead of the USA, New Zealand, Thailand and the Maldives, which completed the top five.

Holidaymakers planning on limiting their jet-set trips to Europe should put Italy at the top of their list, according to Sunday Times readers, while Greece, France, Spain and Switzerland also make it into the top five European destinations.

The quintessential American metropolis of New York took the 'best worldwide city' honour, followed by Sydney, San Francisco, Cape Town and Bangkok.

London was voted the best destination for a city break in Europe, ahead of Edinburgh in second place and the more traditionally popular urban centres of Paris, Barcelona and Rome.