Moscow may well have the maddest, baddest most cutting-edge, over-the-top nightlife in Europe, and it keeps going until breakfast. Venues such as Night Flight and Soho Rooms require that you dress to impress, carry a fat wallet and prevent your jaw from dropping, but you'll also find great brewery-run bars, cigar bars, Soviet-themed bars (which at Kamchatka even extends to the menu) and impressive jazz venues. For sweeping views of the Moscow River, try Bar Gipsy's rooftop; other must-visits are techno club Arma 17, dance venue Propaganda and the great live-music locale Sixteen Tons. See visitrussia.org.uk

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2 Frankfurt, Main River, Germany

Boring banker-city Frankfurt has reinvented itself over the last decade to become one of Germany's coolest cities, with upmarket restaurants, back-slapping taverns and hedonistic nightlife providing reasons to hit town in the evening. It has great live jazz (Der Jazzkeller has featured top acts since Louis Armstrong appeared in the 1950s) and one of Europe's hottest techno scenes, pumped out by stellar DJs in venues such as Praesidium 19/11 and opulent Cocoon Club. Yet the homey, riverside Sachsenhausen district is also appealing for its small live-music bars and beer taverns: party central on long summer nights. See frankfurt.de

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3 New Orleans, Mississippi River, USA

Two things pull party-seekers into New Orleans: the notorious bar strip of Bourbon Street, where drinking and breast-flashing are the norm, and February's Mardi Gras, when more booze flows, sequins glitter and party masks provide the excuse for abandoned revelry. If you like your good times more toned down, New Orleans obliges with its jazz and blues heritage. Listen to the Marsalis family at Snug Harbour or hit the hard benches of Preservation Hall for old-time sounds, although music is everywhere. Then check out the clubs along Willow Street, Tchoupitoulas Street and Frenchmen Street, open until dawn. See neworleansonline.com

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4 Regensburg, Danube River, Germany

Regensburg packs a big historical punch, yet has a happening nightlife thanks to its many university students. The city centre is crammed with beer gardens (try Zum Augustiner and oompah venue Kneitinger), live-music bars (thumbs up to Alte Mälzerei) and clubs such as always-popular Susie Wong or Scala. Good times roll even in the daytime. Happy hour runs all afternoon at summertime 0941 Beach Bar on an artificial beach; also riverside is outdoor Spitalgarten, where beer has been brewed since 1350. Even eight-centuries-old sausage stand Historische Wurstküche by Regensburg's famous medieval bridge frequently has a party vibe. See tourismus.regensburg.de

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5 Lyon, Rhone River, France

There's something for every good-time gal (and lad) in Lyon. Dance your heart out at Bar le 42 or La Cour des Grands, take in live music at Gonzo Bar (electronic) or Maison Mère (rock and hip-hop) or get fashionable at latest hotspots Mama Shelter and rooftop Sucre. In summer, reinvented cargo barges moored on the river, such as Le Sirius, are the place to be. If you want to get your Aussie on, Ayers Rock Boat is a former icebreaker that offers cocktails with a view, DJs, two bars and a dance floor. See lyon-france.com

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6 Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong River, Vietnam

With the exception of posh nightclubs such as Lush, Saigon's nightlife doesn't last much beyond midnight, but there's plenty of partying before Cinderella time. Pham Ngu Lao provides a street of raucous, backpacker-haunted street bars for cold beers, cheap eats and live music. The city centre has an impressive collection of rooftop bars and cocktail lounges such as Chill Skybar and Saigon Saigon. For live music, hit The Acoustic Bar for rock, intimate Yoko Bar for a variety of bands, or Sax n' Art Jazz Club for jazz and blues. See vietnamtourism.com

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7 Porto, Douro River, Portugal

If you like music, dancing, happy crowds and bar hopping, then this delightful riverside city provides. The streets off Rua de Santa Catarina are crammed with bars and nightclubs such as the dance-worthy Industria Club or Swing Club. Catch live music from folk to heavy metal at Hard Club, or Cuban music and haunting Portuguese fado at Guarany Café. Beyond the city centre, the Zona Industrial has nightclubs featuring commercial house music. In the afternoons, you'll find the bars down by the riverfront buzzing with chatter; Wine Quay Bar is a prime spot for sunset. See visitporto.travel

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8 Amsterdam, Rhine River, Netherlands

Despite its louche reputation, Amsterdam's bar and club scene is pleasant rather than outrageous when compared to big cities, but there's no lack of choice. The epicentres of evening activities, where you could keep going 24 hours, are Rembrandtplein and Leidseplein, connected along Reguliersdwarsstraat, where there are yet more clubs and late-night cafés. But there are great finds elsewhere: kudos to inventive cocktail bar Vesper, old-fashioned gin venue De Drie Fleschjes and convivial, pub-like Café Hoppe. The city also has a good assortment of theatres and cabaret, and of course a notorious red-light district. See iamsterdam.com

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9 Portland, Columbia River, USA

You'd expect an alternative, arty city famous for its craft breweries to have a decent nightlife, but Portland goes far beyond beer-quaffing, offering an energetic theatre scene and great live-music venues: try Jimmy Mak's for jazz, Doug Fir Lounge for alternative rock and Crystal Ballroom for just about anything. Its gay and lesbian scene is diverse and welcoming: Crush Bar for dance-tune DJs, The Embers Avenue for late-night boogying. Summer sees festivals hit town, with big-name music acts outdoors at Oregon Zoo and Tom McCall Waterfront Park on the Willamette River, a tributary of the Columbia. See travelportland.com

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10 Rüdesheim, Rhine River, Germany

Few villages boast a party vibe, but Rüdesheim is an exception. The pretty wine village at the entrance to the famous Rhine Gorges gets three million visitors a year looking for good times. Yes, it's a tourist trap, but abandon yourself to souvenir kitsch, toe-tapping beer halls and bouts of knee-slapping. Head to medieval Drosselgasse and Oberstrasse and choose from bars loud with Euro-pop or live brass bands. The merrymaking often starts at lunchtime and is still going strong at midnight, especially at weekends. In December, a Christmas market further enlivens the town; pass the gluhwein! See ruedesheim.de

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