Traditional and modern mix beautifully and bedrooms are quietly elegant. Relax and drink in the views over orchards and the Sierra Nevada

Technically in Florence yet immersed in the Tuscan hills: easy comfort, country character, warm wonderful hosts, heavenly views

The river's gentle flow sets the tone for a relaxing stay in this peaceful Loire estate: quiet rooms, sweet village, dinner with Madame

Spacious farmhouse with annexe, great for gatherings with family and friends. Fabulous walks and endless views over the Eglwysbach valley

Atmospheric English pub with rooms by the green with its duck ponds in a pretty village, with walking and cycling routes to join

Escape to your own barn. Brimming with beams and natural colours - surrounded by peaceful lavender-filled gardens and corn fields

Close to Saint-Jean-d'Angély, an elegant and spacious manor house with unfussy, comfortable interiors, bucolic views, big garden and pool

Snug, simple and delightful casitas with private entrances and courtyards interlink for groups. Stroll through the olives, bask by the pool

Your hosts couldn’t be nicer and look after you beautifully – this is a lovely, homely place with a rambling garden

Chocolate-box cottages in deepest Normandy, owned by bright young things with a passion for organic cuisine and the good life

5 houses near Siena to make design-lovers happy; come for the rural solitude of ancient stone farm buildings with urban interiors

Come for big open skies, sweeping beaches and the charming towns of north Norfolk from this pretty flintstone cottage in Docking village

A gem of a château in the wilds of Limousin with kind and thoughtful owners who are thoroughly immersed in this tranquil area

Near lively Lyon, this handsome family house is perfect for a Zen-like escape with delicious vegetarian meals and well-travelled hosts

Sheep's Head Way is reputedly one of the best walks in Ireland. Come back to roaring fires, a Rayburn, art and style – terrific restorations

A 19th-century bothy in remote, rugged countryside on the edge of the Cairngorms, for walkers, birders and seekers of peace

A light-filled B&B packed with family memories and heirlooms in a small hamlet tucked into the foothills of the Dolomites

A welcoming inn with rooms on the edge of a small village. Stay in a converted barn in the pretty garden, eat delicious country fare