Tranquillity and comfort in a guesthouse in the Marche countryside - airy rooms for couples with huge windows onto good views

History, elegance and art combine in this special spot near the Louvre. Wonderful staff too. Relax - take breakfast in bed

An elegant house with ancient roots and a shimmering pool – explore the Charente countryside, drive to lovely Angoulême

Welcome to the delights of a 15th-century Breton manor house, a meandering river inhabited by otters, and hosts who adore what they do

Come for sea air, independent shops, great places to eat and this quirky cottage with plenty of room and a sunny walled garden

A 1750s farmhouse with a comfortable, informal feel resting in woodland. You're near to iconic tourist spots but hiding in the quiet woods

An artist's house imbued with an understated elegance. Stay for dinner; be charmed by the garden where fruit trees throng, hens loiter

Submerge yourself in a magical landscape of sky, water and hills from this well-thought-out retreat, where silence reigns and peace is deep

Eschew the crowds for your own slice of bliss in this ancient hamlet with village green - self-catering with a hotel feel and dreamy pool

Visit Florence, Arezzo, Siena… or revel in the beauty and peace of Casa Zia, surrounded by wilderness and lovely birdsong

Charming cottage in the Peak District National Park for hill walking, cycling and bird watching, or simply unwinding amid much beauty

A swishly renovated detached hideaway up a hill, surrounded by vineyards and with a covered deck for sweeping views just outside Beaune

A glorious spot in the Wolds for a big family get-together in style, with your very own indoor heated pool, sauna, games and hot tub

Vast rooms, thick stone walls and ancient flagged floors skilfully modernised to create comfort, surrounded by romantic château gardens

An 18th-century fisherman's cottage with garden at the end of a cobbled row, for happy seaside holidays with superb beaches nearby

A lovely old farmhouse, slate hung and elegant, in the heart of this gorgeous group of buildings hiding in lush countryside

Traditional accommodation and organic food; handy for Bari but set peacefully in the countryside near Toritto, famed for its almonds

Comfortable, understated, spotless and authentic – a modest family hideaway on Brittany’s stunning Crozon Peninsula (think Land’s End...)