A sprint from London: a Cotswolds pub modernised with sympathy and care. Happy staff, organic ales and food, gorgeous rooms

An 18th-century watermill with millrace and pond, now a smart B&B with a swimming pool and pretty gardens, run by charming English hosts

Grand and old and filled with history, the estate and such a pretty house are a tonic, as are the well-tended grounds and parkland

An absolute peach of an apartment on the first floor of this iconic building with stunning views over the harbour and St Michael's Mount

A stylish hotel, tucked away yet central, an unusually quiet base for exploring Rome just a three-minute walk from the tube station

A traditional Welsh cottage in a very pretty, rural setting with the river meandering past, the stunning coastal path and beautiful beaches

Anglo-Irish meets Italian and Indian; the owners have peppered this charming home with furniture and artefacts from their broad travels

A light, bright village house with a courtyard garden - 5 minutes from Cabo da Roca where the sunsets and views are spectacular

In pure Herefordshire countryside, a medieval timbered house in a peaceful hamlet with kind, gentle Anita who bakes cakes for your arrival

A magical chateau set in the forested hills of Burgundy with lovely rooms, peaceful walks, home cooking and a merry welcome

Immaculate Cotswold beauty with great food, welcoming staff, handsome rooms and a sun-trap terrace, plus countryside walks from the door

The Test valley is a place of pilgrimage for fly fishermen, but this lovely country inn welcomes all with great food and lovely bedrooms

Two cottages for couples: one more traditional, the other fresh and modern, both comfortable and romantic and there's a good pub next door

Gem-like in a deep park among meadows, a family-friendly château with 2 stylish cottages. Join the lovely owners for dinner, dip in the pool

Immersed in vines and valleys, a glorious Girondine villa in which to gather close to Saint-Émilion – come together, walk, read, reconnect

5 minutes from the Vatican in a tall palazzo above the British school. Owners share local tips, serve bakery-fresh breakfasts on the terrace

In four acres of garden and woodland (a child’s dream) a house and interlinking barn for 10 guests. Secluded but close to everything

High in Ávila's unspoilt nature is this stylish, eco-brilliant family hotel: mountains, massages, pool, organic dinners...a special escape