Feel at ease in a lovely old townhouse filled with pictures and personality and including a separate loft apartment

A small, family-run boutique hotel sitting right at the foot of Etna with wonderful views, garden, pool and ambrosial Sicilian breakfasts

Walk, ride, bike or canoe, climb a mountain, head for Hay, then return to a comfortable bar, warm bedrooms and delicious food

A cosy cottage in the southern Eyri (Snowdonia) National Park with dogs welcome, beaches nearby and wonderful walking all around

A vibrant open-plan space with a wild garden, river for swimming, splashing or fishing and the chance to spot kingfishers and red squirrels

Ease yourself into a rather more gracious lifestyle from this sweet retreat on a historic estate with gorgeous walled gardens

The views take your breath away, the breakfasts are beautiful, and you feel like you're staying in the home of dear friends

Provençale-meets-English country house to great effect – cycle Mont Ventoux, walk to the monastery, visit Roman towns and vineyards

A grand yet very homely place with tasty home cooking and 200 acres to explore. Play golf, sail, cycle – wonderfully informal

All you'd hope for, and more! Enormous rooms, marvellous beams, majestic views and wines from their vineyard

Deep French countryside, fine hospitality from true nature lovers, fantastic bedrooms and delicious dinners in an outbuilding

Delightful hamlet of beautifully restored cottages with a pool, surrounded by fields, forest and deer. The perfect spot for a digital detox

An eye-catching ancient inn with a colourful flower garden in summer, delicious local food and very presentable bedrooms

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

Traditional Provencal farmhouse with a large garden and a swimming pool. Historic villages with markets and great restaurants close by

Art-inspired B&B in a former silkworm factory. Swim in the eco-pool, feast on delicious food, explore Avignon, Arles and Roman ruins

A sweet little gîte for two in the centre of a dreamy medieval village. Happily private but with loads to explore from your door