A relaxed hilltop escape with good food, a pretty garden and fine views of the Dales and the river Wharfe – bring your dog too

Close to sandy beaches between Penzance and Helston, three places to stay with characterful interiors and freshly baked scones waiting

Peaceful B&B above Sorrento with a splendid garden and incredible views from the terrace. Walk to restaurants, explore the Amalfi Coast

Traditional and modern, verging on the opulent. Find a stone-flagged tap room for walkers, top modern food and Chatsworth-perfect bedrooms

In pretty Vernon, a peaceful and comfortably large townhouse with roses rambling around the door

In peaceful walled gardens, this former convent is a quiet retreat just a stone’s throw from the Riviera coast and the best of Tuscany

Peace, space and sophisticated living at a serene villa-apartment in the hills above Cannes

A clutch of airy properties, most with their own jasmine-scented terraces arranged around a funky pool

There's a pared-back unforced elegance to this stone barn sitting quietly in its own grounds beside a cobbled courtyard awash with roses

Between Paris and Rouen, a handsome country house in Monet scenery. Cows graze, bedrooms soothe, friendships bud over bountiful breakfasts

Remote three-bedroom cottage in Northumberland National Park, with far-reaching views over hills and valleys and walks in all directions

A hop to Montpellier, but deep in the countryside: a romantic pad, with Moroccan rugs, ochre-limed walls and bikes to ride into the country

Glorious boutique hotel on the Sorrento Peninsula with Michelin-starred restaurant and superb cellar to explore

A lovely big house with huge riverside gardens and an easy-going charm – a 15-minute walk from bookish Hay-on-Wye

An island of oyster farms, salt pans and white beaches, woolly donkeys, countless push-bikes and the odd celeb – we love the Ile de Ré!

Sumptuous bedrooms and delicious breakfasts at these two magnificent wings in glorious gardens and grounds next to the castle

A lovely Victorian cottage on a quiet village road, traditional and comfortable inside and with a fully enclosed garden at the back

Absolutely no neighbours and stunning views from this delicious little cottage, which peeks over the trees in a magical SSSI valley