A historical building in the heart of town, now a small hotel with swimming pool, delicious breakfasts, smart bedrooms and helpful staff

A traditional country house experience with plenty of space for big family get-togethers, on a very old estate with fascinating gardens

Big house with bags of character and easy access to beaches, cafés and cobbled streets, coastal paths and hidden coves

Between Florence and Siena, stay in one of five stylish apartments on a family-run agriturismo; they delight in sharing this slice of heaven

Wooded, lakeside retreat for 1 or 2 – big windows, huge terrace, wood-burner, wide screen. The Jurassic coast a cross-country walk away

Painting courses on request, gardens full of roses, a parasol’d terrace, a seductive pool… we love this welcoming, traditional hotel

3 lovely cottages in the heart of Cognac vines for cosy nights by the fire and summer barbecues by the pool

An expansive and generous 13th-century Catalan farmhouse, restored with verve and colour in the Pyrenees - a wonderful spot for groups

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

Charming trulli apartments promise rustic comfort and panoramic views (horses too). Perfectly placed for exploring the area

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

A romantic and very comfortable retreat in a smartly converted dairy with a pretty garden, close to the South Downs

Come for a quintessentially English country cottage tucked down a village path with wisteria in the garden and a short walk to a foodie pub

A soothing, deeply romantic bolthole with simple interiors and its own little private garden, next to a winery and surrounded by vineyards

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

Rural Andalusian retreat with bags of boho style promises wide-open skies, mountain vistas and fabulous meals prepared by your host

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

Mont Blanc looms large over this alpine chalet in quiet Les Tines, a stone’s throw from Chamonix and miles of mountain trails