A beautiful little house in a corner of the garden: walk for miles or just to the local pub, barbecue on the deck with its rural views

A roomy, stylish barn conversion in Devon's rolling hills with wonderful walks from the door and panoramic views of the Exe valley

Walkers, bikers, families and nature fans will love staying with ever-helpful Joan and Montse in this secluded but not too remote valley

A peaceful, romantic village escape for couples, plus a babe-in-arms, attached to the welcoming owners' home in the Scottish Borders

Lose yourselves in this picturesque castle, magical with its luxurious rooms and timeless atmosphere. Count and Countess are brilliant hosts

Special back-to-nature, stargazing loft for couples and families, on a nature-filled estate in Piedmont

The Gautiers have the finest sense of how to treat guests: dreamy bedrooms, fantastic food & the pool beneath the orange trees is a delight

In off-the-beaten-track Tuscany, 2 peaceful apartments in a former haybarn, both carefully renovated with antique furniture

A lovely old stone house with a covered veranda and sparkling pool in a small hilltop hamlet overlooking a lush forested valley

Come for gloriously independent B&B in your own cosy retreat with a belter of a breakfast brought to your door and plenty of local walks

Swim with frogs in the freshwater pool, breakfast in the sunshine, play boules by moonlight. Châteaux don't get much more rural

Live out all your bohemian dreams at this arty villa, with garden and plunge pool, perched above the glittering Riviera.

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

A newly-renovated barn in a picturesque Cotswold village with an enclosed front garden and the river Eye at the bottom of the drive

Between Penzance and Helston and close to surf beaches, a perfect place for two. For peace-seekers and lovers of mid-century design

Sit back and relax at this luxuriously elegant grand manor in the heart of the Dordogne with a concierge service to take care of everything

Warmth and comfort on the Pink Granite Coast where the wind and waves lull you to sleep, and bedrooms overlook the cedars or the sea

An alpine hotel connected to nature with spa, sauna and swimming pool fed from a natural spring; mountains & lakes to explore, yoga classes, & more