This is Somerset at its most quintessential: a thatched roofed, honey-coloured Hamstone cottage with a pretty courtyard garden; sleeps four

Lively renovation for this 18th-century cottage built of local stone and with a large garden in Modbury. Totnes and sandy beaches are close

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

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

A peaceful grown-up place circled by meadows and woodland with helpful owners next door – a superb spot to explore the south-west

A stylish, refined 17th-century house off a quiet street with its own garden and lots of generous surprises, a short hop to everything

Overlooking Menton and the Mediterranean, this lofty apartment in a grand Belle Époque palace is perfectly placed to explore the Riviera

An elegantly renovated coaching inn with inspired design, beautifully simple pub food, tempting ales and gloriously comfortable bedrooms

Beautiful B&B in idyllic setting, with natural salt water pool and plenty of relaxed communal spaces

Float in the infinity pool above the canyon, dine under the stars, revel in the silence, head to the Cavagrande di Cassibile Nature Reserve

The holiday starts on the bumpy track along to this Arts & Crafts style modern house with plenty of space and a wrap-around garden

Traditional house with a contemporary and imaginative interior; stroll to shops and restaurants, jump in the car to explore Provence

Leave the car, everything is walkable & buses are practically free. Visit restaurants, vineyards & markets from your lofty village bolthole

Wonderful views of the Cantabrian Sea, locally sourced food and fine bedrooms at a boutique hotel on the Asturian coast

Hike the Wild Boar Fells, get cosy at home with books, games and DVDs, and meet the farm’s hens, cows and sheep

This stately-looking former manor house set back from the road in acres of gardens serves very good food and has rustic-chic bedrooms

Family-run B&B in traditional trulli with hands-on hosts. Swim in the pool, explore the countryside, the coast is half an hour’s drive away

Woodland retreat above Loch Tummel. Silence, sunsets and star-filled skies in a 70s bungalow that blends retro charm with modern comfort