Genuine hosts, fabulous food, a swimming pool and a private speedboat for exploring the coast; a sandy beach is a ten-minute walk away

An immaculately restored 1500s palazzo, filled with history, art, antiques and books in the buzzing heart of a charming town

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

Historic buildings by a turreted manor house, beautifully renovated to welcome large parties with grounds to roam and dreamy river views

A cluster of traditional farm buildings making up three holiday cottages in very attractive grounds with fruit trees, meadows and woodland

Lovers will be happy here in their own sweet space with a bird-filled garden. All you will hear is the river flowing gently past you

A cracking English inn with open fires, great food, gorgeous rooms, happy staff, lovely gardens and well-kept English ales

Chocolate-box cottages in deepest Normandy, owned by bright young things with a passion for organic cuisine and the good life

A cosy, very comfortable stone cottage with fine views across the valley, just a couple of miles from the southern tip of Ullswater

An 18th-century townhouse restored with flair by former restauranteurs: come for colour, comfort and sublime dining

A charming transformation of a once boarded-up pub in a pretty village setting, beside the river Wye in the heart of the Peak District

Come for a sense of complete peace surrounded by country and coast with wonderful interiors to boot – a bolthole for two (plus two)

Manor house in the grounds of a quintessential 18th-century French château with pretty gardens and lots of space just 3kms from Bayeux

Come for a spot of high-end cossetting with big, beautiful bedrooms, good food and far-reaching views in the Northumberland National Park

Historic old house in a beautiful, traditional village. Boulangerie, bar, crêperie all a stroll away

Steeped in history and romance, with a great big sleigh bed and open fires, is this 14th-century defence tower above the river Tweed

Traditional bedrooms lie under the beams of this fascinating country mansion - a grand, hospitable B&B near St Malo and sand beaches

A sparkling house for two overlooking azure waters, starry skies and Stromboli’s light show - that’ll do nicely grazie