A sweet little gîte for two in the centre of a dreamy medieval village. Happily private but with loads to explore from your door

Elegant farmhouse B&B. Drawing room with a log fire, generous breakfasts with home produce, cookery courses and friendly welcoming hosts

An incredible living museum, dedicated to the history of Sicily and the arts. Stay in the main house or in a cottage in the fecund garden

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

Perfect luxury in deepest Normandy: gorgeous gardens, a heavenly pool, and interiors worthy of an art gallery

Come for a traffic-free medieval hamlet in sleepy Maremma with easy-going hosts, a beautiful garden and views over the valley

A stately retreat, an oasis of calm and beauty. Picnic on the lawns, enjoy a glass of home-produced prosecco beneath a centuries-old tree

A 17th-century Grade II listed inn, bustling with a mix of visitors and locals, friendly staff, very comfortable rooms and scrumptious food

Comfortable, big family home with sparkling sea views over the Adriatic: discover the coast, explore Ancona and Loreto, enjoy the garden

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

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

A fascinating place steeped in history and abuzz with prize-winning winery activity. Plus rustic cottages, golf, a restaurant and 2 pools

An ancient thatched cottage near Dartmoor with a warming log fire in winter and flowers inside and out in the summer

Enjoy convivial gatherings from this Georgian country house with acres of land, gardens and woodlands just a short hop from Durham

A light, bright and peaceful 18th-century palazzo in a very quiet town, with a sea-view terrace, peaceful bedrooms and delicious breakfasts

Quirky art hotel in the heart of trendy Brighton – there's a great bar, stylish rooms and wonderful breakfasts

Like staying in a family home, only with Henri III furniture and rolling green views. Energetic hosts cook, farm, hunt, chat over champagne

In the middle of the National Park and surrounded by the Coquet Hills, come for dark skies, fabulous walking and a very comfortable cottage