A comfy cottage for two in the quiet, leafy outskirts of Aix with easy access to the city and a kind, attentive owner nearby

A true gem - sleep in a small hillside castle, share delicious communal meals, walk or cycle to the beautiful waterfalls nearby

An impressive, south-facing bastide on three floors with a sunny pool, lovely garden and grounds that stretch to vineyards and garrigue

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

Straight out of a fairy tale, a rustic cottage by a babbling brook: a magical escape for couples, the craggy coast in easy reach

Dominating the village is this historic hotel... all frescoes, chandeliers, splendour at every turn. And a handsome pool, too

A cosy, courteous, family-run hotel with ‘chocolatines’ and cherry jams at breakfast, Basque dishes at dinner, and gorgeous rolling views

Glorious boutique hotel on the Sorrento Peninsula with Michelin-starred restaurant and superb cellar to explore

Close to Hexham's centre, a quietly charismatic Victorian home with fresh flowers, homemade bread, sunny courtyard and a friendly little dog

If you need a great place in which to relax and don’t want to pay too much for it, try these excellent suites, which spoil you all the way

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

A 200-year-old quintessential Umbrian farmhouse with pool, immersed in nature and with no immediate neighbours for lazy, peaceful days

A lovely gîte, once a hunting lodge, with two private terraces overlooking the manicured gardens of an 1830s manor house

Deep in the Wye Valley you’ll find wild swimming, kayaking and down-time. This cottage is a spacious yet cosy base for any adventure

Pops of colour and neon signs bring fun to this smart and warm family home near Brancaster beach

Pippa tells you where to find wild flowers, babbling brooks and butterflies... and hike, bike and swim. Magic for families

Come for a village feel, rural peace and boundless Portuguese countryside at this charming whitewashed home with a super terrace with views

In the city of Trapani, at the foot of Mount Erice, a nobleman's villa with a warm heart and exotic gardens. A hop from the Egadi Islands