If you want to come to Venice as an open-hearted traveller rather than a tourist then this is the place for you - just walk to everything

A lovely honey-coloured stone cottage with private walled garden, large terrace and pool, outdoor bath and pergola-covered terrace

Colourful coastal apartments and studios where you can be nicely independent, and enjoy a communal café and health club with Art Deco pool

Two family-friendly gites with gardens and a big pool, surrounded by corn fields and sunflowers, ideal for a larger family to take together

Breathtaking views, coastal walks, wildflowers and pretty beaches. Return to a garden with a tropical feel, helpful hosts and sunny rooms

Near to the sea, surrounded by pristine vineyards and sheltered by the walls of an ancient farmhouse, you'll feel secluded from tourists

Manicured exteriors surround this 18th-century hamlet, a cluster of restored buildings with nine apartments, restaurant, pool and small spa

Set off on blissful walks, trek home to crumpets and tea. There’s no better place to escape the 21st century than rural Devon

A townhouse with a walled garden by the church in a peaceful village where friendly Scottish owners feed and look after you well

A gorgeously quirky historic building overlooking the bustling harbour with a cracking bar, St Austell ales, superb food and stylish rooms

A chilled, family-friendly hotel on a sandy surfing beach with huge views and a sensational pool with sustainability at its heart

Swim in the pool overlooking vineyards, try the wines and oil made onsite, get cosy by log fires or head to the nearby beach

A very swish 1610 house, thoroughly refurbished, in the heart of old Chichester with oodles of space and a surprisingly large garden

5 houses near Siena to make design-lovers happy; come for the rural solitude of ancient stone farm buildings with urban interiors

High on a hill in the Tyne Valley, undisturbed except by birds singing and the wind whistling; views swoop down to a magical landscape

A sylvan hideaway tucked into the hills of the Southern Alps, full of Provençal charm inside and out – Saint-Cézaire and the coast are close

A beautiful villa, a cabin, a loft and a wagon on the sunny side of the harbour and a stroll from the beach. Faultless finds!