Fall in love with this riverside village, lost in a valley in lower Normandy, and this sunny house for couples or families

Between Penzance and Helston and close to surf beaches, a perfect place for two. For peace-seekers and lovers of mid-century design

A glorious château near Tours – authentic, huge fun, steeped in family history and surrounded by gorgeous gardens with a serene pool

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

Deep French countryside, fine hospitality from true nature lovers, fantastic bedrooms and delicious dinners in an outbuilding

Picturesque cottage in the grounds of a grand manor, lovingly and creatively restored by its welcoming English owner

A fin-de-siècle Franco-Scottish décor for this hospitable, entertaining B&B, in the heart of Edinburgh’s cultural quarter

Light-filled chalet in a small hamlet just outside Châtel. Feast on superb breakfasts before heading out to explore the Portes du Soleil

Fabulous bakes and hot waffles at breakfast, green fields all around and Normandy steeped in history. Great for foodies and historians

Gaze on Umbrian hills as the children play, watch the fireflies dance at night. Dine fabulously in Gubbio - or here. Sociable-family bliss

A beautiful walled historical country house, surrounded by acres of farmland and citrus groves, with wine tastings and kind, charming owners

Retreat to a classically styled, elegant apartment for four - private and peaceful - in a characterful, super-central area of Rome

Come for super ridgeway walks and explore charming towns and villages from this pretty 18th-century cottage in the Chalke Valley

An elegant townhouse made up of two apartments on a lively piazza a short stroll from the sea. Live like a local in pretty Monopoli

Come for big skies, grand walking and hilly cycling. Style and comfort abound in this cottage set on the hillside with views to North Uist

Beautiful Noto is 4 miles from the Ionian Sea, and this creative renovation, with lush garden, stands above the throng. Heaven in Sicily

A gorgeous old gardener's house in grand Belle Epoque style, filled with every comfort and sitting in the grounds of a magnificent château

In off-the-beaten-track Tuscany, 2 peaceful apartments in a former haybarn, both carefully renovated with antique furniture