Enjoy a bucolic setting (hike, ride, cycle) near medieval Vannes, a short hop from the sea – and lively conversation with friendly hosts

Sit back and relax at this luxuriously elegant grand manor in the heart of the Dordogne with a concierge service to take care of everything

A pretty little cottage in a holiday hamlet surrounded by fields, just a stone's throw from the coast and Binic for happy escapes

Great for comfort, beauty, character and home baking. Borrow vintage bikes to explore Cambridge: Christine knows it inside out

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

Enjoy the wine festival, cycling and hiking in spring and early summer, the truffles in November, and warm hospitality all year round

A warm, gracious townhouse in a small town, run by delightful new hosts. Explore chateaux, canoe on the Loire... cycle to Angers!

Traditional family-run hotel with sitting rooms galore, award-winning food and Snowdon views. High teas and games room for children too

A delightful mix of old and new in a conservation village with a four-acre garden that attracts all the local birds. Guests love it here

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

Stylish interiors, beautiful rooms, lovely staff and wonderful food – all this in the Forest of Dean with great walking and cycling trails

A warm retreat in a charming Sussex backwater, with a changing menu of fabulous food, and well-furbished bedrooms upstairs

Perched on a hilltop in a nature reserve, two lovely places to stay. Hike and beach-hop all day before relaxing in the pool

Secluded country house hotel with gracious rooms and dining; stroll the grounds, visit the coast, Beverley is only a five-minute drive away

In peaceful walled gardens, this former convent is a quiet retreat just a stone’s throw from the Riviera coast and the best of Tuscany

Agriturismo at its best - delightful hosts, communal meals of superb home-grown food, homely rooms, a garden filled with fragrant flowers...

At the end of a long drive, a converted stable building on a private estate sits among Madiran's vineyards with the Pyrenees not far away

Come for history, wildlife and a stunning garden estate with acres to roam. Bring children and dogs too. Fabulous