A recently renovated and very comfortable stand-alone limestone cottage with fabulous views on the edge of the Easton Walled Gardens

Rustic, relaxing, comfortable and fun with pool and play area, river beaches, great hosts, peaceful countryside, an hour from Porto

Escape your cares here, move from terrace to terrace tracking the sun's progress and dive into the sea from your own swimming platform

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

A hop to Montpellier, but deep in the countryside: a romantic pad, with Moroccan rugs, ochre-limed walls and bikes to ride into the country

By a bubbling brook in the Mendips, close to Bath and Bristol, a wonderfully revived and welcoming inn with smart rooms and scrumptious food

Comfortable, traditional, accessible and in the grounds of an old rectory with meadows and the river Frome nearby for summer dips

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

A 200-year-old typical Mallorcan house with wooden beams, tiled floors, a view-filled garden and a big pool in beautiful Sóller

20 minutes’ walk from Gordes and a hop from Aix, find grownup peace and minimalism for lovers of modern style and timeless Provence

Once a lofty edifice for music recitals, now an original place to stay - with stained-glass windows, a bed on a stage and wild gardens

A rare treat to find such a comfortable and cosy, dog-friendly place in exceptionally wildlife-friendly and sustainably managed grounds

Just below the Tuscan town of Massa Marittima, an agriturismo loved by sporty types and families, with wonderful food on site

A Victorian house on a 5000 acre estate, snazzily renovated and tucked down a track with a private lake, in the quieter part of Cumbria

A 17th-century traditional Welsh longhouse in a very sheltered spot facing south and with a pretty garden surrounded by fields and meadows

Plunge into real Spain from this ancient village house with very modern interiors, stunning views, a cooling pool and a hop from restaurants

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