Come to shed your city cares, eat wonderful local food, spend time in simple, authentic surroundings and remind yourselves about serenity

A beguiling retreat for a couple or a family of four – feel cosy and secluded in a thatched cottage close to the coast

Escape to a rural idyll on a working olive and citrus farm in the toe of Italy. Attentive hosts, good for kids and great food!

A peaceful spot for this beautifully restored old barn surrounded by lovely gardens and a sparkling pool on the banks of the Dordogne river

A 15th-century Venetian palazzo, lovingly restored with stylish rooms overlooking the Grand Canal and a designer's insight into the city

Feel very private in this light and bright B&B room with your own patio and pleasing views over garden and countryside

Lots of space and much to do for families and friends: it’s a short walk to Lee Bay, the coastal path or the village pub

Refined B&B in a pretty forest setting just north of the French Basque country, with a lovely garden, a swimming pool and delicious food

Come for very comfortable B&B suites with garden views in a converted 1880s barn with its own charming sitting and dining rooms

A trulli hamlet immersed in nature, on the wilder side of Puglia with visits to white-washed hilltop towns and cooking with Nonna Maria

A stone building designed by Sir John Soane in the stable yard of this historic and beautiful estate with deer park and woodland gardens

It's not often you get an entire hamlet to yourselves but here it is – 10 traditional stone houses with big communal spaces in rural bliss

Atmospheric English pub with rooms by the green with its duck ponds in a pretty village, with walking and cycling routes to join

A red-brick cottage and Shepherd’s hut in a magical garden with a cookery school and views over the South Downs

Off the beaten track and into the hills – this remote, unknown bird-filled region is faultless for outdoorsy people

A lovely big house with huge riverside gardens and an easy-going charm – a 15-minute walk from bookish Hay-on-Wye

Once a pub, now a friendly home, with all you need for a market town break. Park the car (or leave at home) – everything is on the doorstep

Good restaurants, beach walks, a grand welcome for dogs: that’s Whitstable. Bring friends and stay in this smart house close to it all