Pippa tells you where to find wild flowers, babbling brooks and butterflies... and hike, bike and swim. Magic for families

Moments from Chamonix, a sweet chalet with pretty gardens in sun or snow under a backdrop of Mont Blanc – perfect for the adventurous

Bring family or friends to this beautiful 16th-century stone manor house standing in a tiny hamlet in the heart of the Dordogne

Elegant, calm, charming B&B in a 12th-century house surrounded by fields, quiet country roads and vibrant little villages

You have the whole North Wing of this beautiful old farmhouse with a private east-facing courtyard for early morning tea as the sun rises

An attractive collection of mellow stone buildings with wonderful views over Monte Amiata and the Val d'Orcia for restful stays

An 18th-century listed cottage in a pretty terrace with a private courtyard garden and pond, just a short walk from the high street

Come for deep beds, real fires, Scottish breakfasts, a generous welcome, great walking, cycle tracks and grand lochside views

Dreamy, languid beauty at this spacious, airy, arty house with garden and pool in typical Pugliese countryside

In the Welsh Marches, down winding lanes, a delightful refurbished hop pickers' house - romantic bolthole for 2. Friendly owners, too

This small hotel with pool has elegant communal spaces, spoiling bedrooms, kind staff, delicious food and panoramic mountain views

A luxurious springboard for the wineries, villages and treasures of south Tuscany in the magical Orcia valley - if you can bear to leave it!

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

Come for huge skies, birds and wildlife, rare flora and fauna, precious pingo ponds and a comforting retreat from the hectic whirl

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

The largest of three secluded cottages that share a gravel courtyard and a beautiful garden with cathedral views

A 16th-century timbered riverside inn with a relaxed, rustic feel, garden cabin rooms with views and fresh seasonal and homegrown food

Smart, spacious house for 12 with great views over the family vineyard - arrange a tasting, walk the Cotswold Way, cycle the canal towpath