Near lively Lyon, this handsome family house is perfect for a Zen-like escape with delicious vegetarian meals and well-travelled hosts

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

A modern, beautifully refurbished inn set in smart gardens, overlooking the village pond and surrounded by Hampshire hills for grand walks

Come to be cossetted in this 300-year-old Burgundy farmhouse with rose garden, sheltered pool and convivial Dutch owners

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

A converted 19th-century church in the Northumberland National Park with beautiful stained-glass windows and a restored tower

A rustic-chic bolthole with bird's eye views to gaze at from your bedroom and the beautiful garden, tucked in a quaint hamlet in Maremma

Very private and comfortable rooms with their own entrances at this generous B&B with glorious gardens and views to the Black Mountains

A magical medieval castello, gloriously gothic with tower, moat and ghost, fit for a Shakespearian play.

On top of sand dunes, this bright and airy cottage has glorious views, walks are lovely and you can bring your dog

A newly-renovated barn in a picturesque Cotswold village with an enclosed front garden and the river Eye at the bottom of the drive

Artistic souls will like it here, and those who enjoy shared meals & getting to know other people in dramatic countryside; Arezzo is 40 km

Come for stunning views down to the bay of La Herradura and this traditional, family-focused 1990s house on three floors

A stunning setting for this B&B - the village a thousand feet below you and views to both snow-capped Alps and Provence lavender fields

This stately-looking former manor house set back from the road in acres of gardens serves very good food and has rustic-chic bedrooms

In the city of Trapani, at the foot of Mount Erice, a nobleman's villa with a warm heart and exotic gardens. A hop from the Egadi Islands

Two lovely places to stay down by the shore of Clew Bay for much peace, space and modern comforts in a magical watery world