If you want to come to Venice as an open-hearted traveller rather than a tourist then this is the place for you - just walk to everything

Feel right at home in a thatched farmhouse on South Pool Creek, with cottage garden views, great breakfasts and a good local pub

Grand, elegant, sumptuous – a bucolic bolthole for happy holidays in much comfort, with stunning green views to lake and deer park

Spread out in much style with friends or family in a beautifully renovated Victorian farmhouse at the foot of the Howgill fells

Retreat to a classically styled, elegant apartment for four - private and peaceful - in a characterful, super-central area of Rome

A peaceful, stylish getaway for two within the charming owners' home with shared pool, fabulous views - and all of Provence to (re)visit

Picturesque cottage in the grounds of a grand manor, lovingly and creatively restored by its welcoming English owner

Atmospheric manor with heaps of history, sumptuous bedrooms, a cornucopia of quirky finds, an open-hearted host – it’s a treat to stay here

Quirky lights and vintage 60s pieces add character to an immaculate home bathed in light and serenity - launch pad for stylish temptations

Superb rural views, excellent hiking and generous bedrooms. Cristina and Alec take good care of guests - the food is delicious

Garden lovers will flock to this lovely B&B with two spacious suites and delicious breakfasts – a good spot by a quiet hamlet

In a quaint village with a bakery, brasserie and shops, a handsome gîte with a wonderful pool and fashion museum

A richly atmospheric elegance infuses this fire-warmed inn. Venison from the park, crab from Cromer, walkers and dogs happy in the bar

Gorgeous rooms, delicious food, gardens and lake to explore, a spoiling spa with indoor pool and much comfort between moors and the sea

Steeped in history and romance, with a great big sleigh bed and open fires, is this 14th-century defence tower above the river Tweed

A bright and spacious cottage set against a backdrop of woodland for days spent happily reading by the wood-burner or lunch on the sun deck

Between Penzance and Helston and close to sandy beaches is a sweet space for four. Good for young families and all garden lovers

Feel at ease in a lovely old townhouse filled with pictures and personality and including a separate loft apartment