A bit like staying with friends in a smart country house, but not having to help - an elegant refuge near Bradford-on-Avon

Four family-friendly self-catering casitas and an original cortijo in wildlife-rich acres near the sandy Costa de la Luz

Linger over a fine breakfast and olive grove valley view, borrow a bike, take to the Francigena pilgrim trail, explore medieval Anagni

A truly delightful place to eat and stay with gorgeous bedrooms and good food, in a village with Tudor houses and ancient church towers

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

Elegant house with sprawling gardens and space for family and friends, within walking distance of the coast

A cool converted barn on an organic farm near Brittany’s loveliest beaches, with a kitchen garden and play area, perfect for foodie families

A cosy, very comfortable stone cottage with fine views across the valley, just a couple of miles from the southern tip of Ullswater

Enjoy southern life in a charming palazzo in Trapani. Come for coastal drives and baroque basilica, hand-twirled pasta and fresh calamari

Charming, simple and elegant B&B with a lovely garden and kind owners in an area renowned for its good wine and food

In the glorious Howardian Hills, a homely cottage with an open fire for chilly nights and a lovely, country-style kitchen filled with light

A serene atmosphere prevails in this old Yorkshire stone inn, carefully curated to induce a zen-like calm. You're fed very well too

Traditional and modern mix beautifully and bedrooms are quietly elegant. Relax and drink in the views over orchards and the Sierra Nevada

A charming hotel in a quiet neighbourhood in medieval Bologna, just the ticket for a city escape filled with food, history and culture

Proper village pub with much-praised food and cosy rooms; country walks lead from the door and Oxford is half an hour away

Light and sunny annexe with your own entrance in the centre of vibrant Buckfastleigh with lovely gardens, for couples plus a child or two

A dramatic house with stylish interiors – designed to bring the outdoors in so you feel wrapped in nature. Great for families or friends

For escapists, wannabe writers and lovers of rural bliss: two boho hideaways for two (four at a squeeze) in this lush corner of Galicia