Beautiful Noto is 4 miles from the Ionian Sea, and this creative renovation, with lush garden, stands above the throng. Heaven in Sicily

A cosy cottage on a farm down a long winding track, wonderfully rural with footpaths across fields or along the canal

Explore from this picturesque village; hike, cycle or ride through beautiful nature. Lay your head in creative, comfortable rooms

A chic bolthole in a sleepy Suffolk village with seriously good food, stylish bedrooms, riverside walks and Suffolk’s wild coast

Three gîtes in the Dordogne with panoramic countryside views and a swimming pool – book individually or together for a group holiday

If you need a great place in which to relax and don’t want to pay too much for it, try these excellent suites, which spoil you all the way

Style, comfort and tranquillity combine in a lovely B&B near Bergerac. Sleep in elegant four-poster beds, breakfast on the sunny terrace…

Come for the rural charm of this cottage. Green as far as the eye can see, near a village surrounded by rivers. Wellies essential

A thatched farmhouse only just over the channel near Rouen that’s well hidden in lush gardens, but worth finding for the gourmet food alone

Hideaway at the bottom of the garden with a little courtyard and far-reaching views; walk to the village pub or take a day trip to Bath

The perfect country cottage made of pretty Quercy stone, with generously sized rooms and outside dining with gorgeous rural views

Chichester, blessed with a stunning natural setting, is great for a city break - and this Georgian coach house the perfect bolthole for 2

Deep in Calvados near vibrant Caen, a cider barn with stylish bedrooms, quirky objets, a bar in the salon. Charming hosts welcome families

High in the Tuscan hills, at the end of an avenue of cypresses, surrounded by parkland and acres of olives... a 13th-century dream

A serene B&B in the heart of the Côte d'Or Burgundy wine region; come for vineyard tours, cycling, sightseeing and gourmet extravaganzas

A clutch of airy properties, most with their own jasmine-scented terraces arranged around a funky pool

A bright and airy 50s townhouse in a residential suburb with large, light bedrooms and a sparkling pool – cycle into gorgeous countryside

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