A lovely honey-coloured stone cottage with private walled garden, large terrace and pool, outdoor bath and pergola-covered terrace

A cosy, beautifully refurbished flat in a Georgian house bang in the middle of the unspoilt town with its pretty streets and houses

A warm retreat in a charming Sussex backwater, with a changing menu of fabulous food, and well-furbished bedrooms upstairs

Citrus scents the air, loungers flank a spakling pool. Light, cool, simple rooms, vibrant hosts, garden and olive groves - divine food

An enviable hideaway on a cobbled street high on a hill, with stunning views next to Galileo's house, the Villa Bardini and gardens

Stylish seaside inn with stunning salt marsh views from a decked terrace, delicious food, wine and ales and sea-breezy modern bedrooms

Tranquil retreat with pool, pétanque and spa – the perfect base for exploring historic Poitiers, châteaux and wonderful wine country

An 1820s farmhouse at the end of a quiet road in the North York Moors National Park, overlooking a forest and surrounded by fields

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

Sofas in front of the fire, English wines and local ales, ambrosial food and smart rooms, all a short stroll from Sissinghurst Castle

Soak up Provençal peace in a charming estate in the Alpilles, with stylish ground-floor B&B rooms, olives, vines and a friendly family dog

An elegant medieval manor in the Loire with spiral stone staircases, mullioned windows, jaunty turrets and a fairytale suite just for you

Your hosts couldn’t be nicer and look after you beautifully – this is a lovely, homely place with a rambling garden

A niftily converted barn with high vaulted ceiling sitting on a hill with wonderful views over a newly-created lake and the Stour Valley

A sweet little gîte for two in the centre of a dreamy medieval village. Happily private but with loads to explore from your door

Sumptuous rooms with Renaissance-inspired art, infinity pool and gardens, just a short drive to Mantua’s historic city centre

High-up, simple apartments, pools with fabulous views; kids play-things and donkeys, the glittering coast, Rapallo and Portofino down below