Beautiful cottages, donkey rides, a popular pool and restaurants to walk to. Dutch Peter knows all the walks in this heavenly valley!

Round up family and friends and head for the glorious South Hams and this eco-friendly barn conversion for ten with extra cottage

A grand, pale stone townhouse in the centre of lively Épernay with plenty of good restaurants nearby

Ascot is a trot down the road and there's a really cosy, cottagey feel to this quaint 18th-century inn with great food and comfy bedrooms

A smartly renovated 250-year-old brick and flint built inn, tucked away in a sleepy village beneath the glorious South Downs

A peaceful grown-up place circled by meadows and woodland with helpful owners next door – a superb spot to explore the south-west

Slow down! Swim, soak in the jacuzzi, taste Campanian cuisine and wine, explore the national park, pop to Agropoli's beaches... be pampered

A converted old granary next to a traditional Welsh longhouse in a deeply rural setting for unfussy nature lovers

A grand old chartreuse, dating from 1649, with terrace, garden and pool surrounded by tranquil countryside and near a pretty village

Georgian country house with rustic charm and a home-from-home feel. In the heart of Wiltshire just outside historic town Bradford-on-Avon

Choose between airy bedrooms up an elegant stair, or magnificent rooms at garden-level with private terraces. Find sweetness and warmth

Grand and old and filled with history, the estate and such a pretty house are a tonic, as are the well-tended grounds and parkland

At the end of the unpaved road, surrounded by oaks, chestnuts and pines, a wonderful surprise for families and children who love to explore

You're overlooking the main square in medieval Umbertide from this cosy, second-floor apartment, so you'll feel very much like a local

A fine old stone mill, the river rushing by, kingfishers, kayaking, swimming: it’s a dream place with Provence and the Cévennes at the door

A superb palazzo in beautiful old Florence with 13 design rooms, a cocktail menu and breakfast in your room. Arty, stylish and near the Duomo

Stylish bedrooms, scrumptious fish menu. Fill your boots (and pack your wellies) at this village gem in Derbyshire's lovely crown

Rural bliss at the end of the lane: a cottage for 2 with wine and local biscuits in the hamper and farmers’ markets within a 5-mile drive