A gorgeous house with oodles of original features, a lovely garden and the owners' pub, farm shop, brewery and spa a short walk

A delightful home-from-home village house with large gardens and walks from the door – perfect for families

Minutes from old Ajaccio (a scenic cycle ride) is a charming small hotel with a stunning bay setting, and majestic mountains behind

Absolutely no neighbours and stunning views from this delicious little cottage, which peeks over the trees in a magical SSSI valley

A small, quirky country house hotel with lovely staff, pretty rooms and heavenly food served in a pillared dining room

Within the city walls and right next to the Minster, this super-smart hotel gives you gorgeous bedrooms and delicious food

A beguiling retreat for a couple or a family of four – feel cosy and secluded in a thatched cottage close to the coast

An exceptional villa with four acres of private gardens, high in the mountains and with stunning views over Lake Como - the perfect oasis

Bring the family for a traditional Tuscan apartment holiday with a restaurant and pool on site, all surrounded by rippling green countryside

Magnificent house with old-fashioned charm and gardens leading down to the Beaulieu River – take the footpath to Beaulieu or Bucklers Hard

A lovely old house and rambling garden in a medieval village with a monumental château, 12th-century church and a good local restaurant

Up at the top of Scotland’s west coast, a small, stylish and welcoming hotel with lovely owners and some nicely priced rooms

An 18th-century cottage for four on a working sheep farm: walk the Pentland Hills, get the bus to Edinburgh for culture

An elegant, super central bolthole for two (or three): stroll everywhere, hop on a vaporetto, sit in piazzas drinking cappuccino, live like a local

Blissful tranquillity - yet an easy drive from St Paul de Vence (legendary haunt of Matisse and Picasso) and 10km from the Riviera

An impressive manor house set in gentle rolling countryside ten miles from Oxford with a delightful garden, warm hosts and organic breakfast

A hop to Montpellier, but deep in the countryside: a romantic pad, with Moroccan rugs, ochre-limed walls and bikes to ride into the country

Gloriously green rural self-catering apartments with pool and lovely, friendly owners