Leave crowds behind for this charming stone farmhouse in the olive groves of rural Umbria – bring friends and have it all to yourselves

Two peaceful olive grove farmhouses, a shared pool with incredible views, hours of hiking along beautiful trails, Pisa and Lucca nearby

High up and with splendid views of the estuary and harbour, this roomy apartment is a very comfortable base for seaside holidays

Welcoming, dog-friendly pub with food to rave about, cracking countryside views and very comfortable bedrooms

Eat in the sheltered, quirky, outdoor dining area, enjoy Madame's colourful garden in its village setting - ideal for those on a budget

A truly authentic place to stay on a Sicilian working farm with roaming hens, wheat fields, wild flowers and a distant view of the sea

Attractive country barn - great for two families sharing, for river trips, for playing in the pool, for running free

In a chocolate-box village just an hour on the train, and a short hop in a taxi, from London is this foodie inn with pretty bedrooms

A spacious courtyard, two ancient yews and this lovely restored house ooze charm - swim, cycle, walk in glorious countryside, taste cognac

A cracking English inn with open fires, great food, gorgeous rooms, happy staff, lovely gardens and well-kept English ales

Great design along with much comfort and warmth an hour from Inverness airport, but a world away from the city and with stunning views

A large, attractive 18th-century house with sweeping lawns, outdoor seating areas and two free-standing baths by an ivy-clad wall

A small, charming house with ravishing sea views within walking distance of a bohemian coastal village at the foot of the Teix mountain

Come for the gloriously peaceful countryside and this 1700s house and garden, scrupulously renovated and with plenty of space

From the delicious scented garden with its limestone pool to the cool rooms with perfect linen, this is a place for a special occasion

The Gautiers have the finest sense of how to treat guests: dreamy bedrooms, fantastic food & the pool beneath the orange trees is a delight

Anglo-Irish meets Italian and Indian; the owners have peppered this charming home with furniture and artefacts from their broad travels

One of Scotland’s coolest hotels waits at the end of a four-mile track - you find loch, mountain and sky, and Tom’s fabulous food