Dinner fresh from the garden with your creative hosts is an absolute delight. Roam unspoilt countryside, visit châteaux and vineyards galore

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

Superb views, generous hosts and roof terrace sunsets in a peaceful village between coast and countryside – authentic and full of charm

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

Eight miles from York, near Moors and coast, this smart historic home is just the ticket for families and small groups of friends

A beautiful little house in a corner of the garden: walk for miles or just to the local pub, barbecue on the deck with its rural views

Peaceful cottage in the heart of Derbyshire, perfect for couples and families, with a pretty garden and gorgeous valley views

Lovers will be happy here in their own sweet space with a bird-filled garden. All you will hear is the river flowing gently past you

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

Stables turned into bright, comfortable holiday homes in countryside near Battle - for couples and families, whose dogs are very welcome too

At the foot of the Cambrian Mountains, an ancient whitewashed cottage with cosy, light-flooded interiors – a perfect rural bolthole for two

Come to this cosy barn down a winding lane for a back-to-nature escape: hike the Black Mountains, splash in the stream, gaze at the views

A calm, leafy bolthole in one of Paris' most elegant districts. Step out to stylish boutiques, good bakeries – and the Eiffel Tower

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

Refined palazzo with a rooftop terrace near the historic centre of Ostuni. The Valle d’Itria region and the coast is on your doorstep

Vast house on an ancient Roman site with big terraced garden and pool. Grand yet homely, with air-con, spa and only 8 km to the city

Colourful coastal apartments and studios where you can be nicely independent, and enjoy a communal café and health club with Art Deco pool

This stately-looking former manor house set back from the road in acres of gardens serves very good food and has rustic-chic bedrooms