Families and walkers will be happy at this unfussy seaside retreat with beaches down the road and coastal paths right by your door

A cool pub with smart rooms, English ales and Thai-inspired food. Farringdon tube is round the corner and you can walk to the Barbican

A relaxed château and vineyard by the river Cher in the exquisite Loire Valley surrounded by lush countryside for wonderful walks and cycles

Stay just minutes from the sea in colourful Donaghadee for wild swims, island visits, bird watching and coastal walks

Charming manor house B&B, packed with character, interest and history, sitting in extensive gardens and with elegant bedrooms

A heavenly inn on Fife’s south coast – the terrace overlooks the beach, lovely food waits within, chic rooms are a steal

A very pretty Victorian gothic house of limestone and brick, sitting peacefully on the edge of the village, eight miles from foodie Ludlow

Wild and peaceful small hotel bordering National Park of Guadarrama. Listen to birdsong, hike in the sierra, spend the day in Segovia

Traditional and modern mix beautifully and bedrooms are quietly elegant. Relax and drink in the views over orchards and the Sierra Nevada

Ski in winter, walk and cycle in summer - return to unbeatable hospitality, warm, large and comfortable bedrooms with views, robust food

Suspended in a sea of trees, this sleek, serene hideout is all about the forest, stars, stillness, and space

This cottage is stylish and serene, beautifully transformed from an old farm building – come for golf, beaches, walks and bird-watching

Provençal charm floats through the ground floor of this 18th-century home in a vineyard near Lorgues. Walk, cycle, swim in the pool, enjoy the peace

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

An enchanting escape immersed in nature yet only 40 minutes by train into the Eternal City for art and history-filled days

A snug Snowdonia bolthole arranged around a vast boulder, once home to Victorian artists inspired by the setting. For romantic hikers

5 houses near Siena to make design-lovers happy; come for the rural solitude of ancient stone farm buildings with urban interiors

Stunning Tuscan views over the Tiber valley from the gorgeous pool and gardens and very comfortable living spaces at this home-from-home