Hideaway in the hills complete with private pool and outdoor kitchen. Spend days hiking or on a sun lounger - perfect for families

Inspiring scenery for this lavender farm near a Provençal village. Rustic eco-friendly cottages, a hump-backed bridge, a hammock by the natural pool

Sun-soaked stillness, saltwater dips and garden scents of fig and rosemary - slow days unfold between olive trees and a sky full of stars

Glorious boutique hotel on the Sorrento Peninsula with Michelin-starred restaurant and superb cellar to explore

An unbelievably stunning setting for this renovated 15th-century villa with garden on a hillside overlooking the famed Florence skyline

A romantic little bolthole with a hot tub on the Penicuik Estate with well-thought-out interiors and dreamy views over pastures and woodland

Fabulous Drôme gîtes: contemporary in old stone buildings, uncluttered, fresh. Take all 5 for a party, laze by pool, doze in lavender

Great value country inn with friendly staff and a superb restaurant. Sleep in comfortable rooms, play boules in the pretty gardens

Steps from the sea in get-away-from-it-all scenery – half an hour’s walk from St Ives’ arty heart. Sleeps 4 with pull-out beds for 2 more

Enter through an impressive stone arch to discover this 16th-century fortified manor house with a gorgeous communal dining and seating area

An oh-so-special B&B in Palermo's ancient heart. This city at the edge of Europe, with its Arab-Norman-Byzantine heritage, is fascinating

Surrounded by vines and swept by sea breezes, two lovely, simple gîtes with a gorgeous shared pool and a courtyard for boules

A wonderfully relaxing retreat, high up on red and yellow cliffs, with sunsets to match; a heated saltwater pool and a host who really cares

A perfectly romantic and gorgeously restored bothy in a garden on a hillside by the sea, with grand views over the mountains of Skye

Winter fires, a summer pool, and gorgeous food all year round... Live slow in the hills of "the new Tuscany": the peaceful, pastoral Marche

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

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

Deliciously comfortable, hospitable, boutique B&B - in a secluded village within easy reach of Reims and the vineyards of Champagne