Feel at ease in a lovely old townhouse filled with pictures and personality and including a separate loft apartment

Art-inspired B&B in a former silkworm factory. Swim in the eco-pool, feast on delicious food, explore Avignon, Arles and Roman ruins

Great for comfort, beauty, character and home baking. Borrow vintage bikes to explore Cambridge: Christine knows it inside out

A country house, elegant and unstuffy, at the heart of a working Lazio olive farm. Lunch by the pool or unwind at the hot spring spa

The view is pure Canaletto, the vibe is modern and laid back. Just minutes from all Venice’s best bits, but with far fewer tourists

An ancient manor from the middle ages, built against a stone cliff with extensive terraced grounds, pool and parkland filled with wildlife

A fuss-free, informal place to stay with family - your own entrance straight from the garden and tasty breakfasts set up in a summer house

Breakfasts with sausages from home-reared rare breed pigs, a big log fire and relaxed friendly hosts. Acres of garden and woodland paths

A welcoming, affordable seafront base for exploring St Malo and northern Brittany with small rooms, good food and a lively atmosphere

Extraordinary: gourmet food, attentive hosts, a rooftop pool. Wine-taste your way through bucolic Burgundy between Auxerre and Dijon

A stylish, rug-cosy, stone-flagged cottage with vintage and modern furniture, wood-burners, patios and views - and three excellent pubs nearby

An artist's house imbued with an understated elegance. Stay for dinner; be charmed by the garden where fruit trees throng, hens loiter

Strolling distance from the village of Seggiano, peace and beauty fill every corner of this ancient, view-filled retreat

Come for big skies, grand walking and hilly cycling. Style and comfort abound in this cottage set on the hillside with views to North Uist

Character and quirk in old and new design and furnishing – private terraces, a shared pool, great walking, cycling and wine-tasting

A bright, colourful lodge, part of an 18th-century abbey with a private garden, swimming pool, books, games and a cosy fire

Traditional Provencal farmhouse with a large garden and a swimming pool. Historic villages with markets and great restaurants close by

A solid 1704 farmhouse with a peaceful, welcoming feel on the edge of a small hamlet with two acres of gardens set in glorious countryside