A cosy, very comfortable stone cottage with fine views across the valley, just a couple of miles from the southern tip of Ullswater

An elegant, super central bolthole for two (or three): stroll everywhere, hop on a vaporetto, sit in piazzas drinking cappuccino, live like a local

A Georgian manor house in the old quarter of Penzance, close to the water, with good food and a chilled vibe

Citrus scents the air, loungers flank a spakling pool. Light, cool, simple rooms, vibrant hosts, garden and olive groves - divine food

Manicured exteriors surround this 18th-century hamlet, a cluster of restored buildings with nine apartments, restaurant, pool and small spa

Glorious, thoughtful food, ales and wines using 'as much good stuff they can lay their hands on' at this restaurant with lovely rooms

'Tout confort' in the heart of Reims, 2 steps from the cathedral. Lofty ceilings, marble fireplaces, polished floorboards, spa & sauna

A rare treat, 700 metres above sea level and girdled by forests, waterfalls, chestnuts and olives, this is the place to come for solace

For escapists, wannabe writers and lovers of rural bliss: two boho hideaways for two (four at a squeeze) in this lush corner of Galicia

Smart, spacious house for 12 with great views over the family vineyard - arrange a tasting, walk the Cotswold Way, cycle the canal towpath

Round up family and friends and head for the glorious South Hams and this eco-friendly barn conversion for ten with extra cottage

Atmospheric English pub with rooms by the green with its duck ponds in a pretty village, with walking and cycling routes to join

Glorious views across Northumberland countryside from this peaceful and comfortable cottage with almost an acre of garden

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

A contemporary country-house hotel with a lovely spa and peaceful gardens - Sandringham and the north Norfolk coast are close

An enviable hideaway on a cobbled street high on a hill, with stunning views next to Galileo's house, the Villa Bardini and gardens

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