An airy, well-designed hideaway for two in an ancient barn on a quiet farm. This is prime walking country with Hadrian’s Wall nearby.

What a setting! Gentle terraces, gardens, meadows and jaw-dropping views of Mont Blanc - just metres from Courmayeur

A renovated bright apartment with lots of space, a hop, skip and jump away from the shingle beach of seaside-jolly Deal

Heaps to do on-site: organic farm shop & café, cookery & cheese-making courses, farm tours. A brilliant base for exploring the Cotswolds too

Breathtaking views, coastal walks, wildflowers and pretty beaches. Return to a garden with a tropical feel, helpful hosts and sunny rooms

An elegant house with ancient roots and a shimmering pool – explore the Charente countryside, drive to lovely Angoulême

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

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

A historical building in the heart of town, now a small hotel with swimming pool, delicious breakfasts, smart bedrooms and helpful staff

A 17th-century townhouse sitting on a quiet side street with lots of original features and a west-facing patio screened by vines and lemons

A picture-perfect village and a beautifully refurbished 17th-century inn with a cracking bar, stylish bedrooms and delicious pub food

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

Fringing Tuscany countryside and fun Montone, an authentic Umbrian mansion with Slow Food, lavender fields, apartments and pool. Pure Italy

A beautifully renovated apartment in a quiet street in central Bordeaux, with fine old features and all modernities. Ideal for couples

A gracious 17th-century manor house and a pretty Grange hidden down a tree-lined drive and with stunning views over woodlands

Gather the clans and just come. It's lovely here among acres of wildlife-filled grounds – a Sawday's Community Champion

Sleek, smart apartments on the first floor of a 19th-century building in Verona's most fashionable residential/commercial neighbourhood

Come for a delightfully unfussy stay at this graceful townhouse filled with beautiful objects and good vibes thanks to the lovely owners