João & Ana Luisa's stunning cottages superbly blend contemporary and traditional styles. Vineyards, beaches and restaurants are all close

A spoiling hotel for a properly grown up escape on the Chatsworth Estate. Bring your loved one and do as much or as little as you fancy

An inviting B&B on a terraced Fulham street: greats hosts, a big, tranquil suite and continental breakfast in the courtyard on sunny days

A beautiful rural escape for couples or families with the delights of the Cotswolds all around. Dogs very welcome too

Former blacksmith’s workshop in a chocolate-box corner of the New Forest, where clematis climbs the trellis and all you hear are the birds

11 rooms yet huge personality: travel mementoes, bright colours, local breakfasts... in a fun market town under the Cotswold escarpment

A B&B with a soul, walks to thrill the heart. In these peaceful hills northwest of Como, views challenge you to keep your eyes on the road

Spoiling bedrooms, fabulous food and a lovely position lost in the hills make this Lakeland inn hard to resist - bring your walking boots

Swim with frogs in the freshwater pool, breakfast in the sunshine, play boules by moonlight. Châteaux don't get much more rural

A three storey house and garden with sea glimpses in the 'vieux village' named for the Mimosa trees which flower in profusion in winter

Peaceful converted barn on a remote working farm – pet the donkeys, wild swim and row on the lake, warm up around the wood-burner

A chalet-with-everything: great mountain style, space and comfort with views of Mont Blanc, a sauna and bubbling hot tub

You’ll love Tintinhull Gardens, Montacute House, Ham Hill, the Prince of Wales pub... and this sweet, fresh, cosy, rustic cottage for two

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

Enjoy views over the lake, eat good food in the restaurant, sleep in antique-filled bedrooms, have a proper rest

If you want to come to Venice as an open-hearted traveller rather than a tourist then this is the place for you - just walk to everything

A self-catering apartment in the wing of a traditional Burgundian winemaker's house in a tiny hamlet, surrounded by fields of vines

Like staying in a family home, only with Henri III furniture and rolling green views. Energetic hosts cook, farm, hunt, chat over champagne