Rolling lawns, Georgian glamour and countryside views – gather the gang for slow days, wild walks and starry Northumberland skies

This is Somerset at its most quintessential: a thatched roofed, honey-coloured Hamstone cottage with a pretty courtyard garden; sleeps four

A very pretty old coach house in a south London garden – perfect for a couple or a family. Friendly owners live across the courtyard

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

Bountiful breakfasts, the warmest of owners and Breton adventures. Enjoy romantic ruins, quaint villages and delicious seafood suppers

A surprisingly roomy interior for this pretty chocolate-box cottage in the middle of the village, just a ten-minute walk from Lulworth Cove

Two villas on opposite shores of a big lily-covered lake, fed with natural spring water from the Ticino river and surrounded by gardens

2 lakes, streams, landscaped gardens, woodlands and waterfalls... a paradise for families, nature lovers, peace-seekers and birdwatchers

A nicely priced inn on Shaftesbury's high street with a warm contemporary style and some excellent food – fine local walking waits

A cosy, courteous, family-run hotel with ‘chocolatines’ and cherry jams at breakfast, Basque dishes at dinner, and gorgeous rolling views

Leave crowds behind for this charming stone farmhouse in the olive groves of rural Umbria – bring friends and have it all to yourselves

In wild Jura, surrounded by fields and heather-covered hills, a secluded farmhouse with cosy rooms and sublime views of Small Isles Bay

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

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

Find good taste, peacefulness and warm hospitality, steps away from the car-free Via Toledo, in the heart of the city

Come for a spot of high-end cossetting with big, beautiful bedrooms, good food and far-reaching views in the Northumberland National Park

A honey-hued family home clad with vines and roses with a swimming pool and heaps of space – perfect for families

Traditional house with a contemporary and imaginative interior; stroll to shops and restaurants, jump in the car to explore Provence