An ancient coaching inn opposite the church in the prettiest village – just the ticket for weary travellers who deserve nurturing

The sort of inn we all love – open fires, original beams, ancient flags, tasty food, with lovely bedrooms thrown in for good measure

Come to this charming hideaway cabin for two (plus one) facing Lac de Montriond for a back-to-nature escape near Morzine

Go with the slow - homemade delights, no plastic anything, few mod cons - just relaxed humorous hosts and a beautiful place

Sweep along the gravel drive through lawns and specimen trees to this elegant manor house with 17th-century roots

Dreamy, languid beauty at this spacious, airy, arty house with garden and pool in typical Pugliese countryside

A neat, recently restored townhouse inside Panicale's medieval walls with plenty of space and everything within walking distance

Gorgeous rooms and splendid breakfasts – for sybarites, history-lovers, cyclists and canoeists - bang in the middle of ancient Long Melford

Anglo-Irish meets Italian and Indian; the owners have peppered this charming home with furniture and artefacts from their broad travels

A gem of a house in a lovely unspoilt village with an intelligent, interesting owner who gives you delicious food and local wines

A sweet little gîte for two in the centre of a dreamy medieval village. Happily private but with loads to explore from your door

Traditional house in a rural part of the Algarve with a spectacular garden, a pool and a tennis court, and restaurants a short stroll

Nature lovers will be tempted to this gem of a village cottage in the Duddon Valley – a truly peaceful slice of the Lakes

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

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

By a lake, enclosed by woodland - a contemporary house and barn, full of handmade furniture – laze in a hammock, walk the Jurassic Coast

Old wooden sleigh beds, check-clothed tables, log fires, a courtyard of centuries-old trees, a claw foot bath. Stacks of character

A lovely honey-coloured stone cottage with private walled garden, large terrace and pool, outdoor bath and pergola-covered terrace