Gloriously green rural self-catering apartments with pool and lovely, friendly owners

Simple rooms on a spotless farm, delightful hosts, delicious fruit tarts at breakfast on Sundays. The perfect stopover en route to Calais

One of four wooden-clad off-grid cottages, sleek and calm indoors, high up in the Cheviot Hills and with stunning views over the valley

A stylish Sicilian farmhouse that feels like a home with hotel luxuries. Come for a generous welcome, lovely beaches and gorgeous local food

What a surprise! Tucked into a row of tightly woven old cottages is this contemporary open-plan hideaway with huge windows and much flair

Something to astound at every turn where the traditional and downright quirky collide to stunning effect. Friendly, flexible hosts too

An 18th-century stone cottage sitting in the glorious Yorkshire Dales. Nature-lovers and walkers will be well pleased and so will their dog

Perched on a hillside between mountains and sea is this charming house in a modern Spanish style, engulfed by a beautiful garden with views

Charming 15th-century farmhouse near Montrésor and Loches with immense lawns, orchards and a fabulous pool

Come for stunning views down to the bay of La Herradura and this traditional, family-focused 1990s house on three floors

Immerse yourself in sentiment and romance at Valeria’s charming Veronese villa. The walls sing with framed opera programmes and music scores

Old meets new in Benoit’s charming villa with courtyard pool, breakfasts to linger over and all the fun of La Baule on the doorstep

In peaceful walled gardens, this former convent is a quiet retreat just a stone’s throw from the Riviera coast and the best of Tuscany

On the outskirts of Marazion, this timber clad house perched above the sea is a super pad for romantic couples

A blissfully quiet and welcoming New Cross home. English and oriental blend - including breakfast! Rooms are airy, richly decorated and fun

A cheery farmhouse conversion for groups outside a village in a non-touristy part of Italy, close to scenic trails and medieval villages

Families will adore coming here, to reconnect through wonderful outdoor activities in glorious countryside and to feel cossetted indoors

A great spot for two plus two, with a decked area that gazes on copses, stream and treehouse. Wallow your cares away in the hot tub