A rural farmhouse B&B with view-filled bedrooms, hearty breakfasts and walks from the door. The Dowies are generous hosts

Great for comfort, beauty, character and home baking. Borrow vintage bikes to explore Cambridge: Christine knows it inside out

A wall of glass frames the sea view - take drinks on the waterfront lawn in summer, or by the crackling fire in winter

Beautiful Noto is 4 miles from the Ionian Sea, and this creative renovation, with lush garden, stands above the throng. Heaven in Sicily

Come for a sense of complete peace surrounded by country and coast with wonderful interiors to boot – a bolthole for two (plus two)

Traditional accommodation and organic food; handy for Bari but set peacefully in the countryside near Toritto, famed for its almonds

A spick and span little hideaway full of character in a manor estate cottage. Explore the gardens, walk to the beach in 25 minutes

A gorgeous inn lost in lush country with hammocks in the garden, sofas in the drawing room and lovely local food in the popular restaurant

Ascot is a trot down the road and there's a really cosy, cottagey feel to this quaint 18th-century inn with great food and comfy bedrooms

A gorgeous big old house on a farm in a very quiet part of Wiltshire - the undiscovered North Wessex Downs, filled with wildlife and an AONB

Rooms with rooftop and mountain views, luxurious in their simplicity, heavenly breakfasts out on the terrace, and a cultured, caring owner

Float in the infinity pool above the canyon, dine under the stars, revel in the silence, head to the Cavagrande di Cassibile Nature Reserve

Laze in the pool, nibble olives from the market, gaze over Provence. Inside, English meets classic French. Fabulous for families

The living is easy here: laze in the subtropical garden, float in the saltwater pool, let the kids play and meet other guests over dinner

In off-the-beaten-track Tuscany, 2 peaceful apartments in a former haybarn, both carefully renovated with antique furniture

A warm, comfortable and light-filled 1800s cottage with south-facing garden and absolutely wonderful views over the Kyles of Bute

A gorgeously quirky historic building overlooking the bustling harbour with a cracking bar, St Austell ales, superb food and stylish rooms

Come for a spot of indulgence, with seriously good food and wine, oodles to do in the courtyard, great bedrooms and a cool spa for a splurge