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

Old beams and rich history: a dramatic setting for fireside chats, superb breakfasts (home-reared, baked, grown) - and Midsomer Murders

Sleek, smart apartments on the first floor of a 19th-century building in Verona's most fashionable residential/commercial neighbourhood

Stay in a lovely 18th-century townhouse in one of the prettiest villages on the Loire surrounded by unspoilt countryside

An ancient thatched cottage near Dartmoor with a warming log fire in winter and flowers inside and out in the summer

A lovely gîte with cool lines and its own shady terrace plus pool, gardens, fountain and a relaxed family-friendly feel

17th-century farmhouse full of colour and interest with friendly hosts and great breakfasts. Explore the Cotswolds - bring the dog too

Vast rooms, thick stone walls and ancient flagged floors skilfully modernised to create comfort, surrounded by romantic château gardens

Slowly does it at a rustic haven run with infectious enthusiasm and kindness by a truffle hunter with a passion for nature and food

Blissful tranquillity - yet an easy drive from St Paul de Vence (legendary haunt of Matisse and Picasso) and 10km from the Riviera

Come for fine food and drink, sumptuous bedrooms and a relaxed, informal atmosphere at this gorgeous Cotswold manor house with ancient roots

Come for a village feel, rural peace and boundless Portuguese countryside at this charming whitewashed home with a super terrace with views

Gaze out to the shimmering bay from your bird and nature-filled retreat in the tree-studded mountains near Alcúdia

An elegant, super central bolthole for two (or three): stroll everywhere, hop on a vaporetto, sit in piazzas drinking cappuccino, live like a local

A lovely listed cottage, just stumbling distance from a good pub in a quiet village surrounded by spectacular walking and cycling country

A compact eco-serene bolthole in bustling Modica's historic heart with glorious views over the baroque rooftops. Beaches are 20 minutes away

An historic, moated manor house dating from the 16th-century, fully restored and with all mod cons, including an indoor heated pool

Marvellously quirky bolthole right on Lyme Regis seafront with stunning views; perfect for beach combers and boutique browsers