Your hosts couldn’t be nicer and look after you beautifully – this is a lovely, homely place with a rambling garden

A big, homely farmhouse on the Umbria/Tuscany border for family holidays filled with sunshine, outdoor frolics and good food

For walkers, bikers, WWI historians, mushroom hunters, lovers of fine breakfasts and warm, quirkily characterful surroundings

A cosy, beautifully refurbished flat in a Georgian house bang in the middle of the unspoilt town with its pretty streets and houses

Tucked at the bottom of a long track and surrounded by a gorgeous natural landscape, is this generous end-slice of a 17th-century stone farm

Sumptuous rooms with Renaissance-inspired art, infinity pool and gardens, just a short drive to Mantua’s historic city centre

An island of oyster farms, salt pans and white beaches, woolly donkeys, countless push-bikes and the odd celeb – we love the Ile de Ré!

A very attractive stone building on a smallholding with all mod cons, a bedroom for stargazing, Guest Farm Shop and pretty communal gardens

A destination for epicurians who also want exquisite surroundings and comfortable bedrooms. A charming garden too with a very French feel

The village is tiny, the bar is lively, the food is delicious. The Cotswolds are at your feet and you’re encouraged not to lift a finger

Take a suite with champagne, strawberries and a tower, swim in the saltwater pool, eat a Castilian cocido - unwind in rural peace!

Traditional and modern, verging on the opulent. Find a stone-flagged tap room for walkers, top modern food and Chatsworth-perfect bedrooms

A country retreat, this airy suite has a crackling fireplace and warm wooden floors to cheer and hearten after a day roaming the hills...

Bags of rustic charm in this elegantly restored retreat, perfectly placed to explore Sicily’s rich history and beautiful beaches

A most enchanting and welcoming Provençal mas sitting in acres of private parkland with woods, meadows and a small lake for magical stays

Warm, interesting hosts and a fascinating celebration of 20th-century style. Gleaming en suites, original Art Deco furniture, WWII books...

Adorable cottage with a Highland lodge feel – walk straight into the hills, swim in the Spey, relax in the whisky room and sitooterie