A much-loved Tuscan villa restored to elegance: dinner on the terrace, frescoes, rose garden, a small spa…and Florence a 20-minute drive

A light, bright, Georgian coaching inn with super-efficient staff, lovely terrace, sumptuous rooms and excellent, seasonal food

Round up family and friends and head for the glorious South Hams and this eco-friendly barn conversion for ten with extra cottage

An authentic, charming and spacious home with garden, pool and lake, deep in the Dordogne valley and decorated with uncluttered elegance

One of England's oldest coaching inns, full of history and wonky floors, on a Surrey market town's high street

A romantic creekside cottage down a web of narrow lanes in a tumbling green valley – mess about on the water to your heart’s content

A gorgeous wooden-clad off-grid cottage deep in the National Park with far-reaching views, unfussy interiors and spoiling extra treatments

Climb Snowdon - or take the train. Swim, cycle, visit Nat Trust houses. A deliciously quirky retreat for 2 (and babe-in-arms) near Anglesey

Inspiring scenery for this lavender farm near a Provençal village. Rustic eco-friendly cottages, a hump-backed bridge, a hammock by the pool

Enjoy southern life in a charming palazzo in Trapani. Come for coastal drives and baroque basilica, hand-twirled pasta and fresh calamari

A super old place for those who love history and Thomas Hardy. Come for enjoyable gastropub food and comfortable, traditional bedrooms

A pretty retreat in the grounds of a romantic château – you have your own walled garden, with terrace, pool and sunbathing area

Get away from it all in the heart of Northumberland National Park, with walks leaving from your door and incredible dark skies at night

A perfectly restored medieval borgo on twin Chianti hilltops, with lavender fields, honey bees and clear views to the Apennines

An elegant solution to a hotel - no rooms, but 13 charming villas in the heart of the maquis, nearly all with a private pool

Six cosy cottages for couples (babies and dogs welcome) on this gorgeous eco farm with enclosed gardens, a summer pool and treatments

Taste the wine, plunge into the granite pool, play billiards in the library, linger outdoors as swallows swoop – eat delicious local dishes