Amazing beaches, a pub you can hike to, a train to get you to Snowdonia... and your own remote cottage with stunning views

Garden lovers will flock to this lovely B&B with two spacious suites and delicious breakfasts – a good spot by a quiet hamlet

Breathtaking views, coastal walks, wildflowers and pretty beaches. Return to a garden with a tropical feel, helpful hosts and sunny rooms

Large, unpretentious and very comfortable family house in splendid isolation with swimming pool, tennis court and well-tended gardens

A welcoming retreat with lofty rooms, a sunny garden and the perfect plunge pool. Come for slow days and wine country adventures

Quirky, rustic cabin nuzzled by vines and greenery – perfect for lovers, writers and peace-seekers. Take long walks, stroll to the pub

Straight out of a fairy tale, a rustic cottage by a babbling brook: a magical escape for couples, the craggy coast in easy reach

A handsome Grade II listed pub with rooms in the heart of one of England's best foodie towns

A rather grand, opulent house with warm owners, interesting furniture and art and some fine Renaissance architectural elements intact

Light-filled gites share a lovely pool, with pétanque, ping-pong and bikes to borrow – bring friends and take all three

Superbly comfortable house with beamed rooms, lovely views, club-like morning room, antiques, terrace, pool, fitness centre and lily pond

The views take your breath away, the breakfasts are beautiful, and you feel like you're staying in the home of dear friends

Countryside and seaside all in one go – what could be more inspiring? Lovely Louisa lives down the road, on hand if you need her

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

A striking 19th-century landmark deep in ancient woodland, reborn as a pub with beautifully restored rooms just a short hop from London

A 18th-century house with pool in a small town with friendly owners and a tropical garden of banana, fig and, of course, frangipani

An immaculately restored 1500s palazzo, filled with history, art, antiques and books in the buzzing heart of a charming town