Take your time here. Lucy will take you round her wonderful garden, introduce you to her donkeys, and share her laid-back approach

Rooftop views of a Baroque town from heavenly flower-filled terraces and a truly scrumptious breakfast from Elisabetta make this one a must

A small, quirky country house hotel with lovely staff, pretty rooms and heavenly food served in a pillared dining room

A lovely spot in an AONB for this bright and airy converted barn, one of four round a gravelled courtyard on a 600-acre estate

A contemporary rooftop room in a warmly civilised B&B filled with books and lovely things – stunning view too

A chalet-with-everything: great mountain style, space and comfort with views of Mont Blanc, a sauna and bubbling hot tub

Close to Hexham's centre, a quietly charismatic Victorian home with fresh flowers, homemade bread, sunny courtyard and a friendly little dog

Come down to the Meon Valley and be (very gently) nudged towards a better way of living - a Sawday's Community Champion

In a hamlet in the Loire countryside is a friendly estate with a family-sized gite, a shared saltwater pool and heaps of old-world charm

High ceilings and exposed stone walls give a light, bright and rustic feel to this restored barn with fabulous views over a lush valley

A light, spacious house sitting on a nature reserve for very comfortable stays and magnificent birdwatching, walking, cycling, riding

A lovely big house with huge riverside gardens and an easy-going charm – a 15-minute walk from bookish Hay-on-Wye

Peaceful, traditional country house just 2 miles from central Dorking. Relaxed hosts, good food, beautiful gardens, walks galore - a retreat

Explore country markets, churches and châteaux - return to a gite in private parkland with an artist's studio on site, and a blissful pool

An Edwardian villa with stunning views, polished floors, cosy fires and child-friendly garden a short walk from lovely Portmeirion

Cross an ancient stone bridge to a 1790s estate cottage, completely on its own down a little-used green lane and with the river rushing by

Feel very private in this light and bright B&B room with your own patio and pleasing views over garden and countryside

Once a coach house, now a split-level place to stay – you can walk to the river and it's just a short hop to central London