A B&B with a soul, walks to thrill the heart. In these peaceful hills northwest of Como, views challenge you to keep your eyes on the road

Off the beaten track and into the hills – this remote, unknown bird-filled region is faultless for outdoorsy people

A grand yet very homely place with tasty home cooking and 200 acres to explore. Play golf, sail, cycle – wonderfully informal

A stylish, canal-side inn – you get Sunday lunch, tow paths that lead into Edinburgh, then a pretty garden and cute rooms

A charming, warm and intimate hotel tucked away on a side street just minutes from the Ponte Vecchio, with a view-filled rooftop restaurant

An enchanting Belle Epoque villa with a terraced garden and superb views across palm trees and vines to Mont Saint-Michel

Tea in the summerhouse, breakfast by the fire, fresh flowers all around this warm family home. Step out to historic Shrewsbury high street

If you want to come to Venice as an open-hearted traveller rather than a tourist then this is the place for you - just walk to everything

A dear little cottage with many comforts and a private garden, off the beaten track and surrounded by mountains, valleys and trees

Fall in love with this riverside village, lost in a valley in lower Normandy, and this sunny house for couples or families

An airy converted barn with beautiful woodwork and countryside views. Reach riverside restaurants and St Malo within a 15-minute drive

A cosy and pretty old cottage for rest or romance, with garden and pool in a small hamlet surrounded by walnut orchards and mixed woodland

Leave the car, everything is walkable & buses are practically free. Visit restaurants, vineyards & markets from your lofty village bolthole

One of Scotland’s coolest hotels waits at the end of a four-mile track - you find loch, mountain and sky, and Tom’s fabulous food

Glorious, thoughtful food, ales and wines using 'as much good stuff they can lay their hands on' at this restaurant with lovely rooms

Snug, simple and delightful casitas with private entrances and courtyards interlink for groups. Stroll through the olives, bask by the pool

A relaxed home-from-home feel at this Spanish house with old-fashioned charm, a big garden and pool and lovely views from every window

Tucked down a private driveway, this restored 19th-century farm building offers superb breakfasts, well-dressed beds and a beautiful garden