Three simple, traditional apartments in an ancient convent building with a beautiful botanical garden in the heart of the historic centre

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

A pretty upside-down cottage, formerly a dovecote, lovingly restored with sustainability the focus

An 18th-century townhouse restored with flair by former restauranteurs: come for colour, comfort and sublime dining

Delightful little antique-filled cottage with large walled garden and an allotment near Versailles. Gardeners will be happy

Feel French in this very beautiful 300-year-old house with a large garden and pool in a hilltop medieval village of winding, cobbled streets

Come for amazing food at breakfast, really comfortable bedrooms with garden views and lovely Sasha (and her dogs) who will spoil you

Family-run B&B in traditional trulli with hands-on hosts. Swim in the pool, explore the countryside, the coast is half an hour’s drive away

On the side of a hill in the little-known Marche, a happy young farmhouse with an elegant saltwater pool, and wonderful meals from Kelda

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

Come for sublime Highland scenery, birds and wildlife, long walks and complete peace and tranquillity

Simple and rustic, this early 1700s farmhouse has warmth and charm, surrounded by countryside in the Perche

This gloriously off-grid stone farmhouse surrounded by untamed nature will suit those who revel in taking life at a more measured pace

Down a track with a delightfully remote feel but near to the coast and with good walking and cycling; views out to sea are awesome

An eco renovation of an 1800s gamekeepers cottage, now a charming place for couples or families to immerse themselves in nature

The Gautiers have the finest sense of how to treat guests: dreamy bedrooms, fantastic food & the pool beneath the orange trees is a delight

Like staying in a family home, only with Henri III furniture and rolling green views. Energetic hosts cook, farm, hunt, chat over champagne

Canoeing on the Tamar, valley walks galore, with the woodland garden a sea of daffodils in the spring. A magical self-catering hideaway