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

2 super family apartments in the unspoilt Serre Chevalier valley, with a private chef if you’d like one, and delightful Pippa to welcome you

Imperious old coaching inn lost in deep country with a river to fish, five-mile views, delicious rooms and some very tasty food

Elegant historic house set in acres of grounds transports you to a bygone belle époque (with all mod cons)

All you'd hope for, and more! Enormous rooms, marvellous beams, majestic views and wines from their vineyard

Historic pub with immaculate new bedrooms and a happy atmosphere. A waterside terrace for summer, blazing open fires for winter

It's quiet among the lavender plants... bees humming, sun shining. Splash in the shared pool, visit lovely villages, taste local wines

Anouk & Gilles have fine-tuned their welcome. Lounge by the pool and dine exquisitely within their landscaped park

Charming, laid-back B&B in the foothills of the Algarve. All you hear are the birds, yet the beaches are a ten-minute drive

Technically in Florence yet immersed in the Tuscan hills: easy comfort, country character, warm wonderful hosts, heavenly views

Sun-dappled walks along the romantic avenues, big bedrooms, breakfasts inside or out, a laid-back atmosphere and great markets nearby

A small, family-run boutique hotel sitting right at the foot of Etna with wonderful views, garden, pool and ambrosial Sicilian breakfasts

A beautifully restored cottage in a rustic-chic style, set above the dramatic Gorges de l’Aveyron; perfect for couples or families of four

Water sports fans and families will love this characterful beachfront house with panoramic ocean views on Brittany's Côtes-d'Armor

A spacious farmhouse with a pool in the grounds of a stately château. Wander the walled garden, explore the countryside and pretty villages

A hugely seductive and stylish special place - with magnificent views, pool and bikes, vineyards and hilltop villages to visit

Return to warming fires after hiking in Ireland's highest mountains. Two traditional cottages on the outskirts of pretty Killorglin

Gracious Florentine hospitality, elegance and comfort, gazebo breakfasts, a flower-filled garden with pool and views of olive groves