Friendly touches everywhere, terrific food and drink, smart bedrooms above the sparkling bar – dogs and children welcome

A cottage in a conservation village with logs in the burner, sloe gin on the table, and a good dining pub you can walk to

Superb views, generous hosts and roof terrace sunsets in a peaceful village between coast and countryside – authentic and full of charm

An 18th-century cottage for four on a working sheep farm: walk the Pentland Hills, get the bus to Edinburgh for culture

A picture-perfect village and a beautifully refurbished 17th-century inn with a cracking bar, stylish bedrooms and delicious pub food

A comfy cottage for two in the quiet, leafy outskirts of Aix with easy access to the city and a kind, attentive owner nearby

Creative owners have made a gorgeous, arty space for couples or a small group of friends; good beaches and Salcombe are close

At the heart of fascinating Palermo, splendid aristocratic hosts welcome you to their historic family mansion filled with heirlooms

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

Wildflower beds, 1,350 acres to roam, and all of Norfolk to discover. Then it’s back to 4 chic boltholes with pool, steam room and jacuzzi

Bask in the warmth of the owners at this chic 'maison de maître' in off-track Provence - 12km from lovely hilltop Gordes

A super Georgian cottage with its own private garden, very comfortable bedrooms and acres of bird-filled grounds to explore

Peaceful Georgian house with beautifully proportioned rooms, sumptuous meals, swimming and tennis. Dartmoor is on the doorstep

Chocolate-box cottages in deepest Normandy, owned by bright young things with a passion for organic cuisine and the good life

Traditional Provencal farmhouse with a large garden and a swimming pool. Historic villages with markets and great restaurants close by

A joy for foodies, peace seekers and lovers of period architecture… note the Honduran mahogany banister with inlaid jet and pearl

A delightful harled stone and wood house yards from the sea with glorious hills behind, for walkers, dreamers, nature lovers and adventurers

Atmospheric English pub with rooms by the green with its duck ponds in a pretty village, with walking and cycling routes to join