A small and stylish townhouse retreat in leafy Folkestone with excellent bedrooms and a terrace for breakfast in summer

Come for a traffic-free medieval hamlet in sleepy Maremma with easy-going hosts, a beautiful garden and views over the valley

A new-build in local stone with vast windows gazing out at the meeting place of three beautiful lochs, surrounded by 12 acres of croft land

An attractive collection of mellow stone buildings with wonderful views over Monte Amiata and the Val d'Orcia for restful stays

A small top terrace can be booked for romantic evenings and you can lunch or dinner at the delightful floating restaurant

Outside a perfect bastide village, an elegant manoir for lazy days in the Dordogne, fabulous dinners and glorious gardens

View-filled apartments in Ortigia, the heart of Siracusa. Immerse yourself in the blue of the Ionian Sea; walk to culture, shops and restaurants

A cottage to help you feel restored and refreshed; uninterrupted views of the coast, a hamper of local produce and wildlife spotting.

Secluded country house hotel with gracious rooms and dining; stroll the grounds, visit the coast, Beverley is only a five-minute drive away

Foodies and sociable souls will enjoy this lively B&B in a pretty honey-coloured stone cottage with a garden and a very friendly owner

You're on an ancient packhorse trail just a stone's throw from the coast. There's a timeless feel to this place and the peace is deep

An exquisite Provençal home for a large party, hidden behind grand gates in a small village surrounded by the pine-scented Alpilles

Between Penzance and Helston and close to surf beaches, a perfect place for two. For peace-seekers and lovers of mid-century design

An 18th-century limestone barn, now a quiet hideaway for a group of friends or family in a very rural spot surrounded by fields and woods

Float in the infinity pool above the canyon, dine under the stars, revel in the silence, head to the Cavagrande di Cassibile Nature Reserve

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

A 200-year-old quintessential Umbrian farmhouse with pool, immersed in nature and with no immediate neighbours for lazy, peaceful days

This famous old country house might not come cheap, but where else can you splash out in such decadent style for life’s big celebrations?