Everything is on the doorstep and you'll find much comfort at these smart self-catering apartments in the heart of the city

Bedrooms with terraces and views over St Michael’s Mount Bay. Explore the gardens; walk from the door to glorious beaches

Come for strawberries in summer, walnuts in winter, and a wonderful welcome all year round. Thierry and Charlotte are living their dream

Farmhouse B&B with thoughtful hosts and superb breakfasts; Michelin-star dining is in the village and thermal baths are near

Stylish seaside inn with stunning salt marsh views from a decked terrace, delicious food, wine and ales and sea-breezy modern bedrooms

Flop in a hammock and be lulled by Mediterranean scents and breezes, relax in an ancient Trullo – come here for raw beauty not for frills

Come here in the summer (it’s closed Nov-April except by arrangement) for candlelit dining, chintzy bedrooms, long views over the park...

An airy Estate Manager's House set in pretty grounds with a pool, orchard, barbecue and private terrace for long lazy days in the sun

A large handsome 1800s manor, now a peaceful haven for free-range families and creative types on the edge of vibrant Richelieu in the Loire

In a mellowstone village with a jolly pub, a super raftered barn with generous touches. Friendly owners next door know the Cotswolds well...

Beautiful Noto is 4 miles from the Ionian Sea, and this creative renovation, with lush garden, stands above the throng. Heaven in Sicily

A period manor and pretty rooms in old stables: a quiet base for Pas-de-Calais and Picardie. Madame loves the house, animals, story-telling

Set loose your inner castaway on your very own island with enthralling views and much wildlife a short boat ride from Skye

A grand, 16th-century Breton château complete with dovecote, turret and chapel surrounded by 50 acres of parkland, woods and small lake

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

The perfect country cottage made of pretty Quercy stone, with generously sized rooms and outside dining with gorgeous rural views

A small, delightful hotel, perched on a high hill within a 14th-century convent with stunning views, garden and pool - very special indeed

A rustic haven in Vouvray wine country: bask on sun beds near the elegant pool, cosy up to the wood-burner, relax in your beautiful bedroom