A wisteria-laden pergola shades the sunny side of the farmhouse - in gentle olive country near the Sibillini Park, not far from the Adriatic

Gaze on Umbrian hills as the children play, watch the fireflies dance at night. Dine fabulously in Gubbio - or here. Sociable-family bliss

A picture-perfect thatched cottage down a narrow track on a private estate with woodland walks, a big garden and a communal barbecue

Once a hunting lodge, this unique and authentic 18th-century architectural folly sits up a quiet tree-lined drive on the edge of the estate

Historic old house in a beautiful, traditional village. Boulangerie, bar, crêperie all a stroll away

Good old-fashioned service, fresh and gleaming surroundings, great food and very comfortable rooms at this rejuvenated roadside inn

A rural idyll with a hot tub under starlit skies and surrounded by gorgeous countryside in the South Lakes within a hop of vibrant Cartmel

An 18th-century stone cottage sitting in the glorious Yorkshire Dales. Nature-lovers and walkers will be well pleased and so will their dog

Breakfast on homemade ricotta, bask on a cool white lounger, swim in the cove below. We love this young, friendly, rustic B&B

Big house with bags of character and easy access to beaches, cafés and cobbled streets, coastal paths and hidden coves

The central part of a much larger building in a 17th-century hamlet with bright, spacious rooms, shared pool and glorious private gardens

Come for peace, art, photography and go out for delicious food near Galicia’s ‘seafood coast’. One of Spain’s undiscovered gems

Restored stone barn on the edge of Radnor Forest, with walking trails, glorious countryside views and lots of wildlife

Come for the great outdoors and wrap-around views of Muncaster Fell and Scafell Pike from this warm, bright and spacious Passivhaus

Refined B&B in a pretty forest setting just north of the French Basque country, with a lovely garden, a swimming pool and delicious food

Bring boots, maps, your dog and an appetite for high places and deep comfort in this restored farm conversion

An elegant, super central bolthole for two (or three): stroll everywhere, hop on a vaporetto, sit in piazzas drinking cappuccino, live like a local

A 1750 one-storey former farm building, beautifully converted into a lovely hideaway for walkers, nature lovers and peace seekers