Friendly hosts, lovely log fires, delicious dinners, interesting antiques – and Frederick’s special tours of a WWI memorial site

5 houses near Siena to make design-lovers happy; come for the rural solitude of ancient stone farm buildings with urban interiors

Come to this delightful house, a marriage of old stones and modern furniture, for pure remote air, great outdoor sports and fine dining

Everything you need is here: a wood-burner for winter, a pool and spacious terraces for summer, and peace and beauty all year round

A family-run, environmentally friendly bistro with rooms near Grasmere: climb to the nearest viewing spot. Dogs welcome too

Feel at ease in a lovely old townhouse filled with pictures and personality and including a separate loft apartment

This is Somerset at its most quintessential: a thatched roofed, honey-coloured Hamstone cottage with a pretty courtyard garden; sleeps four

Enjoy southern life in a charming palazzo in Trapani. Come for coastal drives and baroque basilica, hand-twirled pasta and fresh calamari

Peaceful Highland hideaway on a wooded lochside: spy dolphins and otters, stargaze, and soak up the deep silence

Stunning, spacious 3-storey converted mill with stylish bedrooms. Cook just-caught brown trout from the river, eat at a hand built oak table

Fabulous Drôme gîtes: contemporary in old stone buildings, uncluttered, fresh. Take all 5 for a party, laze by pool, doze in lavender

Absolutely no neighbours and stunning views from this delicious little cottage, which peeks over the trees in a magical SSSI valley

Near Mont St Michel, an 18th-century 'maison de plaisance' in historic grounds run by a charming family. Don't miss the table d'hôte!

A hop from St Mark’s Square, this long-standing hotel - a delightful family affair - could not be better placed for exploring Venice

Two lovely cottages, packed with atmosphere, character and comfort in a magical timeless valley surrounded by nature

An adorable little 1800s cottage with a garden – simple, unpretentious and filled with the owner's colourful art on walls and lampshades

A warm and colourful B&B with generous owners, elegant bedrooms and an outdoor pool, in the heart of a pretty town near Toulouse

The farm is up its own track with wake-up Cheviot views over pine forests and fields of sheep. Luxurious bedrooms, large airy living space