Great for gatherings of family and friends: fine views, a good big kitchen, games room and pool; nearby caves and castles to explore

5 minutes from the Vatican in a tall palazzo above the British school. Owners share local tips, serve bakery-fresh breakfasts on the terrace

Gaze out to the shimmering bay from your bird and nature-filled retreat in the tree-studded mountains near Alcúdia

A very swish 1610 house, thoroughly refurbished, in the heart of old Chichester with oodles of space and a surprisingly large garden

Loved by estate-workers, visitors, well-heeled locals, and walkers, this spruced-up pub is a friendly launchpad for Chatsworth

Your own wing of an impressive 1700 baronial castle, restored with authenticity and with a lovely garden, wildlife and a little river

Come for big open skies, sweeping beaches and the charming towns of north Norfolk from this pretty flintstone cottage in Docking village

Former blacksmith’s workshop in a chocolate-box corner of the New Forest, where clematis climbs the trellis and all you hear are the birds

You’ll find Norfolk ales, French wines and a hint of eccentricity at this old-school inn, where local food and comfy beds keep you smiling

Gloriously green rural self-catering apartments with pool and lovely, friendly owners

Bags of rustic charm in this elegantly restored retreat, perfectly placed to explore Sicily’s rich history and beautiful beaches

On its own wooded estate, a special manor house of character. Art on the walls, maps and wellies to borrow, gardens to romp in, super views

A country house, elegant and unstuffy, at the heart of a working Lazio olive farm. Lunch by the pool or unwind at the hot spring spa

Up at the top of Scotland’s west coast, a small, stylish and welcoming hotel with lovely owners and some nicely priced rooms

Good restaurants, beach walks, a grand welcome for dogs: that’s Whitstable. Bring friends and stay in this smart house close to it all

Bold, bright decor within the 19th-century walls of this pretty courtyard cottage, with a hot tub and long views over parkland and lake

Walkers and wild-lifers, here is your place in the Pyrenees. Colour, character, a welcoming family, log fires and delicious home cooking