A laidback retreat, well placed for visiting some of the most popular Tuscan gems, with a sparkling pool, traditional meals & charming hosts

Your friendly hosts offer you stylish bedrooms, swims in the heated pool, and wonderful dinners and wines. Cahors is only a 10-minute drive

Foodies will love the irresistible cooking - along with local wine and a typically Tuscan setting. Bedrooms are pretty

Eat, drink and sleep extremely well at this peaceful hotel, steeped in history and with stunning river views just a short hop from Beaulieu

Lawns, paths and walnut trees, rolling views in every direction... a serene place to stay in every season. Sweet luxury for a big family!

An island of oyster farms, salt pans and white beaches, woolly donkeys, countless push-bikes and the odd celeb – we love the Ile de Ré!

Serene, panoramic views from picture windows at this off-grid romantic bolthole in the hills with a cosy wood-burner and local treats

An exquisitely restored 500-year-old inn, where the accent is very much on food, reared and grown nearby and with very comfortable rooms

Retreat to a classically styled, elegant apartment for four - private and peaceful - in a characterful, super-central area of Rome

A peaceful, stylish getaway for two within the charming owners' home with shared pool, fabulous views – and all of Provence to (re)visit

Medieval manor house and busy farm. A welcoming atmosphere, big bedrooms, breakfast in the baronial great hall by the cosy log fire

An interesting historic townhouse filled with art and antiques, in the old part of Amantea, near shops, restaurants and beach

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

Ease into a slower way of life from this beautiful Tuscan farmhouse surrounded by vineyards in the valley below medieval Montepulciano

An 18th-century whitewashed cottage, characterful and comfortable and with a large private garden, just minutes from the coast by car

A hop to Montpellier, but deep in the countryside: a romantic pad, with Moroccan rugs, ochre-limed walls and bikes to ride into the country

A traditional coaching inn dating from the 18th century with good food served in private and public dining rooms on the Wellington Estate

Gloriously cool in summer, cosy in winter, a 365-day-a-year retreat. Just a 10-minute promenade along the beach into the fun heart of town