Lounge on the sun-baked terrace and soak up sapphire skies and azure sea at this beautiful, breezy villa. Al fresco suppers are a must!

A cosy and homely Breton gîte in a sociable setting - distinctly rural but with masses to do: pool, play areas, and café

Plunder the veg garden, then whip up a feast in the delightfully designed kitchen. A super old farmhouse and pool, tucked away in the Tarn

You thread through houses, down a narrow road, and before you know it you are by the sea… a place for Swallows and Amazons adventurers

For lazing and stargazing, cycling and canoeing. Choose local wines and food from Monflanquin market – you’ve all the kit to cook with

Off the beaten track doesn’t get any better! Enticing, eclectic restoration of 2 houses - gorgeous grounds and pool too. Great let together

Two delightful cottages near the Burgundy Canal. Large gardens, shared pool, toy-filled play barn and clotted cream teas

Character and charm abound: toile de Jouy curtains and family portraits hang, lavender wafts in windows. Blissful Tarn countryside surrounds

In the shadow of a Norman château on the Cherbourg Peninsula, a cosy house for 3 with private parking and restaurants outside the door

Play badminton, or BBQ on the manicured lawn of this converted chapel; explore the area on horseback, return to a cosy fireside armchair

Delightful hamlet of three ancient farmhouses surrounded by fields, forest, deer and birdsong. Romantic hideaway: pretty rooms, heated pool

Groups will love this 18th-century gîte - one bedroom in the tower, another the pigeonnier, plus there's an infinity pool cut into the cliff

Sip fizz on your terrace, loll by the shared pool. For relaxation try reflexology, on a cool day snuggle by the wood-burner. Brittany bliss

Stunning alpine views from this sunny house, great in all seasons - ski, swim, hike, then watch the sun set over Annecy from your terrace

Local soaps and a delightful welcome box of eggs, honey, organic bread, Breton cider… effortless comfort and style

Head off for a peaceful pedal on the towpath of the Nantes Brest Canal; unwind in front of the wood-burning stove, or in the sunny gardens

Bring family and friends to this comfortable old place and bask in ancient timber and stone, originality, style and historic discoveries

Antiques abound in this luminous, chestnut beamed 18th-century farmhouse. Hop off to the market, dip in the lake, lap up medieval Motguyon