Glorious Family Getaways

Traditional Provencal farmhouse with a large garden and a swimming pool. Historic villages with markets and great restaurants close by

Four gîtes in the château’s vast barn, one in the tower. Magnificent mountain and valley views, and Sandrine’s regionally inspired meals

Just outside Salcombe, a lively water-sports hotel right on South Sands. Seafood is served with views and you can self-cater in a suite

With playroom and paddling pool, parents and children feel equally pampered; just relax. It's stylish too…

Glorious airy living space in this superbly restored barn, a terrace with long views and a pool across the garden - bikes to borrow too

Secluded stone and wood house on the edge of a lake in a wooded estate; drive ten minutes for dining, the Loire Valley is on your doorstep

Unbend beneath the beautiful jasmine, listen to music by the pool. A rare treat to find such a big fun place so close to the Riviera

Two 16th-century Breton houses let separately or together. Dip in the heated pool, unwind in the sunny garden, cycle along a peaceful canal

A delightful gîte for 6 with pool near Venise Verte & La Rochelle, ideal for families and groups: boating, cycling, sea, history…

A working farm with well renovated ancient buildings among 200 acres of pastures and forest. It's quiet here in the glorious Périgord

Dordogne family bliss with a modern kitchen and creaky staircases, plus private fenced pool and shared games area

Natural textures and neutral colours make these family homes a delight to live in – while the Haut Vienne Sud is wonderfully unspoilt

Surrounded by the Perigord-Limousin Nature Park, a handsomely-restored gîte with private pool in the pretty village of Mialet

Traditional house with a contemporary and imaginative interior; stroll to shops and restaurants, jump in the car to explore Provence

Perfect for families, a French farmhouse just south of the Lot with masses of space to roam and the great, green outdoors on the doorstep

Steam in the hot tub, gaze over crashing waves or later stars. Inside is swish, kids play in their games room, dinner is in view of the sea

Quaint barns dotted among truffle oaks and rosemary, each one constructed the old-fashioned way and close to the Dordogne and Vézère

Dreaming of a secret valley, an easy-to-manage cottage, a lazy pool and an energetic tennis court? This is it, standing in 40 private acres