France

This old stone house has dreamy views, lovely gardens, big pool and all the ingredients for an unforgettable family holiday

Your host runs home and B&B with effortless efficiency and you'll find shiny,spotless rooms to retreat to after a day's exploring

Inspiring scenery for this lavender farm near a Provençal village. Rustic eco-friendly cottages, a hump-backed bridge, a hammock by the natural pool

Provençale-meets-English country house to great effect – cycle Mont Ventoux, walk to the monastery, visit Roman towns and vineyards

Great taste – in decor and food – and a delicious heated pool. Views swoop over field and valley; trails, villages, wineries tempt

An elegant hotel that feels like a well-kept secret, with charming staff, understated rooms and great restaurants a short walk away

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

A harmonious B&B in Chinon wine country. Home-cooked food, comfortable beds, easy conservations with your host and starry skies at night

An inspirational setting and an enthusiastic welcome from your hosts and their young family - lose your heart to its baroque beauty

Deeply peaceful countryside retreat with exceptional food and wine laid on by Sam and Heather, your friendly hosts

Two family-friendly gites (big groups can take both) with beautiful gardens, sparkling pool, activities for children and peace for parents

Surrounded by vines and swept by sea breezes, two lovely, simple gîtes with a gorgeous shared pool and a courtyard for boules

A contemporary rooftop room in a warmly civilised B&B filled with books and lovely things – stunning view too

Gite retreats in château grounds - welcoming and wonderful for young families. Build castles in the sandpit, make friends around the pool

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

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

A self-catering apartment in the wing of a traditional Burgundian winemaker's house in a tiny hamlet, surrounded by fields of vines

A charming renovated stone gîte only 15km from Bergerac with a large outdoor pool, pretty gardens and walks and cycle rides from the door