France

An elegant manor house with pretty bedrooms, pool and large grounds. Nathalie looks after you with ease and sets you up with big breakfasts

Moments from Chamonix, a sweet chalet with pretty gardens in sun or snow under a backdrop of Mont Blanc – perfect for the adventurous

In a hamlet in the Loire countryside is a friendly estate with a family-sized gite, a shared saltwater pool and heaps of old-world charm

Welcoming B&B with the feel of a high-end hotel, set in the charming town of Ay; France's fabulous Champagne region is on your doorstep

Sweep along the gravel drive through lawns and specimen trees to this elegant manor house with 17th-century roots

A cottage for two on a wonderfully eco wine school and vineyard. Gaze at magnificent views from your terrace

Readers adore this place run by warm, generous sisters Renée and Claude. Stroll the wild gardens - follow a path into the lovely landscape

Very relaxed B&B at this 17th-century country house just 5 minutes from the perched village of St-Paul-de-Vence and 10 from the sea

A peaceful spot for this beautifully restored old barn surrounded by lovely gardens and a sparkling pool on the banks of the Dordogne river

Warm family hospitality, magnificent surroundings, bedroom breakfasts, candlelit dinners and elegant windows overlooking the park

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

A destination B&B. Hunker down in thoroughly spoiling surroundings with delightful owners near St Jean de Luz, Biarritz and Bayonne

A renovated barn, part stone, part wood, resembling the tobacco barns of the area with beautiful grounds surrounded by farmland

A 200-year-old village house surrounded by vineyards. Light-filled interiors, lots of art, a garden and a pool

Tranquil manor house deep in Bordeaux wine region with six acres of grounds, a tennis court and swimming pool

Independent B&B with your own converted spaces sitting in a lovely garden with pool. Breakfast is served in the main house or on the terrace

Step back in time at this wonderfully authentic château, loved deeply by its owners - 25km from Beaune and the Route des Grands Crus

A bright, colourful lodge, part of an 18th-century abbey with a private garden, swimming pool, books, games and a cosy fire