Characterful and family-friendly apartments on this lovely wine-country estate: great hosts, glorious grounds and pool, home-grown food

Escape to the heart of the Haute-Savoie and this impressive château near Annecy, Mont Blanc and Lake Geneva

Serious art, lovely lighting, great sound system and a fat wood-burner belting out the heat at this super place for families or friends

A spoiling hotel for a properly grown up escape on the Chatsworth Estate. Bring your loved one and do as much or as little as you fancy

A former tobacco barn and an annexe with outdoor kitchen and courtyard, near good places to eat for relaxed days at the beach

Stay in the grounds of a 19th-century château turned family home, where 500-year-old oak trees shade a glorious garden

Families will adore coming here, to reconnect through wonderful outdoor activities in glorious countryside and to feel cossetted indoors

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

Beautiful Noto is 4 miles from the Ionian Sea, and this creative renovation, with lush garden, stands above the throng. Heaven in Sicily

In a mellowstone village with a jolly pub, a super raftered barn with generous touches. Friendly owners next door know the Cotswolds well...

Saint Emilion and Castillon both a hop away from a warm, wonderful barn with owners to match. Stylish, cosy and deep in organic vines

Family cottage within 25 acres of fields, garden and orchard with fresh eggs to collect, wellies for walking and animals roaming the farm

A bit like staying with friends in a smart country house, but not having to help - an elegant refuge near Bradford-on-Avon

A neatly-converted old farmhouse on a quiet country lane with bright living spaces, heated pool, garden and hot tub just minutes from sandy beaches

A restored Dordogne farmhouse with a dash of Scandi flair - heated pool, bucolic views, and beautifully designed bedrooms

Stay just minutes from the sea in colourful Donaghadee for wild swims, island visits, bird watching and coastal walks

Sleek modern interiors now grace this ancient building with architectural joys, a courtyard garden and rooftop terrace with views