Airy interiors, good local food and a blissful rural setting for this refurbished inn, popular with locals and with a happy, bustling vibe

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

Tucked at the bottom of a long track and surrounded by a gorgeous natural landscape, is this generous end-slice of a 17th-century stone farm

Rooms are good value, breakfast is taken overlooking the garden and there's superb veggie food next door - a Sawday's Community Champion

Chocolate-box cottages in deepest Normandy, owned by bright young things with a passion for organic cuisine and the good life

Slow living at its best from this delightful spot - a site of Local Historic Interest - with stunning sea views, restful gardens and pool

Up the drive flanked by grazing horses, to a warm welcome from the housekeeper and a great fire in the hall. Perfect for family gatherings

With a sauna in the woods and a Nordic bath by the lake, these carefully renovated farm buildings are a lovely slow-living retreat

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

Hidden in a beautiful, timeless valley with gorgeous gardens, mellow stone bridge, views and rushing river, is a very special place to stay

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

Painting courses on request, gardens full of roses, a parasol’d terrace, a seductive pool… we love this welcoming, traditional hotel

A perfect spot with views of rolling hills, sunflowers and vineyards. Enthusiastic hosts and heaps to do here - watch wildlife, bake, swim

Bask in the warmth of the owners at this chic 'maison de maître' in off-track Provence - 12km from lovely hilltop Gordes

Heaps to do on-site: organic farm shop & café, cookery & cheese-making courses, farm tours. A brilliant base for exploring the Cotswolds too

A 200-year-old typical Mallorcan house with wooden beams, tiled floors, a view-filled garden and a big pool in beautiful Sóller

Countryside and seaside all in one go – what could be more inspiring? Lovely Louisa lives down the road, on hand if you need her

Delightful little antique-filled cottage with large walled garden and an allotment near Versailles. Gardeners will be happy