Beautiful cottages, donkey rides, a popular pool and restaurants to walk to. Dutch Peter knows all the walks in this heavenly valley!

A pleasing (not very little) place to stay in the heart of a wood within the unspoilt countryside of the South Downs National Park

A romantic creekside cottage down a web of narrow lanes in a tumbling green valley – mess about on the water to your heart’s content

A lovely old cottage in the cliffside village of St Lawrence. Watch boats sail by from the terrace, soak in an antique bath with sea views…

A smartly renovated village pub with rooms welcoming locals, visitors, families and dogs on a Staffordshire country estate

2 super family apartments in the unspoilt Serre Chevalier valley, with a private chef if you’d like one, and delightful Pippa to welcome you

You have the whole North Wing of this beautiful old farmhouse with a private east-facing courtyard for early morning tea as the sun rises

Traditional house in a rural part of the Algarve with a spectacular garden, a pool and a tennis court, and restaurants a short stroll

You have complete independence in your own wing beside the owner's house, with much space, a sparkling pool and balconies with views

An ancient thatched cottage near Dartmoor with a warming log fire in winter and flowers inside and out in the summer

Wooded, lakeside retreat for 1 or 2 – big windows, huge terrace, wood-burner, wide screen. The Jurassic coast a cross-country walk away

Come for the utter peace and quiet in this cosy cottage with amazing views and private walks to explore on the Bodnant Estate

A scented garden, delicious local delicacies and those coastal landscapes. This place is a sensory feast

Mont Blanc looms large over this alpine chalet in quiet Les Tines, a stone’s throw from Chamonix and miles of mountain trails

Come for breezy bedrooms, pretty gardens, a serene pool and delicious breakfasts at this gorgeous finca in rural Extremadura near Trujillo

Hike the Wild Boar Fells, get cosy at home with books, games and DVDs, and meet the farm’s hens, cows and sheep

Between Paris and Rouen, a handsome country house in Monet scenery. Cows graze, bedrooms soothe, friendships bud over bountiful breakfasts

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