A 200-year old townhouse on a charming cobbled street with stunning views from the terraces over rooftop Olhão and down to the sea

Independent B&B in an ancient hamlet with modern interiors, immaculate bedrooms and a pleasant wooden terrace for sunny days

Wrapped in fields and woods, this big traditional house has crisply furnished interiors and plenty of gadgets. Terraced gardens and pool too

Close to sandy beaches between Penzance and Helston, three places to stay with characterful interiors and freshly baked scones waiting

Airy, spacious, sunny. This Lot gîte is a delight: linen curtains, oak stair, sunny pool. Sarlat and painted caves are an easy venture away

An elegant Burgundian townhouse on the fringe of Morvan National Park in Côte d'Or. Dijon, Beaune and Chablis - all an easy drive away

Four family-friendly self-catering casitas and an original cortijo in wildlife-rich acres near the sandy Costa de la Luz

Good restaurants, beach walks, a grand welcome for dogs: that’s Whitstable. Bring friends and stay in this smart house close to it all

A deliciously rural stone house with charmingly simple rustic-chic interiors and saline pool - an hour from Perugia

Outside a perfect bastide village, an elegant manoir for lazy days in the Dordogne, fabulous dinners and glorious gardens

Gently undulating countryside surrounds you at this Burgundy B&B with fresh, modern bedrooms and delicious dinners prepared by the owner

Swim with frogs in the freshwater pool, breakfast in the sunshine, play boules by moonlight. Châteaux don't get much more rural

Come to a gorgeous bolthole, just for two, in a sleepy riverside village with the delights of the Corrèze at your feet

Two rural retreats up a shared drive for gatherings of friends and family who enjoy the great outdoors and good food from the Meikleour Inn

A monastic grange full of grandeur with luxurious interiors to keep you comfortable. Enjoy a pool, gardens and Margate on the doorstep

A spacious old house for family get-togethers in Ashton village, little changed since its Victorian inception as a model village and farm

Cosied up by the fire in your farmhouse high on the moor you’ll feel miles from civilisation, while Chatsworth is just minutes away

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