Taste the wine, plunge into the granite pool, play billiards in the library, linger outdoors as swallows swoop – eat delicious local dishes

Victorian country house for 8-15 with gardens overlooking the Howgill Fells for happy reunions with family and friends

A chilled, family-friendly hotel on a sandy surfing beach with huge views and a sensational pool with sustainability at its heart

An 18th-century stone cottage sitting in the glorious Yorkshire Dales. Nature-lovers and walkers will be well pleased and so will their dog

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

Bask in the beautiful Basque country at this friendly B&B in the village, with family-run restaurant for delicious suppers

Traditional family-run hotel with sitting rooms galore, award-winning food and Snowdon views. High teas and games room for children too

A light, bright village house with a courtyard garden - 5 minutes from Cabo da Roca where the sunsets and views are spectacular

Glass-and-timber doors bathe you with light, gaze at big skies and the river Dart lapping. Sublime year round, it's one of our favourites

A 17th-century Westmorland barn, fully renovated with a roomy living space and west-facing garden with views of High Street and Blencathra

A relaxed country feel in this fine family villa. It has space and comfort for six with gardens, private pool, and tennis court

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

Two comfortably converted farm buildings, with a shared pool on a gentle south-east sloping vineyard with wonderful views

Quaint barns dotted among truffle oaks and rosemary, each one constructed the old-fashioned way and close to the Dordogne and Vézère

Retreat to a classically styled, elegant apartment for four - private and peaceful - in a characterful, super-central area of Rome

Perfect for lovers of the quintessentially English cottage - carefully renovated and classily stylish - a ramble to nearest pub

Immersed in nature, high in the magnificent Cheviot Hills, this wooden-clad off-grid cottage has sleek, modern interiors and grand views