Gloriously green rural self-catering apartments with pool and lovely, friendly owners

Once a coach house, now a split-level place to stay – you can walk to the river and it's just a short hop to central London

Light-filled gites share a lovely pool, with pétanque, ping-pong and bikes to borrow – bring friends and take all three

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

Breakfasts with sausages from home-reared rare breed pigs, a big log fire and relaxed friendly hosts. Acres of garden and woodland paths

Kate makes you feel at home the moment you enter her great big beloved house - full of books, guitars and a piano, antiques and huge spaces

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

A serene retreat basking above the Algarve with sea views from the garden and pool, and charming Moorish details

Vast rooms, thick stone walls and ancient flagged floors skilfully modernised to create comfort, surrounded by romantic château gardens

Plenty of restful, comfortable space indoors and out in the Mediterranean garden with its courtyard pool – restaurants to walk to

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

Two lovely places to stay down by the shore of Clew Bay for much peace, space and modern comforts in a magical watery world

Completely refurbished 18th-century roadside inn with special views, good food, restful bedrooms and all the benefits of Another Place

Château apartments with a heated pool, parkland and a menagerie - Gold Beach and the British Normandy Memorial are on the doorstep

A peaceful, stylish getaway for two within the charming owners' home with shared pool, fabulous views - and all of Provence to (re)visit

Spread out in much style with friends or family in a beautifully renovated Victorian farmhouse at the foot of the Howgill fells

Sweep through vast wrought iron gates to this elegant Grade I listed Georgian country house with a swimming lake, yoga studio and sauna

A romantic cottage for two in the Pentland Hills, with views for miles and your own private garden with a wood-fired hot tub