Old meets new in Benoit’s charming villa with courtyard pool, breakfasts to linger over and all the fun of La Baule on the doorstep

The perfect country cottage made of pretty Quercy stone, with generously sized rooms and outside dining with gorgeous rural views

Come for the utter silence and the rare beauty of this far north-westerly landscape, teeming with wildlife. An antidote to city life

By a bubbling brook in the Mendips, close to Bath and Bristol, a wonderfully revived and welcoming inn with smart rooms and scrumptious food

Groups will love this 18th-century winemaster’s house and tower. There’s a hillside infinity pool, valley views and a private boulodrome

An impressive limestone house on three levels created within the ruins of an ancient village with uninterrupted views of the Vézère valley

Gorgeously rural pub with rooms nestled in a leafy Somerset valley: sweet bedrooms, fantastic menus, and charming owners. Dog friendly, too

A big old house with a lovely pool, surrounded by ancient olives just 3kms from the sea and deep in the heart of Bandol wine country

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

Serious art, lovely lighting, great sound system and a fat wood-burner belting out the heat at this super place for families or friends

A sleek space designed with the majestic surroundings in mind. You have your own private barbecue area and a shared large garden

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

Come for sea air, independent shops, great places to eat and this quirky cottage with plenty of room and a sunny walled garden

Rare as a bird, a proper old fashioned French inn on the side of the road in a sleepy village, a restoration project for the new owners

An 18th-century beamed inn with tasty food, pretty bedrooms and a large garden just a ten-minute drive from Chichester

Modest and authentic, a top-floor apartment in an eco-friendly Provençal farmhouse, with dogs and hens. River swims are a stroll away...

A birdwatchers’ paradise in heavenly valley setting with friendly hosts and delicious seasonal cooking. Explore national park from the door

A cluster of traditional farm buildings making up three holiday cottages in very attractive grounds with fruit trees, meadows and woodland