Gardeners will be very happy staying in this generous, comfortable B&B surrounded by stunning gardens with year-round interest

Charming cottage in a vast garden with a swimming pool and boule; walk to the nearest village, drive to Côte d'Azur in less than an hour

Families and walkers will be happy at this unfussy seaside retreat with beaches down the road and coastal paths right by your door

A beautiful rural escape for couples or families with the delights of the Cotswolds all around. Dogs very welcome too

Simple and rustic, this early 1700s farmhouse has warmth and charm, surrounded by countryside in the Perche

A glorious château near Tours – authentic, huge fun, steeped in family history and surrounded by gorgeous gardens with a serene pool

Come for a bright, roomy, uber-green and accessible larch-clad space with garden and pond in pretty countryside

Peaceful cottage in the heart of Derbyshire, perfect for couples and families, with a pretty garden and gorgeous valley views

Elegant house deep in the countryside with wild garden, dreamy pool, and bags of vintage charm. A promise of peace and perfect solitude

A gorgeous big old house on a farm in a very quiet part of Wiltshire - the undiscovered North Wessex Downs, filled with wildlife and an AONB

Lovingly renovated farmhouse amid vines and sunflowers, deep in the Charente countryside - small pool in garden, beaches 45 minutes away.

5 houses near Siena to make design-lovers happy; come for the rural solitude of ancient stone farm buildings with urban interiors

A very pretty old converted cart shed at the end of a track on an organic farm, surrounded by wildlife, birds and animals in the fields

An ancient farmstead in the Lombard style with up-to-date B&B rooms plus a garden, lake and museum all surrounded by quiet countryside

Rustic farmhouse with two and a half acres of landscaped gardens, a swimming pool and views over the Pyrenees – the sunrises are amazing

A lovely modern Provençal house, light and welcoming, in a valley of vineyards and forest, tucked peacefully away from the coast

Bring boots, maps, your dog and an appetite for high places and deep comfort in this restored farm conversion

A beautiful villa, a cabin, a loft and a wagon on the sunny side of the harbour and a stroll from the beach. Faultless finds!