Inside, a grand cathedral ceiling, outside, wisteria-covered terrace and pretty pool. Atlantic sands, Cognac and La Rochelle are in reach

The views take your breath away, the breakfasts are beautiful, and you feel like you're staying in the home of dear friends

An L-shaped former farmhouse is now a gorgeous place to stay, just half an hour from the sea or the mountains and near interesting villages

Foodies and sociable souls will enjoy this lively B&B in a pretty honey-coloured stone cottage with a garden and a very friendly owner

A very pretty Victorian gothic house of limestone and brick, sitting peacefully on the edge of the village, eight miles from foodie Ludlow

A boutique hotel on the edge of Arcachon Bay. A natural pool, zen gardens, contemporary Eastern-style interiors, and good food await

Stylish bedrooms, scrumptious fish menu. Fill your boots (and pack your wellies) at this village gem in Derbyshire's lovely crown

A country idyll in the hills. Only 15 mins from Faro, but all is peaceful: dip in the pool, sip a cocktail in the shade, book in for dinner

An expansive and generous 13th-century Catalan farmhouse, restored with verve and colour in the Pyrenees - a wonderful spot for groups

A niftily restored, open-plan, beamed hayloft, just the ticket for romantics, with gorgeous views of fields and open countryside

A dramatic transformation of an old shepherd's cottage deep on a remote hillside in Perthshire farmland with masses of space and light

Set off on blissful walks, trek home to crumpets and tea. There’s no better place to escape the 21st century than rural Devon

Three comfortable, modern apartments with private terraces, a lovely garden to wander, a pool, a vineyard and views of rolling hills

Bags of character within and without at this four-storey village house with rooftop views over the mountains, next to a 12th-century church

High on a hill in the Tyne Valley, undisturbed except by birds singing and the wind whistling; views swoop down to a magical landscape

A sweet bolthole around a courtyard on a smallholding, extremely comfortable, bright and spacious inside and with a communal garden

A delight to stay in this 1880s croft house on the quieter west coast - fabulous vegetarian and vegan food, thoughtful rooms, lovely owners

A delightfully Lilliputian Georgian cottage with all mod cons at the end of a terrace just a short walk to shops, cafés and the beach