Filled with interesting finds, antiques and artefacts, this is a charming cabin hideaway for couples on the banks of the Kingsbridge Ria

A charming, warm and intimate hotel tucked away on a side street just minutes from the Ponte Vecchio, with a view-filled rooftop restaurant

A bit like staying with friends in a smart country house, but not having to help - an elegant refuge near Bradford-on-Avon

A harmonious B&B in Chinon wine country. Home-cooked food, comfortable beds, easy conservations with your host and starry skies at night

Fabulous bakes and hot waffles at breakfast, green fields all around and Normandy steeped in history. Great for foodies and historians

Come for history, wildlife and a stunning garden estate with acres to roam. Bring children and dogs too. Fabulous

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

Welcome to an immaculate and historic retreat with private gardens, ten minutes from the Finistère coast (and oysters!)

Ease through a beautiful wrought iron gate to a courtyard and an elegant 1700s creamy stone holiday house, part of the château estate

Three gîtes in the Dordogne with panoramic countryside views and a swimming pool – book individually or together for a group holiday

Cast yourselves away to this beautiful island and a bright, spacious apartment with a rooftop terrace bang in the middle of the town square

Gorgeous scenic views from this relaxed and friendly B&B tucked in a tiny hamlet in the Dordogne near Bergerac

Country house set in a secluded valley in a nature reserve with a pool & walks from the door. The small town of Jabugo is just over the hill

Grand and old and filled with history, the estate and such a pretty house are a tonic, as are the well-tended grounds and parkland

A real gem set back from the hustle and bustle but perfectly placed to explore the city's many charms

A rare treat, 700 metres above sea level and girdled by forests, waterfalls, chestnuts and olives, this is the place to come for solace

Up a narrow lane this dreamy pub with rooms has views to the South Downs. Stay for supper, let the kids run free in the garden playground

In the Welsh Marches, down winding lanes, a delightful refurbished hop pickers' house - romantic bolthole for 2. Friendly owners, too