Simple rooms on a spotless farm, delightful hosts, delicious fruit tarts at breakfast on Sundays. The perfect stopover en route to Calais

A real treat to stay in this elegant 18th-century house with pampering bedrooms, gorgeous home-cooked food and stunning gardens with pool

Come for a delightful old stone house in gentle, undulating countryside, with charming hosts, fabulous food and a huge dollop of fun

Year-round Alpine fun at this peaceful home a short hop from the peaks with calm bedrooms, delicious breakfasts and mountain views

In a mellowstone village with a jolly pub, a super raftered barn with generous touches. Friendly owners next door know the Cotswolds well...

An 18th-century stone cottage sitting in the glorious Yorkshire Dales. Nature-lovers and walkers will be well pleased and so will their dog

Sumptuous rooms with Renaissance-inspired art, infinity pool and gardens, just a short drive to Mantua’s historic city centre

A beautifully renovated apartment in a quiet street in central Bordeaux, with fine old features and all modernities. Ideal for couples

11 rooms yet huge personality: travel mementoes, bright colours, local breakfasts... in a fun market town under the Cotswold escarpment

Character and quirk in old and new design and furnishing – private terraces, a shared pool, great walking, cycling and wine-tasting

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

A lovely little bolthole for two on a gorgeous estate with restaurant, deli and superb gardens, sculpture walk and wildflower meadows

Comfort, warmth and thoughtful breakfasts at this informal, friendly B&B, sitting in a lush spot between the mountains and the sea

This shuttered, stone maison in Gascony on the Santiago de Compostela pilgrims' route is a joy for families to spend time together

A privilege to be able to stay within the famous gardens of magnificent Château de Courances. The painter's village of Barbizon is nearby

Hospitable Jorge and Clotilde love nothing more than sharing their colourful, chaotic old house with guests. The farm produce is fabulous

Beautifully refurbished inn with good food, calming rooms and the South Downs all around. Chichester, Petworth and Goodwood are close

Stay a while... lulled by lapping sea and fragrant hanging gardens - cool, light, balconied, classic, intimate, unpretentious