An exquisitely restored 500-year-old inn, where the accent is very much on food, reared and grown nearby and with very comfortable rooms

You’ll fall in love with this ancient mas in a corner of paradise… climbing roses scent the air, chic open spaces are flooded with light

Come to this charming hideaway cabin for two (plus one) facing Lac de Montriond for a back-to-nature escape near Morzine

Good looking barn conversion for sociable gatherings on an organic farm – meet the animals, take a day trip, go walking

Encircled by wild dales and rugged fells, this spoiling cottage cocoons you in countryside peace with the added fun of a sauna in the garden

A red-brick cottage and Shepherd’s hut in a magical garden with a cookery school and views over the South Downs

Good restaurants, beach walks, a grand welcome for dogs: that’s Whitstable. Bring friends and stay in this smart house close to it all

Come for the gloriously peaceful countryside and this 1700s house and garden, scrupulously renovated and with plenty of space

Dine wonderfully on farm-fresh food and grandma's recipes; cookery classes too! And views, a pool, farm animals, sunsets, a warm family...

A cosy, courteous, family-run hotel with ‘chocolatines’ and cherry jams at breakfast, Basque dishes at dinner, and gorgeous rolling views

Hilltop paradise with a pool, spa, and a wild-open setting: perfect for hikers, bikers, painters, wine lovers! Large groups welcome

Swim with frogs in the freshwater pool, breakfast in the sunshine, play boules by moonlight. Châteaux don't get much more rural

Swap the mêlée for privacy and wonderful views. Delicious meals, an outdoor hot tub and Portes du Soleil skiing on your doorstep

Superbly renovated rooms in a famous town-centre inn at the heart of the Loire châteaux region, excellent food

A delightful mix of old and new in a conservation village with a four-acre garden that attracts all the local birds. Guests love it here

Great taste – in decor and food – and a delicious heated pool. Views swoop over field and valley; trails, villages, wineries tempt

Deep in Calvados near vibrant Caen, a cider barn with stylish bedrooms, quirky objets, a bar in the salon. Charming hosts welcome families

Get the full-English bucolic countryside experience at this boutique inn right in the heart of a quintessentially pretty Cotswold village