A nicely priced inn on Shaftesbury's high street with a warm contemporary style and some excellent food – fine local walking waits

Bedrooms with terraces and views over St Michael’s Mount Bay. Explore the gardens; walk from the door to glorious beaches

Treat yourselves to a seamless stay in this 255-year-old manor house with dreamy gardens, sumptuous bedrooms, sparkling pool and spa

Manicured exteriors surround this 18th-century hamlet, a cluster of restored buildings with nine apartments, restaurant, pool and small spa

Two family-friendly gites (big groups can take both) with beautiful gardens, sparkling pool, activities for children and peace for parents

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

A lovely gîte with cool lines and its own shady terrace plus pool, gardens, fountain and a relaxed family-friendly feel

Hidden in a beautiful, timeless valley with gorgeous gardens, mellow stone bridge, views and rushing river, is a very special place to stay

Welcome to authentic Andalucía… a friendly foodie B&B in a farming community surrounded by olive groves, midway between Córdoba & Granada

A restored Dordogne farmhouse with a dash of Scandi flair - heated pool, bucolic views, and beautifully designed bedrooms

Come for very comfortable B&B suites with garden views in a converted 1880s barn with its own charming sitting and dining rooms

Cross an ancient stone bridge to a 1790s estate cottage, completely on its own down a little-used green lane and with the river rushing by

Smart, spacious house for 12 with great views over the family vineyard - arrange a tasting, walk the Cotswold Way, cycle the canal towpath

A fabulous country boozer, revamped in style with a buzzy atmosphere, great food and welcoming bedrooms - good walking countryside too

Groups will love this 18th-century winemaster’s house and tower. There’s a hillside infinity pool, valley views and a private boulodrome

Flop in a hammock and be lulled by Mediterranean scents and breezes, relax in an ancient trullo - come here for raw beauty and long views

A clutch of airy properties, most with their own jasmine-scented terraces arranged around a funky pool