Come to a gorgeous bolthole, just for two, in a sleepy riverside village with the delights of the Corrèze at your feet

Delightful little antique-filled cottage with large walled garden and an allotment near Versailles. Gardeners will be happy

A thatched farmhouse only just over the channel near Rouen that’s well hidden in lush gardens, but worth finding for the gourmet food alone

Wide views over the trees to the glittering loch and the hills beyond will mesmerise; interiors are calm, uncluttered and generous

A small, rural cottage high in the wooded hills with long views, your own private pool, utter peace and quiet and a superb restaurant nearby

An old farm worker's cottage, niftily done up and nicely remote, with walking and fishing on the doorstep, four miles from Hadrian's Wall

Glorious Elizabethan manor house lovingly furnished with exceptional art and antiques by its welcoming owners

An elegant house with ancient roots and a shimmering pool – explore the Charente countryside, drive to lovely Angoulême

A Cotswolds hideaway in a cottage on a farm, with space to roam for children, and glorious valley views

If you need a great place in which to relax and don’t want to pay too much for it, try these excellent suites, which spoil you all the way

Wild and peaceful small hotel bordering National Park of Guadarrama. Listen to birdsong, hike in the sierra, spend the day in Segovia

This cottage is stylish and serene, beautifully transformed from an old farm building – come for golf, beaches, walks and bird-watching

Three tranquil apartments in the Ria Formosa nature reserve with a stunning natural pool, near to a village and sandy beaches

In pretty Vernon, a peaceful and comfortably large townhouse with roses rambling around the door

Crackling fires in winter, croquet in the summer. Life ticks by peacefully - rooms are engagingly old-fashioned, the garden is much-loved

A treat of a country retreat in the North York Moors National Park with lovely high ceilings, a log-burner, much comfort and fabulous views

Rooms in an old palazzo in the historic centre of town, with a swimming pool, restaurant and café, and lovely beaches a short drive away