Surrounded by wildlife and water, this ultra-modern house has huge windows, white walls and designer furnishings. Blissfully remote

The views are sensational, the bedrooms full of charm and higgledy-piggledy beams. Sip Perigord Noir on the terrace and amble to the market

Gite retreats in château grounds - welcoming and wonderful for young families. Build castles in the sandpit, make friends around the pool

An elegant French château brimming with antiques and surrounded by landscaped lawns. Enjoy convivial dinners with the perfect host

Two peaceful olive grove farmhouses, a shared pool with incredible views, hours of hiking along beautiful trails, Pisa and Lucca nearby

A delightful coastal cottage with far-reaching ocean views from almost every room, two gardens and a short hop to beach and Coast Path

A wonderful old 1397 village inn, filled with history and character. Find gracious bedrooms, roaring fires, good food and a pretty garden

An exquisite Provençal home for a large party, hidden behind grand gates in a small village surrounded by the pine-scented Alpilles

In the city of Trapani, at the foot of Mount Erice, a nobleman's villa with a warm heart and exotic gardens. A hop from the Egadi Islands

White-painted beams, wonky white walls and your own parking spot fairly nearby. You're near the harbour and subtropical gardens

Come for big, peaceful bedrooms with views, delicious home cooked breakfasts and riverside strolls through ancient beech woodland

Charmingly rambling, inside and out: blazing fires, riotous patterns, oak panelling, a prolific garden and comfortable antique beds

Explore country markets, churches and châteaux - return to a gite in private parkland with an artist's studio on site, and a blissful pool

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

Cosied up by the fire in your farmhouse high on the moor you’ll feel miles from civilisation, while Chatsworth is just minutes away

Former blacksmith’s workshop in a chocolate-box corner of the New Forest, where clematis climbs the trellis and all you hear are the birds

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