Families will adore coming here, to reconnect through wonderful outdoor activities in glorious countryside and to feel cossetted indoors

You'll feel relaxed in this big light-filled house with plunge pool and outdoor cinema; walk along the river with Portugal on the other side

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

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

Sleek modern interiors now grace this ancient building with architectural joys, a courtyard garden and rooftop terrace with views

Everything you need is here: a wood-burner for winter, a pool and spacious terraces for summer, and peace and beauty all year round

A stroll from the village, this comfy house in its terraced garden comes with a keen-cook's kitchen, a generous terrace and pool

Come for summer breakfasts of pastries fresh from the local bakery, afternoons reading by the pool and long, lazy lunches

Live in the lap of luxury in a 600-year-old regenerated farmhouse, enjoy fine fittings, great lighting, games, castle view and infinity pool

A grand yet very homely place with tasty home cooking and 200 acres to explore. Play golf, sail, cycle – wonderfully informal

A bright, light newly built annexe flat adjoining a farmhouse and sitting on a hill looking out over a lake and fields beyond to the village

Everything you’d want of a lovely country inn – pretty rooms, tasty food, local ales in a beamed bar and fabulous walking

Bags of character within and without at this four-storey village house with rooftop views over the mountains, next to a 12th-century church

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

An immaculate stable retreat surrounded by gardens near Canterbury. Two couples could spend an idyllic week here, or a family of 5

History, elegance and art combine in this special spot near the Louvre. Wonderful staff too. Relax - take breakfast in bed

A delightfully Lilliputian Georgian cottage with all mod cons at the end of a terrace just a short walk to shops, cafés and the beach

Historic old house in a beautiful, traditional village. Boulangerie, bar, crêperie all a stroll away