Big skies, a tantalising beach and truly inspired food combinations at this friendly, busy coastal village inn – stylish rooms too

A welcoming inn with rooms on the edge of a small village. Stay in a converted barn in the pretty garden, eat delicious country fare

Slowly does it at a rustic haven run with infectious enthusiasm and kindness by a truffle hunter with a passion for nature and food

In a mellowstone village with a jolly pub, a super raftered barn with generous touches. Friendly owners next door know the Cotswolds well...

A period manor and pretty rooms in old stables: a quiet base for Pas-de-Calais and Picardie. Madame loves the house, animals, story-telling

From the delicious scented garden with its limestone pool to the cool rooms with perfect linen, this is a place for a special occasion

A swishly renovated detached hideaway up a hill, surrounded by vineyards and with a covered deck for sweeping views just outside Beaune

Former pear-press cellar, now a swish bolthole with magical mountain views. In the village centre, 15-minutes’ drive to the Paradiski slopes

Fabulous bakes and hot waffles at breakfast, green fields all around and Normandy steeped in history. Great for foodies and historians

Set loose your inner castaway on your very own island with enthralling views and much wildlife a short boat ride from Skye

On the site of an old sawmill in the mountains of the Jura, a guesthouse of warmth and charm - with table d'hôtes, a pool and a spa

High-up, simple apartments, pools with fabulous views; kids play-things and donkeys, the glittering coast, Rapallo and Portofino down below

A very tastefully restored old stone stable on a gloriously rural estate with woodland gardens, lake and a deer park

Airy, spacious, sunny. This Lot gîte is a delight: linen curtains, oak stair, sunny pool. Sarlat and painted caves are an easy venture away

Stylishly simple cottage in the heart of the old fishing port of Méze, within easy stroll of seafood restaurants and sandy beaches

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

A light and bright 1900s holiday home for family holidays by the sea, with a large enclosed garden and a short hop to beach and shops

Wisteria, clematis and roses clamber up this pretty stone barn conversion with its own big garden surrounded by mature trees and many birds