A lovely big house with huge riverside gardens and an easy-going charm – a 15-minute walk from bookish Hay-on-Wye

Marvellously quirky bolthole right on Lyme Regis seafront with stunning views; perfect for beach combers and boutique browsers

Old meets new in Benoit’s charming villa with courtyard pool, breakfasts to linger over and all the fun of La Baule on the doorstep

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

A deliciously cool loft hideaway set among tall sycamores in the grounds of the main house, with a New York Tribeca feel and much comfort

A big, comfortable house with heated outdoor pool in 17 acres of gardens. Mountains, river swimming, hiking nearby; coast within the hour

A stunning veranda wraps itself around the house: doze off in a wicker armchair or sip a drink at dusk as the sun melts into the valley

A lovely restored house on a farm beside a cluster of ancient buildings surrounded by lush forest and grasslands – a deeply rural spot

A beautiful house with Pyrenean views, generous hosts and wonderful hiking, biking and skiing nearby. A rare pearl

You’ll love Tintinhull Gardens, Montacute House, Ham Hill, the Prince of Wales pub... and this sweet, fresh, cosy, rustic cottage for two

A sophisticated and friendly Basque beauty overlooking the Bay of Biscay, in Txakoli vineyard country – prepare to be thoroughly spoilt

Stylish bedrooms, scrumptious fish menu. Fill your boots (and pack your wellies) at this village gem in Derbyshire's lovely crown

Steeped in history and romance, with a great big sleigh bed and open fires, is this 14th-century defence tower above the river Tweed

Breakfast on homemade ricotta, bask on a cool white lounger, swim in the cove below. We love this young, friendly, rustic B&B

Two duplex apartments filled with art and sculptures inside a beautiful 18th-century orangery, minutes from magnificent Versailles

Gather family or friends and fall in love with this gorgeous house, beautiful garden, glimmering Ullswater and stunning countryside

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