Jaunty beach huts on Felpham beach with sea views, coastal walks from the door and access to the hotel. For couples, families and dog lovers

Small and elegant family-run hotel with airy bedrooms, plenty of private spaces and a bus to take you to the centre of bustling Avignon

Converted barn with the most welcoming owners – the garden and pool are all yours; explore a less touristy part of the Dordogne

Come for gloriously independent B&B in your own cosy retreat with a belter of a breakfast brought to your door and plenty of local walks

Landscaped gardens, orchard and potager blend into Normandy countryside. Return from rural walks to a log fire and comfortable armchairs

A large cottage by the walled garden on a peaceful estate with oodles of space for big gatherings and views over a lake and mature trees

Retreat to a classically styled, elegant apartment for four - private and peaceful - in a characterful, super-central area of Rome

Gloriously green rural self-catering apartments with pool and lovely, friendly owners

Round up family and friends and head for the glorious South Hams and this eco-friendly barn conversion for ten with extra cottage

A warm and convivial place steeped in French history with an interesting, kind host who really looks after you. Under an hour from Paris too

Swings, a terrace and pool in 2 acres ringed by fields and tranquility, and lakes and vineyards beyond. Family bliss in Quercy

Blissful tranquillity - yet an easy drive from St Paul de Vence (legendary haunt of Matisse and Picasso) and 10km from the Riviera

Between Paris and Rouen, a handsome country house in Monet scenery. Cows graze, bedrooms soothe, friendships bud over bountiful breakfasts

A lovely 1650 Welsh longhouse, beamed and flagstoned with a verdant garden in a totally unspoilt spot in the Snowdonia National Park

Two cosy cottages on a former winemaking estate with private terraces, a shared pool, stunning views and glorious walks from the door

Traditional and modern mix beautifully and bedrooms are quietly elegant. Relax and drink in the views over orchards and the Sierra Nevada

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

Flop in a hammock and be lulled by Mediterranean scents and breezes, relax in an ancient Trullo – come here for raw beauty not for frills