A 18th-century house with pool in a small town with friendly owners and a tropical garden of banana, fig and, of course, frangipani

Perfect luxury in deepest Normandy: gorgeous gardens, a heavenly pool, and interiors worthy of an art gallery

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

Up and away to a truly wild Welsh experience from this ancient stone house sitting on a ridge, with stunning valley and mountain views

A grand-looking stone building with fabulous views across the Derwent Valley from the terrace and garden – find quirky rooms and great food

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

Delightful B&B on a working farm, generous hosts welcome you with tea and homemade cake. Bring a piece of furniture and give it a facelift!

A handsome château filled with intrigue and interest on the edge of a Bastide town in Landes. Your charming host looks after you with aplomb

Starry skies, wild beauty and total peace are yours in these sustainable, solar-powered eco-lodges

Provençal charm floats through the ground floor of this 18th-century home in a vineyard near Lorgues. Walk, cycle, swim, enjoy the peace

An old sporting lodge in Argyll renovated with sensitivity – fish in the river, gaze at the night skies, climb Ben Udlaidh

An L-shaped former farmhouse is now a gorgeous place to stay, just half an hour from the sea or the mountains and near interesting villages

A glorious château near Tours – authentic, huge fun, steeped in family history and surrounded by gorgeous gardens with a serene pool

A serene apartment for 2 in the old fisherman's quarter in Olhão, close to amazing beaches. A special place for nature lovers and foodies

Lively renovation for this 18th-century cottage built of local stone and with a large garden in Modbury. Totnes and sandy beaches are close

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

Your own cottage sitting room downstairs and a swish bedroom up – breakfast in the courtyard before venturing forth to discover Canterbury

A lovely, rambling old house for family gatherings with an extra cottage for bigger groups, a gorgeous garden and hilltop villages nearby