Smart, spacious house for 12 with great views over the family vineyard - arrange a tasting, walk the Cotswold Way, cycle the canal towpath

A cosy bolthole near Paris's best museums, monuments and churches. A peaceful sleep and simple buffet breakfast set you up for sightseeing

Historic buildings by a turreted manor house, beautifully renovated to welcome large parties with grounds to roam and dreamy river views

Delightful little antique-filled cottage with large walled garden and an allotment near Versailles. Gardeners will be happy

A cracking place full of fun and interest where you feel instantly at home. Large peaceful rooms, delicious breakfasts, countryside views

Escape your cares here, move from terrace to terrace tracking the sun's progress and dive into the sea from your own swimming platform

In off-the-beaten-track Tuscany, 2 peaceful apartments in a former haybarn, both carefully renovated with antique furniture

Lodge and gardens – superbly designed, immaculate, fresh, eco friendly – rest in unspoilt Picardy. Anglo-French hosts take turns to cook

High in Ávila's unspoilt nature is this stylish, eco-brilliant family hotel: mountains, massages, pool, organic dinners... a special escape

A very comfortable and attractive 1820 gate lodge surrounded by mature trees on a family estate, in gently rolling countryside

A B&B with a soul, walks to thrill the heart. In these peaceful hills northwest of Como, views challenge you to keep your eyes on the road

A wonderfully comfortable light-filled house with long views, a sandy beach to walk to, fabulous walking and wildlife and a superb kitchen

Beautifully restored medieval hall house – perfect for big family gatherings, with separate cottage, replica steam train and secluded garden

Come to this delightful house, a marriage of old stones and modern furniture, for pure remote air, great outdoor sports and fine dining

An important spot for this grand 19th-century château on the banks of the Loire, steeped in history and with kind, erudite owners

An 18th-century fisherman's cottage with garden at the end of a cobbled row, for happy seaside holidays with superb beaches nearby

Rooms in an old palazzo in the historic centre of town, with a swimming pool, restaurant and café, and lovely beaches a short drive away

A lovely little bolthole for two on a gorgeous estate with restaurant, deli and superb gardens, sculpture walk and wildflower meadows