Perfect for lovers of the quintessentially English cottage - carefully renovated and classily stylish - a ramble to nearest pub

A large, attractive 18th-century house with sweeping lawns, outdoor seating areas and two free-standing baths by an ivy-clad wall

You have your own entrance to a private wing with a garden and an elegant sitting room. Bedrooms are beautiful and breakfast scrumptious

A fabulous Belle Epoque château with much wow factor set in vast grounds with lawns and lakes, circled by a dense forest

A lovely old stone house with a covered veranda and sparkling pool in a small hilltop hamlet overlooking a lush forested valley

An 18th-century beamed inn with tasty food, pretty bedrooms and a large garden just a ten-minute drive from Chichester

Delicious vegetarian cooking, a pool, lemon groves and hazy views of the Hyblaean mountains make a perfect escape near Cassibile

Laze in the pool, nibble olives from the market, gaze over Provence. Inside, English meets classic French. Fabulous for families

A lofty, spacious feel to this converted barn with stunning views over rolling hills, swooping swallows in summer and an honesty farm shop

A delightful coastal house with lush courtyard gardens, masses of space, home office and terraces galore

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

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

Tranquil cottage tucked away on a private estate on the Llyn Peninsula, with walks starting from the door and unspoiled beaches to discover

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

A hop to Montpellier, but deep in the countryside: a romantic pad, with Moroccan rugs, ochre-limed walls and bikes to ride into the country

A hideaway for two on an old farm, gifted to The National Trust for Jersey, with a pretty walled garden and circled by verdant countryside

Traditional accommodation and organic food; handy for Bari but set peacefully in the countryside near Toritto, famed for its almonds

A very pretty Victorian gothic house of limestone and brick, sitting peacefully on the edge of the village, eight miles from foodie Ludlow