An idyllic hotel-restaurant in a postcard-pretty medieval village. Warm interiors, a varied menu of local produce, masses to see and do...

A lovely gîte with cool lines and its own shady terrace plus pool, gardens, fountain and a relaxed family-friendly feel

A reader writes, 'This place turned out to be one of life's wonderful experiences - a beautiful setting, gorgeous food, kindest of hosts...'

The perfect country cottage made of pretty Quercy stone, with generously sized rooms and outside dining with gorgeous rural views

Delightful hamlet of beautifully restored cottages with a pool, surrounded by fields, forest and deer. The perfect spot for a digital detox

A restored Dordogne farmhouse with a dash of Scandi flair - heated pool, bucolic views, and beautifully designed bedrooms

An elegant, super central bolthole for two (or three): stroll everywhere, hop on a vaporetto, sit in piazzas drinking cappuccino, live like a local

A babbling brook, the sound of birdsong and centuries of history steeped into the walls of this medieval barn, plus a heated indoor pool

An attractive converted stable with covered veranda, private garden and views over rolling countryside, minutes from the coast

Something to astound at every turn where the traditional and downright quirky collide to stunning effect. Friendly, flexible hosts too

'Pinch me' views over Lake Como, a stony beach below, Varenna on your doorstep... these chic apartments are in an idyllic spot

Superb architecture & design reflect the industrial past, present and future in this cutting-edge pod for 2 - a Sawday's Community Champion

A period manor and pretty rooms in old stables: a quiet base for Pas-de-Calais and Picardie. Madame loves the house, animals, story-telling

Chocolate-box cottages in deepest Normandy, owned by bright young things with a passion for organic cuisine and the good life

A former tobacco barn and an annexe with outdoor kitchen and courtyard, near good places to eat for relaxed days at the beach

A great find if you want to be close to all the action but nicely tucked away. Friendly pub downstairs, cool bedrooms up, Soho 20 minutes

The sort of inn we all love – open fires, original beams, ancient flags, tasty food, with lovely bedrooms thrown in for good measure

Come for a bright, roomy, uber-green and accessible larch-clad space with garden and pond in pretty countryside