A mix of bold colours, modern art and vintage finds give this classic French mansion bags of personality

Gracious Florentine hospitality, elegance and comfort, gazebo breakfasts, a flower-filled garden with pool and views of olive groves

Style, comfort and tranquillity combine in a lovely B&B near Bergerac. Sleep in elegant four-poster beds, breakfast on the sunny terrace…

Grand Scottish home with stunning views & a tea-and-shortbread welcome. Historic castles, local festivals, golf, East Lothian beaches abound

Provençale-meets-English country house to great effect – cycle Mont Ventoux, walk to the monastery, visit Roman towns and vineyards

For families who love a Great British beach holiday, this beach-side cottage on Hayling Island near Portsmouth is just the ticket

Portuguese elegance, artistic décor, breakfast on a fountain'd patio or by the fire: a treat. Step out to a kaleidoscope of Lisbon city life

Play boules in the garden, swim in the natural pool and enjoy Monica’s wonderful cooking served with local wines at this village farmhouse

Style abounds in this exquisite Côte d'Azur family getaway, where lazy days are whiled away by the pool and in the quiet bird-filled gardens

Find gilded mirrors, rich brocades, Fragonard toiletries and an unexpected roof terrace at this 6-bedroom guest house near St Mark’s Square

Treat yourselves to a stay in the gloriously comfortable Astor Wing with private terrace and views to Hever Castle and the Tudor Garden

A shady terrace runs the full length of this old barn, overlooking magnificent trees and fields of sheep. Riberac is a 10-minute drive

Two lovely cottages with a fresh, modern style, private terrace, tranquil communal gardens with an orchard and pool

Wooded, lakeside retreat for 1 or 2 – big windows, huge terrace, wood-burner, wide screen. The Jurassic coast a cross-country walk away

Georgian country house with rustic charm and a home-from-home feel. In the heart of Wiltshire just outside historic town Bradford-on-Avon

Stay a while... lulled by lapping sea and fragrant hanging gardens - cool, light, balconied, classic, intimate, unpretentious

A 17th-century traditional Welsh longhouse in a very sheltered spot facing south and with a pretty garden surrounded by fields and meadows

A beautiful old building with generous windows, arched doorways and opulent interiors in the glorious countryside by a fairy tale château