A gorgeous setting for this elegant Bordelais house sitting handsome on top of the hill and surrounded by vines, woodland and valley views

A gem of a house in a lovely unspoilt village with an intelligent, interesting owner who gives you delicious food and local wines

Magnificent house with old-fashioned charm and gardens leading down to the Beaulieu River – take the footpath to Beaulieu or Bucklers Hard

Come for summer breakfasts of pastries fresh from the local bakery, afternoons reading by the pool and long, lazy lunches

A rural haven in a lovely garden with comfortable bedrooms, brilliant breakfasts and bikes for hire – explore the Parque Natural

Charming manor house B&B, packed with character, interest and history, sitting in extensive gardens and with elegant bedrooms

Two homely gîtes sleeping 4 and 2 in rural farm country. Walk to the bakery; drive 15 minutes to Saint-Malo and riverside restaurants

Gaze over sublime vistas, refresh in the plunge pool, cook up a barbecue treat. A Provençal studio, simply furnished and deeply relaxing

A lake to fish, a terrace for evening sun and a choice of two spaces, quite private and with a shared pool and games room just a short hop from pretty Auvillar

A dear little cottage with many comforts and a private garden, off the beaten track and surrounded by mountains, valleys and trees

You're overlooking the main square in medieval Umbertide from this cosy, second-floor apartment, so you'll feel very much like a local

A traditional, grand 1850 townhouse sitting in a large, landscaped garden with mature trees, a short walk to the village centre and square

A beguiling retreat for a couple or a family of four – feel cosy and secluded in a thatched cottage close to the coast

A stone built 18th-century tower in a pretty valley dotted with fruit trees for quiet and relaxed days recuperating from life in the city

Blissful tranquillity - yet an easy drive from St Paul de Vence (legendary haunt of Matisse and Picasso) and 10km from the Riviera

An elegant Burgundian townhouse on the fringe of Morvan National Park in Côte d'Or. Dijon, Beaune and Chablis - all an easy drive away

Come for big, peaceful bedrooms with views, delicious home cooked breakfasts and riverside strolls through ancient beech woodland

A charming transformation of a once boarded-up pub in a pretty village setting, beside the river Wye in the heart of the Peak District