A warm and convivial place steeped in French history with an interesting, kind host who really looks after you. Under an hour from Paris too

You’re in Snowdonia National Park: cycle, hike, swim, climb & trampoline to your heart’s content. Come home to comfort, warmth, grand views

A small, quirky country house hotel with lovely staff, pretty rooms and heavenly food served in a pillared dining room

A peaceful, romantic village escape for couples, plus a babe-in-arms, attached to the welcoming owners' home in the Scottish Borders

Immerse yourself, luxuriously, in beautiful rural Picardy – mirabelle jam, peaceful parkland, walking in the hills – near historic Amiens

Independence at one end of the house with your own sitting room opening onto a courtyard garden. Good pub for food a few minutes' walk away

Big house in peaceful lush oasis among the bananas, vines and aloe vera, a 20-minute walk down into Funchal

Adorable cottages in pastoral peace with views to Wimborne Minster; cook and eat in modern kitchens. Blue flag beaches are close

Your very own château in the Dordogne for big family get-togethers and special celebrations

Stay just minutes from the sea in colourful Donaghadee for wild swims, island visits, bird watching and coastal walks

A self-catering apartment in the wing of a traditional Burgundian winemaker's house in a tiny hamlet, surrounded by fields of vines

Find beauty and tranquillity on this historic Dordogne estate for up to fourteen - plus a feast of designer colour and a fine pool to share

Immaculate Cotswold beauty with great food, welcoming staff, handsome rooms and a sun-trap terrace, plus countryside walks from the door

A confident style for this mid-19th-century house, with a Mediterranean garden, elegant terrace and pool, a stroll from the historic centre

A relaxed home-from-home feel at this Spanish house with old-fashioned charm, a big garden and pool and lovely views from every window

A smooth, contemporary space with far-reaching views, plenty of light and high ceilings for nature lovers, walkers, artists and dreamers

A peaceful, harmonious house with roots in the 14th century, a glorious enclosed pool area and a huge amount of space for happy gatherings