Warm interiors, pretty bedrooms and excellent breakfasts – good value in a very handy central spot

Converted barn with the most welcoming owners – the garden and pool are all yours; explore a less touristy part of the Dordogne

A wonderful surprise inside this 1590 house sitting in a beautiful walled garden full of fruit trees, just off the High Street

In the foothills of the Pyrenees, a rambling, romantic garden to lose yourself in, a large swimming pool, wildlife and vineyards all around

Heart-soaring Pyrenean views, animals roaming, natural materials in simple rural rooms, organic food: it’s a superbly welcoming eco-lodge

A Grade II listed pub in pretty Amberley - tuck into innovative menus, explore West Sussex, retire to gorgeous bedrooms

A renovated barn, part stone, part wood, resembling the tobacco barns of the area with beautiful grounds surrounded by farmland

An ancient farmhouse transformed into a peaceful place to stay with lovely gardens, a swimming pool and delicious organic food

A Grade II listed 1669 ex-Almshouse in a row of three in walking distance of the historic town centre of Ashbourne and the Tissington Trail

In off-the-beaten-track Tuscany, 2 peaceful apartments in a former haybarn, both carefully renovated with antique furniture

Crackling fires in winter, croquet in the summer. Life ticks by peacefully - rooms are engagingly old-fashioned, the garden is much-loved

This secluded New Forest inn is a magnet for families in summer: a good pint and the log fire make it a superb winter hideaway too

On the site of an old sawmill in the mountains of the Jura, a guesthouse of warmth and charm - with table d'hôtes, a pool and a spa

High-up, simple apartments, pools with fabulous views; kids play-things and donkeys, the glittering coast, Rapallo and Portofino down below

Surrounded by wildlife and water, this ultra-modern house has huge windows, white walls and designer furnishings. Blissfully remote

A chalet-with-everything: great mountain style, space and comfort with views of Mont Blanc, a sauna and bubbling hot tub

Three airy gîtes set in 300 acres of vineyard and gardens. A welcoming base for exploring the marvellous Minervois – 15km from Carcassonne

Farmhouse B&B with thoughtful hosts and superb breakfasts; Michelin-star dining is in the village and thermal baths are near