Lovely old house with award-winning restaurant and indoor swimming pool. Sleeps up to 18 so just the ticket for a big family gathering

No-nonsense farm conversions with open, airy rooms and good big showers sharing a pool, a playground and fabulous views. Great walks, too

Comfort, warmth and thoughtful breakfasts at this informal, friendly B&B, sitting in a lush spot between the mountains and the sea

Everything you need is here: a wood-burner for winter, a pool and spacious terraces for summer, and peace and beauty all year round

On a quiet road leading to the sea, this sleepy village pub has been sensitively restored. Enjoy good food, sleep in comfy bedrooms

Ascot is a trot down the road and there's a really cosy, cottagey feel to this quaint 18th-century inn with great food and comfy bedrooms

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

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

Modest and authentic, a top-floor apartment in an eco-friendly Provençal farmhouse, with dogs and hens. River swims are a stroll away...

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

Grand, elegant, sumptuous – a bucolic bolthole for happy holidays in much comfort, with stunning green views to lake and deer park

Agriturismo at its best - delightful hosts, communal meals of superb home-grown food, homely rooms, a garden filled with fragrant flowers...

A perfectly renovated farmhouse in the grounds of a delightful château deep in the Normandy countryside, with a lovely walled garden

Come for an exceptionally inviting 17th-century inn, a chocolate-box Cotswold village, excellent local food and ales, very comfortable rooms

A stunning renovation for this fishing station Ice House on the shore of Gruinard Bay, with magical views, wildlife and Scot-Scandi interiors

In a quiet, ancient country town – outdoor breakfasts and indoor style: trompe l’oeil decorations, frescoes, vaulted panelled ceilings

If you need a great place in which to relax and don’t want to pay too much for it, try these excellent suites, which spoil you all the way

One of the loveliest houses in a very lovely village. Pretty rooms have parquet floors and white walls, the food is a delight