Year-round Alpine fun at this peaceful home a short hop from the peaks with calm bedrooms, delicious breakfasts and mountain views

You'll feel relaxed in this big light-filled house with plunge pool and outdoor cinema; walk along the river with Portugal on the other side

Easy-going, stylish rooms, a lovely, relaxing garden with natural pool - 1hr north of Lisbon and close to some of the world’s best beaches

A handsome old country manor house in the heart of the Loire castles surrounded by parkland, forests, lakes, small hamlets, vineyards and châteaux

An old chapel, smartly and sustainably converted, with a hot tub to soothe tired limbs after country walks through fells and dales

With a sauna in the woods and a Nordic bath by the lake, these carefully renovated farm buildings are a lovely slow-living retreat

Bold, bright decor within the 19th-century walls of this pretty courtyard cottage, with a hot tub and long views over parkland and lake

An irresistible eco restaurant-hotel of character and charm, run by two friendly families and set in gorgeous grounds. Foodie heaven

An elegant medieval manor in the Loire with spiral stone staircases, mullioned windows, jaunty turrets and a fairytale suite just for you

Charming gardens for you and your dog in a barn conversion in rural Norfolk half an hour from coast

At the end of a long drive, a converted stable building on a private estate sits among Madiran's vineyards with the Pyrenees not far away

A pub with rooms in the epicentre of London on trendy Westbourne Grove, a ten-minute stroll from Notting Hill

Come with friends for a cookery course, or with the kids, and enjoy the creative feel of the place - and the food! Venice 40 mins by train

Chocolate-box cottages in deepest Normandy, owned by bright young things with a passion for organic cuisine and the good life

Italian style marries Californian comfort, with views over hilltop towns, vineyards and the majestic Sibillini mountains beyond

Former blacksmith’s workshop in a chocolate-box corner of the New Forest, where clematis climbs the trellis and all you hear are the birds

Boutique hotel next to Funchal’s 15th-century cathedral, with a champagne and lobster bar, rooftop cocktail bar and an excellent restaurant