Come for serene countryside, walks through bird-filled woods and this lovely old house with gracious hosts and very beautiful bedrooms

Provençal charm floats through the ground floor of this 18th-century home in a vineyard near Lorgues. Walk, cycle, swim, enjoy the peace

A 16th-century timbered riverside inn with a relaxed, rustic feel, garden cabin rooms with views and fresh seasonal and homegrown food

Large, unpretentious and very comfortable family house in splendid isolation with swimming pool, tennis court and well-tended gardens

Deep in the Wye Valley you’ll find wild swimming, kayaking and down-time. This cottage is a spacious yet cosy base for any adventure

Rural peace just an hour from London in your own gorgeous converted hay barn, ten minutes from Alton

A cracking English inn with open fires, great food, gorgeous rooms, happy staff, lovely gardens and well-kept English ales

Ideal for families: pool, tennis and golf at the hotel with beach and yachting nearby. Comfortable bedrooms and a terrace for outdoor dining

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

A 17th-century Grade II listed inn, bustling with a mix of visitors and locals, friendly staff, very comfortable rooms and scrumptious food

In the gardens of a laid-back country house, a barn with books, games, faded rugs and a grand piano – a treat for convivial families

Superb, all-organic agriturismo built of straw bales and offering wonderful home-grown natural food, a delightful family, great walking

The views take your breath away, the breakfasts are beautiful, and you feel like you're staying in the home of dear friends

A thoughtful conversion of an old farm barn with beautifully-beamed interiors - a flawless, rural escape for romantics and dreamers

A small, family-run boutique hotel sitting right at the foot of Etna with wonderful views, garden, pool and ambrosial Sicilian breakfasts

Full of country-hideaway chic, this special holiday home is in one of the loveliest parts of the Var, surrounded by 10 private acres

Superb views, generous hosts and roof terrace sunsets in a peaceful village between coast and countryside – authentic and full of charm

A soothing, deeply romantic bolthole with simple interiors and its own little private garden, next to a winery and surrounded by vineyards