You get the best of all worlds here. Delicious beds, Provençal soaps, vineyard views, fresh croissants a stroll away…

A cosy cottage on a farm down a long winding track, wonderfully rural with footpaths across fields or along the canal

A hop from the Côte d'Azur is this elegant home: bring friends, explore the garden, curl up on the sofa, dip in the heated pool

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

Sumptuous and pampering with monogrammed sheets and frescoed walls.More for honeymooners and couples than lolly-licking tots

Elegant, charming home in leafy, peaceful garden - pâtisserie courses and good dinners. Champagne vineyards and historic Provins are nearby

A surprisingly roomy interior for this pretty chocolate-box cottage in the middle of the village, just a ten-minute walk from Lulworth Cove

A big, comfortable house with heated outdoor pool in 17 acres of gardens. Mountains, river swimming, hiking nearby; coast within the hour

The views are green, both cottages are homely and comfortable and the gardens have direct access to the riverbank footpath for walks

Charmingly rambling, inside and out: blazing fires, riotous patterns, oak panelling, a prolific garden and comfortable antique beds

A swishly renovated detached hideaway up a hill, surrounded by vineyards and with a covered deck for sweeping views just outside Beaune

A peaceful, beautiful place to wake up in and to return to after glorious walks, with no near neighbours apart from curious sheep

Perfect château B&B with pointy turrets and pale blue shutters, surrounded by gorgeous countryside, a cycle route and ancient villages

A light, bright and peaceful 18th-century palazzo in a very quiet town, with a sea-view terrace, peaceful bedrooms and delicious breakfasts

Bask in the warmth of the owners at this chic 'maison de maître' in off-track Provence - 12km from lovely hilltop Gordes

A country house, elegant and unstuffy, at the heart of a working Lazio olive farm. Lunch by the pool or unwind at the hot spring spa

Chatty Madame is a superb cook, and her pretty house and garden in a quiet Yvelines village are equally delicious. Zip to Paris by train