A luxurious springboard for the wineries, villages and treasures of south Tuscany in the magical Orcia valley - if you can bear to leave it!

Come for the glorious Northumbrian countryside and a neat-as-a-pin cottage with much comfort and a private garden near to the coast

Enter through an impressive stone arch to discover this 16th-century fortified manor house with a gorgeous communal dining and seating area

Explore country markets, churches and châteaux - return to a gite in private parkland with an artist's studio on site, and a blissful pool

Settle into an unhurried pace of life on the coast. Comfortable houses and an eco-friendly garden; yoga, massages and riding can be arranged

Peaceful Highland hideaway on a wooded lochside: spy dolphins and otters, stargaze, and soak up the deep silence

In a hamlet in the Loire countryside is a friendly estate with a family-sized gite, a shared saltwater pool and heaps of old-world charm

Treat yourselves to a stay on one of the oldest wine estates in Provence and a family house from the 1740s, complete with antiques

This famous old country house might not come cheap, but where else can you splash out in such decadent style for life’s big celebrations?

Hilltop château on the edge of a small village half an hour from Saint-Émilion, with a lovely garden, a swimming pool and two lakes

Come on down to this working farm for delicious organic food, an on-site sourdough bakery and crisp bedrooms in a pretty farmhouse

French elegance meets English comfort in Paris by St Germain. Organic croissants, crisp duvets, an open fire... a favourite of many guests

Enjoy convivial gatherings from this Georgian country house with acres of land, gardens and woodlands just a short hop from Durham

Come to a gorgeous bolthole, just for two, in a sleepy riverside village with the delights of the Corrèze at your feet

A gorgeously quirky historic building overlooking the bustling harbour with a cracking bar, St Austell ales, superb food and stylish rooms

On a magical peninsular in west Galloway, land of sea and cows, 2 stylish cottages & a farmhouse perfect for nature-loving families...

Nestled next to the main house, this feels part cottage and part townhouse, making a cosy retreat just a couple of miles from the coast