Your host runs home and B&B with effortless efficiency and you'll find shiny, spotless rooms to retreat to after a day's exploring

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 lovely old 19th-century inn by the sea with hand-pumped ales, fresh local and seasonal food and spoiling bedrooms, some with sea views

Up the drive flanked by grazing horses, to a warm welcome from the housekeeper and a great fire in the hall. Perfect for family gatherings

Enjoy a bucolic setting (hike, ride, cycle) near medieval Vannes, a short hop from the sea – and lively conversation with friendly hosts

A modern, architect-designed renovation of a 19th-century building, sitting in harmony with nature yet only a short drive from Bordeaux

A historic Cornish farmhouse, sitting pretty in its own land at the side of a valley, with comfortable bedrooms and an independent feel

In an outstanding area for lovers of food and wine, here are 3 beautiful boltholes in the Alto Douro, the oldest wine region in the world

For escapists, wannabe writers and lovers of rural bliss: two boho hideaways for two (four at a squeeze) in this lush corner of Galicia

An eco B&B (minus hair shirt) in the stunning Meon Valley surrounded by woodland and wildlife - a Sawday's Community Champion

An exquisite Provençal home for a large party, hidden behind grand gates in a small village surrounded by the pine-scented Alpilles

Minutes from old Ajaccio (a scenic cycle ride) is a charming small hotel with a stunning bay setting, and majestic mountains behind

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

Three tranquil apartments in the Ria Formosa nature reserve with a stunning natural pool, near to a village and sandy beaches

Quaint barns dotted among truffle oaks and rosemary, each one constructed the old-fashioned way and close to the Dordogne and Vézère

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

Huge picture windows, oak floors, contemporary furnishings and stunning views. Pool, tennis court, gym and Jacuzzi too

A light-filled, modern house with wonderful sea views through vast picture windows stretching all the way to St Kilda on clear days