Imperious old coaching inn lost in deep country with a river to fish, five-mile views, delicious rooms and some very tasty food

A lovely big house with huge riverside gardens and an easy-going charm – a 15-minute walk from bookish Hay-on-Wye

A unique 1900 house and garden on the edge of Lyon, steeped in history and authenticity – a beautiful home with museum-quality objects

Take a suite with champagne, strawberries and a tower, swim in the saltwater pool, eat a Castilian cocido - unwind in rural peace!

An 1820s beach house just 50 metres from the pretty sands and a first-floor deck for al fresco meals with stunning views over the water

Escape to mountains, sea and sky, simple rooms and lovely food. Walk, swim, read, write, nurture your soul

Step back in time at this wonderfully authentic château, loved deeply by its owners - 25km from Beaune and the Route des Grands Crus

An exquisitely restored 500-year-old inn, where the accent is very much on food, reared and grown nearby and with very comfortable rooms

A gorgeous wooden-clad off-grid cottage deep in the National Park with far-reaching views, unfussy interiors and spoiling extra treatments

This eco-friendly farmhouse in the hills of Fiesole is 10km from Florence. Good company, superb views of Tuscany, and food for the soul!

Come for a traffic-free medieval hamlet in sleepy Maremma with easy-going hosts, a beautiful garden and views over the valley

An elegant 1892 building, once the village school, now a very comfortable, colourful B&B with warm owners and delicious breakfasts

Explore ‘Green Provence’ on e-bikes, enjoy the pool and calm of a Mediterranean garden surrounded by vineyards. Return to a delicious dinner

Come for good architecture, thoughtful design and much space for relaxing: swimming, massages, hammam and sauna, beautiful bedrooms

Tucked down an alley off the main road through Midhurst, this well-designed, generous-spirited little house exudes character and quirk

Sweep through vast wrought iron gates to this elegant Grade I listed Georgian country house with a swimming lake, yoga studio and sauna

Deep in Calvados near vibrant Caen, a cider barn with stylish bedrooms, quirky objets, a bar in the salon. Charming hosts welcome families

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