Visit the walled city of Evora, have dinner with the friendliest hosts, pet the dogs & donkeys. Head out for culture, vineyards and menhirs

Come for a pretty village in fabulous walking country, delicious estate-sourced food, friendly staff and very comfortable bedrooms

Ease through a beautiful wrought iron gate to a courtyard and an elegant 1700s creamy stone holiday house, part of the château estate

A snug Snowdonia bolthole arranged around a vast boulder, once home to Victorian artists inspired by the setting. For romantic hikers

Surrounded by wildlife and water, this ultra-modern house has huge windows, white walls and designer furnishings. Blissfully remote

A renovated barn, part stone, part wood, resembling the tobacco barns of the area with beautiful grounds surrounded by farmland

Escape to your own barn. Brimming with beams and natural colours - surrounded by peaceful lavender-filled gardens and corn fields

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

A scrupulously renovated dog-friendly gate lodge with garden and outdoor dining area, a five-minute drive from Mount Congreve Gardens

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

Leave crowds behind for this charming stone farmhouse in the olive groves of rural Umbria – bring friends and have it all to yourselves

An authentic, charming and spacious home with garden, pool and lake, deep in the Dordogne valley and decorated with uncluttered elegance

Three airy gîtes set in 300 acres of vineyard and gardens. A welcoming base for exploring the marvellous Minervois – 15km from Carcassonne

At the gates of a country estate, two quirky hexagonal lodge houses with private outdoor seating and acres of grounds for walks and picnics

Stylishly refurbished gastro inn on historic market square with gorgeous bedrooms, local ciders and some rather tasty food

An upmarket, very comfortable old stone village house with tasty breakfasts and a sunny courtyard full of colourful flowers

Generous apartments in a 300-year-old farmhouse with beautiful grounds and a swimming pool

Pretty, thatched, perfectly round: a romantic village bolthole with retro touches. Grab flip-flops, leads and run the dogs on Pendower beach