Wooded, lakeside retreat for 1 or 2 – big windows, huge terrace, wood-burner, wide screen. The Jurassic coast a cross-country walk away

Learn about local lore, taste the wines, bliss out in the garden and enjoy the company of Éric and Cathy, warm, humorous and talented hosts

A honey-stone 1800s house, sitting pretty in acres of fields and woodlands, with a pool, lovely gardens and a separate cottage next door

Lovely small hotel in quirky market town surrounded by miles of stunning country – pretty rooms, tasty food and fine ales wait

A proper old-fashioned inn dating from the 1600s with beamed ceilings, low doorways and winding staircases up to comfortable bedrooms

An elegantly renovated coaching inn with inspired design, beautifully simple pub food, tempting ales and gloriously comfortable bedrooms

Come for the space and silence, the birds and the beach; soak up wild vistas, warm yourself by the fire pit - a Sawday's Community Champion

Two lovely old cottages, part of the 1700 stable block on the St Giles estate, with 5,000 acres to roam, for walkers and peace seekers

A large tranquil apartment with garden and pool surrounded by Tuscan countryside, just over half an hour's drive from Siena

In the heart of the East Sussex countryside, a fun community inn, with rustic-historic bedrooms, scrumptious food, and a great welcome for dogs

Come with friends for a cookery course, or with the kids, and enjoy the creative feel of the place - and the food! Venice 40 mins by train

A calm, leafy bolthole in one of Paris' most elegant districts. Step out to stylish boutiques, good bakeries – and the Eiffel Tower

A big old house with a lovely pool, surrounded by ancient olives just 3kms from the sea and deep in the heart of Bandol wine country

Come here in the summer (it’s closed Nov-April except by arrangement) for candlelit dining, chintzy bedrooms, long views over the park...

Find history and splendour in bucketfuls on this huge, friendly, wooded domaine. A winning combination of modern luxury and ancient peace

Once a hunting lodge, this unique and authentic 18th-century architectural folly sits up a quiet tree-lined drive on the edge of the estate

If houses could smile, this 1850 townhouse would be beaming - grand for groups, with four terraces, two living rooms and a plunge pool