Crackling fires in winter, croquet in the summer. Life ticks by peacefully - rooms are engagingly old-fashioned, the garden is much-loved

There’s a calm feel to this three-storey cottage, close to the centre of Bridport and the beach. Great for families, walkers and dogs

Near lively Lyon, this handsome family house is perfect for a Zen-like escape with delicious vegetarian meals and well-travelled hosts

A 200-year-old quintessential Umbrian farmhouse with pool, immersed in nature and with no immediate neighbours for lazy, peaceful days

Great for gatherings of family and friends: fine views, a good big kitchen, games room and pool; nearby caves and castles to explore

A friendly, generous, big old house with not an ounce of pretension. Big families will adore gathering here to have fun and unwind

Great taste – in decor and food – and a delicious heated pool. Views swoop over field and valley; trails, villages, wineries tempt

Tea in the summerhouse, breakfast by the fire, fresh flowers all around this warm family home. Step out to historic Shrewsbury high street

Peaceful converted barn on a remote working farm – pet the donkeys, wild swim and row on the lake, warm up around the wood-burner

Bring family or friends to this beautiful 16th-century stone manor house standing in a tiny hamlet in the heart of the Dordogne

The views are breathtaking over forest and field from this lovely barn conversion on a working farm, for special gatherings

Comfortable apartment steeped in Breton history, in a beautifully renovated gabarier’s house overlooking the marine estuary

Simple and rustic, this early 1700s farmhouse has warmth and charm, surrounded by countryside in the Perche

An ancient coaching inn opposite the church in the prettiest village – just the ticket for weary travellers who deserve nurturing

A country house, elegant and unstuffy, at the heart of a working Lazio olive farm. Lunch by the pool or unwind at the hot spring spa

A stylish, canal-side inn – you get Sunday lunch, tow paths that lead into Edinburgh, then a pretty garden and cute rooms

Stylish eco barns with generous hampers - Threshing Barn sleeps 8, Hay Barn 2. Close to village, beach & pub, with friendly owners close by

Garden lovers will flock to this lovely B&B with two spacious suites and delicious breakfasts – a good spot by a quiet hamlet