Smart, spacious house for 12 with great views over the family vineyard - arrange a tasting, walk the Cotswold Way, cycle the canal towpath

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

A special place indeed, particularly for honeymooners and lovers. It's steeped in history & romance with delightful gardens to roam at will

Stay in the grounds of a 19th-century château turned family home, where 500-year-old oak trees shade a glorious garden

Traditional house in a rural part of the Algarve with a spectacular garden, a pool and a tennis court, and restaurants a short stroll

A picture-perfect village and a beautifully refurbished 17th-century inn with a cracking bar, stylish bedrooms and delicious pub food

Warm interiors, pretty bedrooms and excellent breakfasts – good value in a very handy central spot

Cosy country cottage for four on an organic farm in the Welsh borders. Wake to the sounds of birds and sheep, walk off supper on rural romps

Three gîtes in the Dordogne with panoramic countryside views and a swimming pool – book individually or together for a group holiday

Rustic, relaxing, comfortable and fun with pool and play area, river beaches, great hosts, peaceful countryside, an hour from Porto

20 minutes’ walk from Gordes and a hop from Aix, find grownup peace and minimalism for lovers of modern style and timeless Provence

Hilltop paradise with a pool, spa, and a wild-open setting: perfect for hikers, bikers, painters, wine lovers! Large groups welcome

Comfortable Clifton home a hop from shops, restaurants, harbour ferry and the heart of Bristol. With easy-going hosts and great breakfasts

A very romantic and peaceful Umbrian hideaway just for two with delicious breakfasts and wonderful views from house and pool

A beautiful house with Pyrenean views, generous hosts and wonderful hiking, biking and skiing nearby. A rare pearl

This friendly, Scottish island B&B has the Atlantic at the end of the garden and air so clean the lichen grows like beards from the trees

A lovely little bolthole to return to after days out exploring pretty Cotswold villages and walking in an AONB straight from the door

Get away from it all in 'old' France, where melons taste like melons & hikes start from the door. This rural bolthole is a serious treat