Lavender shortbread and baked peaches for breakfast at this most artistic of homes. The courtyard with magnolia and orange trees is lovely

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

An 18th-century townhouse on a quiet Arles street with a traditional feel and kind hosts - you'll be the only guests at this Provençal home

Kate makes you feel at home the moment you enter her great big beloved house - full of books, guitars and a piano, antiques and huge spaces

Tranquil manor house deep in Bordeaux wine region with six acres of grounds, a tennis court and swimming pool

This stylish B&B is foodie heaven. Its eclectic, multicultural menu - and décor to match - make for a special getaway to the Cornish coast

Come to be looked after very well in this meticulously renovated old farmhouse with elegant bedrooms, tasty breakfasts and a kind host

Elegant Regency rectory full of charm, with walks in all directions, views to gaze at and kind, generous hosts. A rare place

A lovely farmhouse in Lot with acres of garden and a summer kitchen. Come ‘en famille’ for food, wine and lazy days by the pool.

A chilled, family-friendly hotel on a sandy surfing beach with huge views and a sensational pool with sustainability at its heart

Converted stables in the grounds of a manor house in a peaceful village just outside Banbury with lovely walking in the Cherwell Valley

Saint Emilion and Castillon both a hop away from a warm, wonderful barn with owners to match. Stylish, cosy and deep in organic vines

Come for home-baked bread, eggs from the hens, arrays of fresh fruit, and fabulous river views... your hosts do lovely B&B

Feel at ease in a lovely old townhouse filled with pictures and personality and including a separate loft apartment

Lodge and gardens – superbly designed, immaculate, fresh, eco friendly – rest in unspoilt Picardy. Anglo-French hosts take turns to cook

A majestic renovation of a Victorian 'model' farm with underfloor heating, open plan design, light bright lines and not a whiff of IKEA

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

A lovely, spacious 1830s house in the heart of arty Westport with nearly an acre of garden, an apple orchard and the river running past