Stay a while... lulled by lapping sea and fragrant hanging gardens - cool, light, balconied, classic, intimate, unpretentious

Bring the family for a traditional Tuscan apartment holiday with a restaurant and pool on site, all surrounded by rippling green countryside

A spacious courtyard, two ancient yews and this lovely restored house ooze charm - swim, cycle, walk in glorious countryside, taste cognac

An intimate cottage in deepest Cheshire, perfect for exploring Roman Chester, walking or relaxing in the garden

A light and bright converted milking parlour in a rural idyll with a barbecue hut, a spa overlooked by horses and a shared hot tub

The central part of a much larger building in a 17th-century hamlet with bright, spacious rooms, shared pool and glorious private gardens

A comfy cottage for two in the quiet, leafy outskirts of Aix with easy access to the city and a kind, attentive owner nearby

A warm, gracious townhouse in a small town, run by delightful new hosts. Explore chateaux, canoe on the Loire... cycle to Angers!

At the foot of the Cambrian Mountains, an ancient whitewashed cottage with cosy, light-flooded interiors – a perfect rural bolthole for two

In a thrilling mountain landscape made for walkers... 4 eco cottages with some of the most spectacular views in Catalunya

A dear little gingerbread-style house in the prettiest part of the estate with your own pontoon and boat on the edge of a shimmering lake

A spacious and bright old sandstone farm building with private garden, all one one level and with lovely views over fields and countryside

Between Penzance and Helston and close to surf beaches, a perfect place for two. For peace-seekers and lovers of mid-century design

Come for a quintessentially English country cottage tucked down a village path with wisteria in the garden and a short walk to a foodie pub

Close to the honeypots of Domme and Sarlat, a hideaway for 2 in an ancient French hamlet. The apartment is serene, the views are glorious

An 18th-century limestone barn, now a quiet hideaway for a group of friends or family in a very rural spot surrounded by fields and woods

A grand yet very homely place with tasty home cooking and 200 acres to explore. Play golf, sail, cycle – wonderfully informal

Italian style marries Californian comfort, with views over hilltop towns, vineyards and the majestic Sibillini mountains beyond