Like staying in a family home, only with Henri III furniture and rolling green views. Energetic hosts cook, farm, hunt, chat over champagne

Magical sunshine-filled grounds with olive trees, palms, cacti and carob surround the charmingly-coloured stone of these 1750 farm buildings

Come for a restorative and restful stay on a wine estate with a beautiful landscaped garden and engaging owners who make you delicious meals

Painting courses on request, gardens full of roses, a parasol’d terrace, a seductive pool… we love this welcoming, traditional hotel

Close to Girona, with huge valley views! Cosy fires for cool days, shady corners for hot ones, lovely people, and the food a revelation

Fabulous Drôme gîtes: contemporary in old stone buildings, uncluttered, fresh. Take all 5 for a party, laze by pool, doze in lavender

You'll feel ensconced in the countryside in this cosy cottage with a private garden overlooking the little vineyard and a secluded pool

Recharge and reconnect with your creative side in one of Ania's workshops; secret coves, wild swimming and coastal walks are all close

In a bustling port town on the Adriatic coast, this family-run hotel is warm, welcoming and just minutes from beaches and restaurants

In the heart of beautiful Siena, it's just like staying with a friend, as hostess Paola chats whilst preparing local produce for breakfast

Fall asleep to the sound of the sea in your dreamy thatched cottage, one of 6, right on the beach for those head-clearing walks...

A period manor and pretty rooms in old stables: a quiet base for Pas-de-Calais and Picardie. Madame loves the house, animals, story-telling

A striking modern villa tucked away off a small road above the Serchio valley with sparkling pool, gardens and Apuan mountain views

Cosy 17th-century cottage in a village inland from Wells-next-the-Sea and with easy access to north Norfolk's main attractions

An 18th-century coaching inn wrapped in countryside now a relaxed pub with rooms serving excellent food and drink with 16 inviting bedrooms

Traditional B&B in a beautiful château bursting with history and surrounded by formal gardens, then farmland and two fine rivers

A true gem - sleep in a small hillside castle, share delicious communal meals, walk or cycle to the beautiful waterfalls nearby

A lovely 1650 Welsh longhouse, beamed and flagstoned with a verdant garden in a totally unspoilt spot in the Snowdonia National Park