Elegance and ease mark this gentle group of Loire-Valley buildings, with soft-textured interiors and the owners’ fine hospitality and food

Swim with frogs in the freshwater pool, breakfast in the sunshine, play boules by moonlight. Châteaux don't get much more rural

A beguiling retreat for a couple or a family of four – feel cosy and secluded in a thatched cottage close to the coast

Restored stone barn in 22 acres filled with special wildlife, on the edge of Radnor Forest, with walking trails, glorious countryside views

A stunner of a setting for this restored croft house with long views to a sparkling loch and a lively village nearby. Good beaches too

Welcoming Julia fans passions for Arlesienne cuisine and culture in her art-stuffed Provence home where everything catches the eye!

Ease through a beautiful wrought iron gate to a courtyard and an elegant 1700s creamy stone holiday house, part of the château estate

A stunning veranda wraps itself around the house: doze off in a wicker armchair or sip a drink at dusk as the sun melts into the valley

A converted coach house and stables, now one long cottage with much space, a country house feel and your own walled garden

A beautiful walled historical country house, surrounded by acres of farmland and citrus groves, with wine tastings and kind, charming owners

A 1930s riverside cabin circled by lush gardens; cosy inside with underfloor heating, glowing wood-burner and gorgeous decor

A townhouse with a walled garden by the church in a peaceful village where friendly Scottish owners feed and look after you well

Very private and comfortable rooms with their own entrances at this generous B&B with glorious gardens and views to the Black Mountains

Spacious rooms and a cosy apartment a stone’s throw from Avignon’s historic sights. Retire to the heated pool after a busy day sightseeing

Pomegranates, persimmon and figs, the waft of rosemary on the air... we love this old 'mas' 25km from Gordes, in sweet sunny Provence

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...

Step into the valley region from this beautifully restored 17th-century house surrounded by saltwater and freshwater canals and lakes

An 18th-century cottage in a tranquil village, formerly the bakery, now restored to perfection with oodles of space and much comfort