A beautifully renovated apartment in a quiet street in central Bordeaux, with fine old features and all modernities. Ideal for couples

Loved by estate-workers, visitors, well-heeled locals, and walkers, this spruced-up pub is a friendly launchpad for Chatsworth

Once a lofty edifice for music recitals, now an original place to stay - with stained-glass windows, a bed on a stage and wild gardens

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

Grade II-listed country hotel with lovely gardens and an excellent restaurant, a short walk from Ambleside and the top of Lake Windermere

Good old-fashioned service, fresh and gleaming surroundings, great food and very comfortable rooms at this rejuvenated roadside inn

Lovingly renovated farmhouse amid vines and sunflowers, deep in the Charente countryside - small pool in garden, beaches 45 minutes away.

Beautiful architecture, amazing wine cellars, great food, and hosts with an infectious enthusiasm for classical music. Lovely French B&B

Two cottages for couples: one more traditional, the other fresh and modern, both comfortable and romantic and there's a good pub next door

A nicely priced inn on Shaftesbury's high street with a warm contemporary style and some excellent food – fine local walking waits

An adorable little 1800s cottage with a garden – simple, unpretentious and filled with the owner's colourful art on walls and lampshades

A light-filled, modern house with wonderful sea views through vast picture windows stretching all the way to St Kilda on clear days

A medieval monastery, stunningly revived, in untouristy, car-free Pisciotta. Sip greco on the terrace; scramble through olives to the sea

A smooth, contemporary space with far-reaching views, plenty of light and high ceilings for nature lovers, walkers, artists and dreamers

A comfortable and light-filled converted stone barn in the pretty Vendée, a quiet and rural spot but just half a mile from town

A 15th-century hotel and spa with beamed lounges and two restaurants, standing proudly on the high street

Up in the Cévennes, this big, beautiful family house has superb views, a fine kitchen, lots of space and masses to do and see