A warm and colourful B&B with generous owners, elegant bedrooms and an outdoor pool, in the heart of a pretty town near Toulouse

The largest of three secluded cottages that share a gravel courtyard and a beautiful garden with cathedral views

A warm family and starlit suppers in a grand estate by Soller, near wildflower walks and beaches. Citrus mingles with exotic fragrances

A harmonious B&B in Chinon wine country. Home-cooked food, comfortable beds, easy conservations with your host and starry skies at night

Glorious airy living space in this superbly restored barn, a terrace with long views and a pool across the garden - bikes to borrow too

A clutch of airy properties, most with their own jasmine-scented terraces arranged around a funky pool

Traditional beamed cottage, tucked in the hills, with views to distant beaches plus colourful gardens and a pool

Ascot is a trot down the road and there's a really cosy, cottagey feel to this quaint 18th-century inn with great food and comfy bedrooms

Tucked down a high-hedged lane on a working farm with gorgeous walks from the door and stunning views of the unspoilt Exe valley

Round up family and friends and head for the glorious South Hams and this eco-friendly barn conversion for ten with extra cottage

Few inns can rival the scale or history of this one. Dogs doze by the inglenook, food is sourced from local suppliers, bedrooms are gorgeous

Contemporary boathouse for all the family. Find rock pools, a shingle beach and plenty of ozone in the salty Cornish air

This shuttered, stone maison in Gascony on the Santiago de Compostela pilgrims' route is a joy for families to spend time together

A gem of a house in a lovely unspoilt village with an intelligent, interesting owner who gives you delicious food and local wines

A rather grand, opulent house with warm owners, interesting furniture and art and some fine Renaissance architectural elements intact

Come for breezy bedrooms, pretty gardens, a serene pool and delicious breakfasts at this gorgeous finca in rural Extremadura near Trujillo

Comfortable bolthole for 2–6 in the heart of the city. Shops and restaurants on the doorstep, a short drive from the coast and South Downs