A handsome château filled with intrigue and interest on the edge of a Bastide town in Landes. Your charming host looks after you with aplomb

Gorgeous rooms and splendid breakfasts – for sybarites, history-lovers, cyclists and canoeists - bang in the middle of ancient Long Melford

Beautiful cottages, donkey rides, a popular pool and restaurants to walk to. Dutch Peter knows all the walks in this heavenly valley!

Traditional and modern, verging on the opulent. Find a stone-flagged tap room for walkers, top modern food and Chatsworth-perfect bedrooms

Anglo-Irish meets Italian and Indian; the owners have peppered this charming home with furniture and artefacts from their broad travels

Come to the wild Cévennes to hike, ride, kayak down the Hérault river – or just revel in your pretty, generous house, pool and garden space

After a bountiful breakfast of Loch Fyne kippers and homemade scones, head for Oban, gateway to the isles. Return to a dram by the fire

Cosy terraced cottage in a small village near lovely pubs, restaurants and independent shops; Southwold, Aldeburgh and the coast are near

Pippa tells you where to find wild flowers, babbling brooks and butterflies... and hike, bike and swim. Magic for families

Surrounded by vines and swept by sea breezes, two lovely, simple gîtes with a gorgeous shared pool and a courtyard for boules

A happy guest told us, ‘A marvellous way to see a beautiful château and this is probably the best that we have stayed in’

Walkers, nature lovers, couples will love this eco-friendly cottage near Calgary beach: a breath of warmth in the beautiful back of beyond

Live like a local. Art lovers, book lovers and walkers will be happy here above an art gallery in the centre of town

This fine old inn stands in blissful peace, a field or two back from the coastal path, with cosy rooms, delicious food and a rustic style

A traditional Breton stone cottage, two minutes from the sea, with a large, leafy garden and glamping with activities in the summer months

Be inspired by hilltop views, unwind in beamed rooms by huge fireplaces or scramble down to the beach for family adventures

This eco-friendly farmhouse in the hills of Fiesole is 10km from Florence. Good company, superb views of Tuscany, and food for the soul!

A big, rambling inn – welcoming and unpretentious with deep sofas, eclectic artwork, tasty food and exceedingly comfortable bedrooms