Fragrant gardens full of fruit trees, a lovingly renovated house just a few minutes’ walk from the village, and excellent breakfasts

Big house with bags of character and easy access to beaches, cafés and cobbled streets, coastal paths and hidden coves

Peace, space, nature in the Champagne-hugged Somme valley - and home-grown, organic meals with generous French hosts. Family-perfect

Grand and old and filled with history, the estate and such a pretty house are a tonic, as are the well-tended grounds and parkland

Gaze over sublime vistas, refresh in the plunge pool, cook up a barbecue treat. A Provençal studio, simply furnished and deeply relaxing

Beautifully connected, engagingly old-fashioned London pad, with a garden. Head out for Vauxhall Park, the Tate, Westminster...

Glorious views across Northumberland countryside from this peaceful and comfortable cottage with almost an acre of garden

A grand, pale stone townhouse in the centre of lively Épernay with plenty of good restaurants nearby

Swap the mêlée for privacy and wonderful views. Delicious meals, an outdoor hot tub and Portes du Soleil skiing on your doorstep

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

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

A lovely little bolthole to return to after days out exploring pretty Cotswold villages and walking in an AONB straight from the door

Glorious views of Derwentwater and Skiddaw from this comfortable house. Art dotted about, a big table for chatty meals and a pretty garden

Two riverside properties with incredible views, for walkers, sailors, dogs... and self-caterers who aim to be spoiled rotten

Wander down a pebble path to this large, light holiday home near La Rochelle. Eco-friendly, accessible to all, and perfectly peaceful

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

Step through a door in an old wooden gate to discover a courtyard garden on the edge of town close to golden sands

Near the sandy beaches of the Cabo de Gata, close to the village of Níjar, is a much-loved family estate with eco pool and exotic gardens