A perfect spot with views of rolling hills, sunflowers and vineyards. Enthusiastic hosts and heaps to do here - watch wildlife, bake, swim

A very pretty old converted cart shed at the end of a track on an organic farm, surrounded by wildlife, birds and animals in the fields

A fabulous country boozer, revamped in style with a buzzy atmosphere, great food and welcoming bedrooms - good walking countryside too

A grand yet very homely place with tasty home cooking and 200 acres to explore. Play golf, sail, cycle – wonderfully informal

Birders will love escaping up here, golfers too - visit Hatfield House, Knebworth, Cambridge - come back to a good local pub and a comfy bed

A 16th-century timbered riverside inn with a relaxed, rustic feel, garden cabin rooms with views and fresh seasonal and homegrown food

Perfect luxury in deepest Normandy: gorgeous gardens, a heavenly pool, and interiors worthy of an art gallery

An impressive limestone house on three levels created within the ruins of an ancient village with uninterrupted views of the Vézère valley

Come for huge skies, birds and wildlife, rare flora and fauna, precious pingo ponds and a comforting retreat from the hectic whirl

A chalet-with-everything: great mountain style, space and comfort with views of Mont Blanc, a sauna and bubbling hot tub

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

Three airy gîtes set in 300 acres of vineyard and gardens. A welcoming base for exploring the marvellous Minervois – 15km from Carcassonne

You're only a whisper away from history in this family-run château, where rose gardens, sumptuous bedrooms and generous breakfasts wait

Traditional B&B in a beautiful château bursting with history and surrounded by formal gardens, then farmland and two fine rivers

Citrus scents the air, loungers flank a spakling pool. Light, cool, simple rooms, vibrant hosts, garden and olive groves - divine food

Escape your cares here, move from terrace to terrace tracking the sun's progress and dive into the sea from your own swimming platform

You're beautifully looked after in this gorgeous Tuscan house. Come for Alpine walks, historic trails and wild nature all around

Everything you’d want of a lovely country inn – pretty rooms, tasty food, local ales in a beamed bar and fabulous walking