Group holidays

Bring your brushes and paint Umbria. A beautifully laid out house, garden and pool with superb views and space for togetherness and privacy

In the city of Trapani, at the foot of Mount Erice, a nobleman's villa with a warm heart and exotic gardens. A hop from the Egadi Islands

Take in the stunning views, explore the narrow medieval lanes and soak up the old-world charm of one of France’s most beautiful villages

Gaze on Umbrian hills as the children play, watch the fireflies dance at night. Dine fabulously in Gubbio – or here. Sociable-family bliss

Traditional house in a rural part of the Algarve with a spectacular garden, a pool and a tennis court, and restaurants a short stroll

Gloriously cool in summer, cosy in winter, a 365-day-a-year retreat. Just a 10-minute promenade along the beach into the fun heart of town

Wonky floors and handmade beds in a restored coaching inn for 4, 6 or 8 - sociable evenings round the farmhouse table, walks from the door

Medieval manor house and busy farm. A welcoming atmosphere, big bedrooms, breakfast in the baronial great hall by the cosy log fire

Smart cottage perched on a hill above Broadway with a music room and a hot tub in the pretty Cotswolds

High in the Beaujolais is this wonderful B&B - vast views, a big pool in a half-wild garden, and the best cuisine for miles

For retreats, groups of friends, and big families: come to recharge the senses at this special and ancient house enveloped by wild gardens

Pomegranates, persimmon and figs, the waft of rosemary on the air... we love this old 'mas' 25km from Gordes, in sweet sunny Provence

Open to the public, and stuffed full of Sir Walter Scott’s collections, Abbotsford House & Gardens abut this Borders getaway

Adorable cottages in pastoral peace with views to Wimborne Minster; cook organic veg in country kitchens. Blue flag beaches are close

Attractive country barn - great for two families sharing, for river trips, for playing in the pool, for running free

A very roomy, 13th-century monastic grange with Victorian gothic additions, sitting in pretty gardens with views over the Severn valley

A lovely big house with huge riverside gardens and an easy-going charm – a 15-minute walk from bookish Hay-on-Wye

Magnificent fully-catered villa with pools on an ancient wine estate, high up in a valley surrounded by hills in the very centre of Provence