France

You have the ground floor of a converted barn for completely independent B&B with breakfast in the pretty garden and use of the owners' pool

The old family house, all antiques, mementoes and period atmosphere, has fine big rooms and high-modern Italian showers. A lovely owner, too

Gather your favourites for a getaway in deepest France. Bike the countryside, dip in the heated pool and sprawl out in this inviting space

An exceptional place in a beautiful setting for groups of friends or family gatherings, with your own spaces plus room to come together

An idyllic hotel-restaurant in a postcard-pretty medieval village. Warm interiors, a varied menu of local produce, masses to see and do...

An enchanting farmhouse with generous hosts, delicious homegrown food and hidden corners in the garden

An ancient stone cottage on an organic winery with vines as far as the eye can see, chickens wandering, horses grazing and huge open skies

Swings, a terrace and pool in 2 acres ringed by fields and tranquility, and lakes and vineyards beyond. Family bliss in Quercy

A sylvan hideaway tucked into the hills of the Southern Alps, full of Provençal charm inside and out – Saint-Cézaire and the coast are close

17th-century stone house in a peaceful village surrounded by forest & wildlife. Morning pastries & evening drinks at the bar a stroll away

Soak up Provençal peace in a charming estate in the Alpilles, with stylish ground-floor B&B rooms, olives, vines and a friendly family dog

Fairytale castle in a tranquil and secluded countryside setting. Classic French cuisine and grand, traditional interiors

Minutes from old Ajaccio (a scenic cycle ride) is a charming small hotel with a stunning bay setting, and majestic mountains behind

A lovely, rambling old house for family gatherings with an extra cottage for bigger groups, a gorgeous garden and hilltop villages nearby

Immaculate apartments with private patios and well-equipped kitchens share oleander-bright gardens and a chlorine-free pool

Style, comfort and tranquillity combine in a lovely B&B near Bergerac. Sleep in elegant four-poster beds, breakfast on the sunny terrace…

Swim with frogs in the freshwater pool, breakfast in the sunshine, play boules by moonlight. Châteaux don't get much more rural

A fabulous Belle Epoque château with much wow factor set in vast grounds with lawns and lakes, circled by a dense forest