Early birds - book ahead

Quaint barns dotted among truffle oaks and rosemary, each one constructed the old-fashioned way and close to the Dordogne and Vézère

A welcoming, affordable seafront base for exploring St Malo and northern Brittany with small rooms, good food and a lively atmosphere

Comfortable redbrick cottage with views on the Heydon Hall estate. It’s delightfully rural yet you can walk to the village pub for supper

Steam in the hot tub, gaze over crashing waves or later stars. Inside is swish, kids play in their games room, dinner is in view of the sea

Sitting on top of sand dunes, this cute cottage - small, bright and airy - has glorious views. It’s for long walks (dogs, too) and relaxing

A grand dining hall and super kitchen, perfect for big gatherings. Spot spoonbills on the salt marsh, sea swim or walk to delis and pubs

A stylish and characterful cottage which reflects the owners' love of vintage finds and a sunny, flower-filled garden with views to the sea

A comfy cottage for two in the quiet, leafy outskirts of Aix with easy access to the city and a kind, attentive owner nearby

A lovely, leafy setting on a cobbled street for this peaceful retreat just off the high street in lively Stockbridge

Atmospheric English pub with rooms by the green with its duck ponds in a pretty village, with walking and cycling routes to join

An island of oyster farms, salt pans and white beaches, woolly donkeys, countless push-bikes and the odd celeb – we love the Ile de Ré!

Warm interiors, pretty bedrooms, happy staff and excellent breakfasts, all a short stroll from Buckingham Palace

Get the full-English bucolic countryside experience at this boutique inn right in the heart of a quintessentially pretty Cotswold village

Few inns can rival the scale or history of this one. Dogs doze by the inglenook, food is sourced from local suppliers, bedrooms are gorgeous

For Cotswolds, comfort and antique-lovers – a flagstoned old bar, open fires, a grown-up restaurant, bedrooms with gorgeous garden views

Smart apartments set in a château with landscaped gardens, a lake and a small spa; the town centre and a wild beach are an easy stroll away

A big dower house and two cottages surrounded by superb gardens, a fishing lake and acres of glorious countryside, a short walk to the coast

A fin-de-siècle Franco-Scottish décor for this hospitable, entertaining B&B, in the heart of Edinburgh’s cultural quarter