Domaine des Andeols, Provence

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1. Paris

Pavillon de la Reine, Le Marais

Settings don’t get much lovelier than these. The Marais, with its Sunday openings, is definitely the top district in Paris for a weekend away; and the red-bricked Place des Vosges is one of the most idyllic places to sit with a bottle of wine.

The Pavillon de la Reine is a looker, too – it has just about finished a total refurb, meaning the rooms are squeaky clean.

Set in a courtyard ­behind the square (hence the ­refreshing silence­), the 17th-century, ivy-clad building’s 54 rooms have been dressed up, so although you still get period details like beamed ceilings, the decor is utterly modern – felt and silken wallpaper, painted-over timbers and swish bathrooms. Even the standard rooms are a good size for Paris, and the communal ­areas are seriously tempting. In fact, you’ll be hard-pressed to make it out of the building.

Doubles from £327, pavillion-de-la-reine.com

Mama Shelter , 20th arrondissement

It’s not exactly central – the 20th arrondissement, just by the Pere Lachaise cemetery, to be precise – but what Mama Shelter lacks in walk-friendly sightseeing, it makes up for in style. Philippe Starck-designed interiors, iMacs as “entertainment centres” and ­automated check-in/out kiosks so you never have to deal with a human – no wonder it’s been billed as Paris’s hottest new place for hipsters by the likes of The New York Times.

Doubles from £68, www.mamashelter.com

Get there: Eurostar to Paris from £59, www.eurostar.com or www.raileurope.co.uk

2. L’Hermitage Gantois Lille

The Eurostar journey to Lille takes roughly the same amount of time as the commute from the big smoke to Newbury, Berkshire. The main difference is that, at the end of the line, you’re more likely to find an ­­exceptional restaurant

and a posh hotel than a Greggs and a Premier Inn. At L’Hermitage Gantois, they come in one delightful package. In a 15th-century building in the city centre, the hotel has corridors heaving with old oils of long-forgotten members of the French nobility, plus rooms with old chairs ­designed in 18th-century style and wooden-beamed ceilings.

Doubles from £180, www.hotelhermitagegantois.com

Get there: Eurostar to Lille from £55, ­ www.eurostar.com

3. Château de la Canière Thuret

For castle-like grandeur­ without a gasp-inducing price tag, head for the gentle countryside of the Auvergne and this whopper of a chateau lost in grasslands and boxy topiary. Bedrooms have four-posters and antiques in tastefully muted tones, while outsized bathrooms have views over the grounds. Spend your days reading in the impressive library, dining in the stunning restaurant or relaxing by the pool with a cocktail. Magnifique.

Doubles from £130 room only, www.caniere.eu

Get there: Eurostar to Paris, then the TGV to Clermont Ferrand from £89. The hotel can then arrange the 20-minute transfer

4. Hotel Windsor Nice

Nice is the Cote d’Azur with a bit of bite, and the Windsor is its artiest hotel. Half the rooms have been decorated by local artists,­ with touches such as a rainbow of graffiti. The other half come with pastel frescoes of foreign lands or bubbling spa baths.

Doubles from £100, www.hotelwindsornice.com

Get there: Eurostar to Paris, then TGV to Nice from £109

5. Domaine des Andeols Provence

Superchef Alain Ducasse has brought this hamlet of nine farmhouses firmly into the 21st century, adding Man Ray photos, white rubber floors, lavender-fringed walkways, and an infinity pool that looks out over a blanket of green and gold fields. Most impressive is the restaurant, decked out in a modern mix of chandeliers and shiny glass tables, where showman-like waiters serve up such ­delights as grilled lobster with bolognese. This place is a favourite with wealthy, weekending Parisians, so taking the train means you won’t have to see the ­Porsches and Ferraris in the car park.

Doubles from £223, www.domaine-des-andeols.com

Get there: Eurostar runs direct to Avignon until Sep, from £109. The hotel can sort the 40min transfer

6. Le Couvent d’Herepian Beziers

How to really get away from it all: get off the train at little known (and under-rated) Beziers in the Languedoc region, then head off to ­Herepian, an unassuming, slightly dowdy, village in the foothills of the mountains. The old convent has been transformed into a boutique hotel, all dove tones and greiges. Space is an issue in the communal areas – it’s best to eat out or DIY in your room (the food comes from the charcuterie round the corner, so you’re not missing out) – but rooms are whopping. Plus, with a kitchenette in each, you can keep costs down.

Doubles from £126, www.garrigaeresorts.com

Get there: Eurostar to Paris, TGV to Beziers from £99

7. Baudon de Mauny Montpellier

Sandwiched between art galleries, coffee shops and bars on a narrow backstreet in this buzzy coastal city, this five-room boutique hotel is one cool ­customer. From the street you’d barely know it existed, but push open the wooden gates, cross the cobbled courtyard, and you’re soon in a much more stylish world. The house has been in the same family for seven generations, but there’s not a hint of nostalgia about the refurbished interior. There’s a wonderfully whimsical ­approach to decoration, from the in-your-face primary-coloured stripes to the peachy hues of the Orchidees room. ­Creative types will appreciate the hotel’s imaginative ­activities programme which ­includes truffle hunting and cookery classes.

Doubles from £140, www.baudondemauny.com

Get there: Eurostar to Paris, TGV to Montpellier, from £109

8. Le Relais de Franc Mayne Bordeaux

Oenophiles rejoice – right now, you’re a mere five hours away from a region with more vineyards than South Africa and Germany combined. In the middle of it all is Le Relais de Franc Mayne, an opulent manor circled by seven acres of the finest St Emilion vines. They make their own wine, and you can enjoy it by the natural swimming pool, in the precious metal-bedecked dining room, or in one of the camp bedrooms (top marks to the pink-and-silver striped British Landscape ­bedroom and Sue ­Wong-style Asian Mood, left). Ensure you get the tour of the ­wine-making equipment before you’re sozzled.

Doubles from £130, www.relaisfrancmayne.com

Get there: Eurostar to Paris, TGV to Bordeaux from £99. The hotel can arrange a 30-minute taxi transfer from there

9. Chateau Les Crayères Reims

France is visitable north of Paris, you know – and Reims is even more so, given that it’s just 45 minutes from the capital, and champagne central to boot. Chateau Les Crayères, on the outskirts of town and surrounded by seven hectares of parkland, calls itself “the only place in the world dedicated to the full enjoyment of champagne”. And what a setting – OTT decor, garden bar and brasserie and a mere 20 rooms make this a place to live it up.

Doubles from £281, www.lescrayeres.com

Get there: Eurostar to Paris, then the TER to Reims from £93

Top tip - Split the journey

A six-hour train ride might sound a lot, but remember: you’re going from St Pancras, not Stansted, and you can roll up just half-an-hour before the Eurostar departs. To make the time go even quicker, split the journey – go after­ work, spend the night in Paris, and carry on the next day. That way you can leave Paris at 9am, and be dipping your toes in the Med by midday. You can get all tickets at Rail Europe, where staff will book connections for when and where you want. www.raileurope.co.uk