The Champs-Élysées at night

French property, and France itself, has been attracting foreign holidaymakers and investors for decades. As the world’s most popular tourist destination, France must be doing something right. Its climate and scenery is varied, with snow-capped peaks, sun-drenched resorts and rolling green hills, while its towns and cities burst with character, passion and flavour. French food and wine leads the world in terms of quality, while the overall lifestyle prevalent throughout the country is as appealing as any other on earth.

Property prices range from the sublime to the ridiculous. With traditional French stonehouses located deep in the rural wilds retailing for less than £40,000, and sublime mansions and penthouses jostling for space along the Cote d’Azur fethcing upwards in the region of £20 million, there truly is something for everyone in France.

France Profile
Capital City: Paris
Area: 547,030 sq km
Population: 60,400,000
Time Zone: GMT +1
Country dialing code: +33
Currency: Euro (€)

France Climate
France’s climate is classed as temperate which, aside from the Mediterranean coast and the mountain areas in the east of the country, pretty much sums the country up. Winters are cool, with snow in many places, while summers are warm, boasting temperatures a few degrees higher than southern England. The south Mediterranean coast has hot summers and mild winters, while the mountainous areas suffer cold, snowy winters but warm summers.

France Property
Where to begin when considering buying property in France? Sure, a city centre penthouse in Paris is the dream of many, but they are in short supply and, when one does come on to the market, you are going to need to pay over the odds to make it yours.

The Limousin, Champagne and Provence regions are popular with British investors thanks to the distinct lifestyles they promote, the beautiful scenery and the reasonably priced, well-built property available. Luxury residencies are available along the Mediterranean coast where prices are, to coin a well-known phrase, reassuringly expensive. Detached properties near Cannes retail for anywhere between €300,000 to over €2 million, while property in Provence can often go for as little as €250,000 for a detached, four bedroom residence.

The Rhone-Alpes and Midi-Pyrenees regions boast the best ski properties, with new built studios selling for as little as €100,000, rising to €200,000 for two bedroom properties. For something a little more upmarket, the Haute Pyrenees region has large chalets of five bedrooms and upwards for sale, with prices starting from €750,000.

Elsewhere, Normandy and Brittany in the north of France boast excellent transport links to the UK and the rest of Europe, while boasting breathtaking scenery, quaint little villages and a selection of traditional properties available for sale.

France Accessibility
Flights to France are cheap, regular and easy to come by. The main carriers, plus the low cost airlines, fly to all four corners of the country from most places in the UK. Ferry links are exceptional, and the new high speed rail link from Paris’ Gare du Nord Station to London’s St. Pancras has made cross-Channel travel smoother and quicker than ever before.