The South of France

The most popular area of France for tourism with the warm Mediterranean beaches attracting visitors almost throughout the year. Interestingly enough it is not that popular with purchasers. The Cote d’Azure is historically the magnet that draws British people to places like St Tropez, Cannes, and Nice – we even have the Avenue des Anglais named after the upper class Britishers who used to visit there every year as part of the watering holes for the rich. But now the price of properties limits the amount of interest in this area, and interest tends to be centred on areas further to the West such as Nimes, Montpellier, Perpignan, and where the coast turns South towards the Spain around Narbonne and Perpignan.

This is an area which could be very interesting for British buyers, as it has beautiful hot beaches close by, and in the summer these seaside villages are packed with tourists from Holland, Germany, Britain, Italy, Spain, and yes – France. Enough  activities to keep the most sportive of holiday makers happy, and the night life is all you might require, apart from quiet !

This area is not noted for its cuisine, though plenty of fresh fish around.  You can get some idea of the regional cooking style from the speciality of Toulouse not too far away – rich cassoulet with maybe confit de canard. The attraction of this area is hot summers and temperate winters, Barcelona is just down the road if you fancy visiting this great Spanish city, and the mountains are nearby for great walking in the summer and skiing in the winter. Not as celebrated as the great Alpine runs but more affordable, great for families and beginners.

Another interesting area is around the relatively new town of Montpellier which has experienced significant growth over the past 20 years. In this part of France you come across bull running, petanque, pastis, oysters from Bouzigue, gently sloping sandy beaches, and of course the superb climate. Montpellier has one of the highest amounts of sunshine in the South, and it is always satisfying to watch the weather reports in Britain during the spring months when you are basking in the Southern French sun whilst it is cold and miserable in London !

The area is well served by airports, and lots of cheap flights available to Toulouse, Montpellier, Nimes, and Nice. Driving to the South of France takes about 10 to 12 hours, but flights only about 1.5 hours.