First Thoughts
Around half an hour is all it takes on the swiftest routes to begin experiencing something very special. There are warm summer days and lazy evenings with good food and fine wine. There is the sound of the sea and the magic of the mountains. Here is a land of history and culture with quiet country roads and busy vibrant cities. There is something for everyone to enjoy in a country where children are made as welcome as their parents.
The place is France: it is hardly surprising that it has become the UK’s most popular holiday destination. Ten million Britons made the journey in 2002 and with more than 75 million visitors annually France is easily the most popular tourist destination in Europe.
The British Invasion
It is not surprising that more and more Britons are becoming
property owners on the other side of the channel. The idea is appealing for a number of reasons. France is our nearest neighbour, and most of us already have at least a smattering of the language. Life seems to run at an easier pace and the climate is generally better than our own.
Since 1992 immigration has been easier, and the tunnel has fulfilled its promise of rapid, if rather expensive, transport. The Sea Cat, new super ferries and a network of regional airports make commuting a possibility, and modern communications means that many kinds of business can be run effectively from any base on Europe’s mainland.
Perhaps the most obvious attraction is that property prices are well below our own. It may be true that there are fewer bargains to be had these days, especially in the most popular regions, but for those who live in the more expensive areas of the UK the difference remains quite staggering.
Lifestyle
The French lifystyle is very different to our own and there are great contrasts between city, suburban and rural areas. The overall population density is around one-third of that of the UK and nearly three-quarters of the people live in industralised urban areas. This means that French towns and cities are as busy, some would say busier, than our own.
Through vast expanses of countryside however the situation is reversed. The French call it
la vie tranquille and it certainly is just that.
Visitors to France often form a mistaken impression of this
important difference between urban and rural life. Cities other than Paris may seem to be quieter than our own, and popular holiday resorts – especially on the coast – rather busier. This is because most visitors see France during July and August when the French themselves take their annual holidays.
The French have a high regard for intellect and education. They talk knowledgeably, even at cafe level, about nuances of debate in politics and religion. They are at the same time gregarious, yet dislike formal or organised activity. These apparent contradictions make the French what they are – elusive, infuriating, introverted, intriguing, beguiling and, most frequently, charming.
It is worth noting that when responding to questions about their motivation for buying property in France the British are inclined to list priorities such as cost, climate and cuisine. The British may receive a more positive response if they placed the French themselves towards the top of the list.
Climate
Climate is a factor overlooked at your peril if you intend to purchase property in France. It affects not only your own enjoyment of the property but its letting potential. France, as the largest country in western Europe, has considerable regional variations in climate.
We tend to think of France as being warmer and sunnier than Britain as it lies to the south. But this is not all together true: Calais, for instance, is more northernly, and colder and wetter than Plymouth.
Much of France lies in the northern temperate zone and is affected by the prevailing westerlies of the Atlantic. The Gulf Stream plays a significant part in determining the coastal climate. Brest in the north of Brittany enjoys similar winter temperatures to the Mediterranean resorts but is very much wetter and subject to fierce Atlantic gales. The climate to the northern and western regions of France is similar to that of Devon and Cornwall.
South of a line which roughly parallels the river Loire, the influence of the Mediterranean increases, and the climate is generally warmer and drier. The east of the country, towards the Alps, has a more typically European climate with a greater variation in seasonal temperatures. Both the Alps and the Pyrenees have climates that can be severe in winter and uncertain in summer.
The Jura, it is alleged, has two seasons: summer, which lasts about six weeks, and winter. The central zone of France – influenced by the Massif – has the greatest temperature variation: Limoges, for instance, can vary up to 50°C over the course of the year (up to 35°C in August and down to – 15°C for a few weeks during January and/or February). One compensation for these severe winters is that they are short.
Figure 1.
Average maximum and minimum temperatures.
It should be pointed out that regardless of climate variation the Alps is a special case. Because of skiing in the winter and general tourism in the summer, a 10-month season (normally excluding October and November) is possible and roads are kept open in a way which would seem almost unbelievable in the UK. The French are neither shocked nor surprised by accumulations of snow in hilly areas in the winter months.