While many flock to France’s beautiful coasts for holidays of sun, sea and sand, their very popularity has also made them expensive and busy. For all the beauty of a water view without the bustle, lakes make for a stunning alternative. Unlike Italy or Switzerland, France isn’t particularly known for its lakes, but there are […]
National parks are a great source of pride among the French, with millions visiting them every year for their holidays. This makes them ideal locations for anyone thinking about setting up a gite or holiday rental business, or, of course, for anyone who just loves to be out in nature. So what is a national […]
Following all the recent confinements and travel restrictions, many have taken up walking for the benefits of fresh air, healthy exercise and the chance to admire some wonderful scenery. With such amazing diversity of landscapes, it’s little wonder that France is fantastic for walking, with thousands of kilometres of well-maintained and signposted trails suited to […]
Let’s face it, 2020 was a bad year for everyone, with cancelled holidays, visits and get-togethers, when life in general seemed to be on hold. With the roll-out of vaccines, we can all hope that 2021 will be a big improvement – especially if you are considering visiting France, or buying your dream holiday home […]
Normandy, a region of northern France divided into 5 departments, Calvados, Eure, Manche, Orne and Seine Maritime, has long been a favourite with the British mainly due to its proximity to the UK and its long and interesting history, not always amicable! Normandy gets its name from the Vikings (the Northman /Norseman ). Its area […]
Lower Normandy, or Basse Normandie, covers almost 18,000 km² of land and has a population of around 1.5 million. It has three departments: Manche, Calvados and Orne, and in fact lies west of Upper Normandy, bordering Brittany to the south-west and the Loire to the south. Normandy’s economy is heavily based on agriculture, including livestock, […]
As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, some areas of the Loire Valley, as one might expect, carry a hefty market price – and Indre-et-Loire is no exception. That said, the practice of snapping up bargains is becoming more and more popular, especially for those looking to cash in on restoration and other commercial projects. And […]