France’s Atlantic coastline offers something for everyone, from Brittany’s wild and rugged Finistère to the chic beach towns around La Rochelle, to surfing meccas around Biarritz. Liz Rowlinson asks the experts at Leggett Immobillier to pick five tempting places for you to consider… Starting in the north, where Brittany juts far out into the Atlantic, […]
Peter Friend, joint owner of the award winning B&B La Villa Mazamet in the Tarn shares his top tips. The villa has been named France’s top luxurious B&B for several years and, says Peter, there are lots of things you can do to make your own B&B have a better chance of success… Location Location […]
If you could start a new life in France, where would you go and what would you do? Out of the 4 million Brits currently living abroad, around 150,000 live in France. While the majority are over 55, according to an HSBC report, France is rated third in the world for families, partly because school […]
Bijou and beautiful in Brittany This pretty little stone house is situated in Morbihan, Brittany. This is a popular investment area and a thriving tourist destination with its warm climate and sandy beaches. The terraced cottage hides a secret – there’s a secluded fairy tale turret. Yes, it needs renovating but there is water and […]
My French House estate agents in France have been helping people to find their ideal home in France since 2014. The company was founded by Patrick Joseph who wanted to create the sort of agency that he himself would want to deal with. Passionate about French property, culture and lifestyle, having spent half his life […]
It’s not all about the house, when you’re looking for a vineyard property, the vines take centre stage… Vineyard properties in France Many of us have a romantic notion of owning some vines so we can produce our own wine to bottle and share with friends and family. It’s a trend that has grown internationally […]
Keeping horses in France is a popular past time. A hectare of land is enough for one horse, with good management, two horses, so the opportunities for home, land and potential stables, often converting existing outbuildings, are plentiful. Looking for properties suitable for keeping horses in France The cost of agricultural land averages around […]
With land prices currently very attractive in France, a steady flow of UK farmers are heading to France to expand their holdings. Whilst northern France is best for cereal growing, Brittany is prime for pigs. Poitou-Charentes offers huge tracts of maize and sunflowers, whereas the Limousin is famous for its attractive rolling cattle and sheep […]
Joanna Leggett, director of marketing and public relations at Leggett Immobillier explains the best ways to integrate into French life, beginning with the importance of learning the language and adapting to the culture. Every now and again, as I travel through France, I have to stop and pinch myself. I am actually living my dream! […]
In a referendum on 23rd June 2016 the UK electorate voted to leave the European Union and the world looked on to see what the political and economic impact would be. Though still in the “negotiation” phase, officially the UK will leave the EU on 29th March 2019. However, a transition period has been put in […]
.
In the centre of Paris you can visit a café that’s also a cosy refuge for abandoned cats. Highly recommended for cat and coffee lovers! Margaux Grandelon opened her first Cat Café in 2013 in the Marais district. I visited her second little establishment close to the Bastille monument at 9, Rue Sedaine and enjoyed […]
In August 2014, I gave up my job teaching English in Lyon to house-sit a farm in Vienne and write a novel. I wasn’t particularly looking for the literary good life. I just wanted a break from the city. Six months later I finished it. But the elation was short-lived. I didn’t like it at […]
We chat to Rosy Rabson, a British expat who retired to Burgundy and run a gite from which all proceeds go to charity. Based in the Morvan area, with its regional natural park, a land of ancient castles, picturesque villages, forests and lakes, it is a largely undiscovered by tourists part of France – and […]
Katharine Tasker from London upped sticks in the city and moved to the sticks in rural northern France. With her she brought a sprinkling of urban style to her new build home and thriving new business, a café and shop… Pas de Calais is a region of meadows and forests, the countryside is criss crossed […]
British stand-up comedian, mod, expat, goat whisperer (maybe) – and now Chambre d’hote host – Ian Moore’s unique insights into life in the Loire Valley will make you laugh out loud… Hosts, Goats and Chambres d’Hôtes There’s a point in my first or second book, probably both, where my wife, Natalie, and I sit down […]
Making friends in France isn’t difficult I’ve found. They don’t care if my French is not great or I get my grammar all wrong. They don’t even care that much that I am “Flop chef not Top Chef” and can barely grill a bit of French bread without spoiling it. But there are some things […]
Honfleur is a French fishing village in the department of Calvados, Normandy. It sits on the southern bank of the Seine estuary where the great river flows into the Atlantic Ocean. If you love authentic old French towns, then you will find Honfleur one of the most beautiful there is. What to see in Honfleur […]
The Lot-et-Garonne department is in the southwestern of the Nouvelle Aquitaine region (previously Midi-Pyrénées). It’s has been described as “the France that you always hoped existed but could never quite find”. It’s idyllic; a paradise… Discovering Fongrave I looked over at my friend as she was talking feverishly about the still, quiet beauty of the […]