France Travel Guide

There is only one way to discover the real France, and that is by car. Backpackers will attempt to uncover the hidden features of this part of the continent by using public transport, but that doesn’t give you the freedom and convenience that comes with having your own car. And, unless you have the patience of a saint, using public transport in most parts of France can be frustrating. A car allows for spontaneity in a way that public transport can’t; spot something interesting from the car and you can merely stop and investigate – try doing that on a train!

Taking your own vehicle to France is obviously an option, but if you plan a prolonged Gallic trip then hiring a left-hand drive car may prove beneficial. Car rental in France is as competitive as anywhere on the continent and, like everything it pays to shop around before you commit yourself.

Although the whole country has lots to see and do, for a real treat fly to the scenic South of France and pick up your vehicle at the airport. With both the Mediterranean coast and the Pyrenees within a few hours drive you will be spoilt for choice when it comes to planning your day’s journeys.

Most of Southern France is off the beaten tourist trap, littered with medieval villages, and containing acres of glorious and scenic vineyards. The areas of Languedoc are particularly beautiful and you can also sample some of the country’s tastiest wines. Travel to the coast and you can sample the high life in Nice, or pop into the principality of Monaco and sample the casino.

One tip if you do decide to opt for car hire in France: get one with GPS. It will be your best ally when it comes to navigating the region. Unless you are fluent in French you will find it difficult to ask for directions, and road signs can be confusing, especially in the mountainous regions. But, don’t rely solely on GPS; also take a good up-to-date road map. Michelin maps include details of the amount of tolls you have to pay on motorways and bridges, plus it has explicit details about to find petrol stations.

Finally, if you do try this adventure you’ll find that car hire in France is easy to arrange on the web before you go, or if you are going on spec, you’ll probably pick up a reasonable vehicle at the your airport without booking.

Buying a house in France is a serious business for anyone. Whether you’re selling up lock, stock and barrel and emigrating to France permanently, or you’re lucky enough to be searching for a French holiday home, the expense is still substantial.

So why do we notice so many folks treat buying a house in France with so little thought? It’s not a pair of shoes – you can’t take it back if it doesn’t fit right!

Yet too often we hear the same horrors. Someone who has bought a French house without thinking and is now beginning to find problems. Who are these individuals? They must be doing very well to just travel France buying French property as the fancy takes them.

The mad thing is, nothing could be further from the truth. Often – in fact more often than not – these are couples putting their life savings, their whole future, into their French dream house.

And a alarming number of them haven’t got the first idea. They’ve done very little research, they don’t speak any French and they’ve sought no professional advice.

Then when things go pear-shaped they start moaning about the system, the language, the French, the agent… just about anything and everything is to blame but themselves. They treated buying a house in France like getting a lottery ticket and now they’re complaining because their one-in-a-million gamble didn’t pay off!

Now perhaps you think I’m being a bit extreme. I’m not. I know a family who you would think of as very sensible and cautious who signed an agreement to buy a French property while on vacation. They weren’t even looking for a house when they left England but they fell in love with the house.

What they were unaware of was that by the time they got back to the UK ten days later, getting out of the contract would cost them 12,000 Euros.

I can give you another example of a couple who bought a French property to live in part and turn the rest into gites. They wildly underestimated the renovation costs (because they didn’t ask) and now live in a place that needs a new roof. They can’t finish the work so they’ve only got small pensions to live off. The house is in a bad way so they can’t afford to sell and return to England either.

It’s all very concerning, really. I hear one of these stories about every other month and it’s such a pity. Now I’m not perfect, I’ve made plenty of mistakes myself living over here and renovating an old French property, but fortunately my misjudgements have been quite minor because I’ve invariably checked and double checked the costly things.

Which is, when you strip it all back to basics, all anyone needs to do.

The French property market offers a wealth of opportunities and buying a house in France is neither particularly hard nor particularly complicated. The trouble is that unless you’re French or you’ve owned French property before it IS new to you. There will be things you haven’t met before. There will be things that don’t go quite as expected.

The essential thing is to get a degree of knowledge behind you. Search online, buy a book or two, ask questions – and don’t give up until you’re happy with the answers.

France is a great place to live but it’s not dreamland and miracles don’t happen just because you want them. If you crash around blindly in the French property market you will find trouble. Do your homework wisely and buying a house in France will be a delight – which is what it should be and what I wish for everyone who is looking.