Try before you buy: Take a mini break in France

Why not enjoy a few mini-breaks in France to help you decide where to put down some roots, suggests Joanna Leggett…

I’m often asked where should I buy in France? Well, it depends on what you’re looking for – holiday home or permanent lifestyle move being, of course, the first question to resolve. Then there are other factors: do you want something ready to unpack your suitcase and start living, or perhaps something to do up and enjoy the renovation process? Old house or new, seaside, countryside or cityscape are all prime variants before we even get onto the matter of budget.

How well do you know France-it’s an enormous country after all? I’m still discovering hidden gems and corners after living here for 20 years or more. “Try before you buy’ might be the perfect answer. So to determine where exactly you’d like to live, why not undertake a series of mini-breaks, spend some long weekends around this wonderful country undertaking your own specialised research and get a real feel for where you’d love to have your French home. Experience local scenery, culture and architecture, familiarise yourself with local customs, cuisine and climate and get a clearer picture before you leap into the fray. Most of us naturally gravitate towards estate agents’ window displays when on holiday, no matter where we are in the world. With me, it’s professional necessity, of course, nothing to do with being nosy!

What I do know is that spending a few days in a new town or locale gives you a much clearer idea of whether or not you could live there. Sometimes however, you experience a a ‘coupe de foudre’ (literally a thunderbolt) when you know something is just right for me – a bit like falling in love!

WHERE TO START

For a mini break (and later when you buy) ease of access has to be at the top of the list – especially visiting for the first time. The great thing with budget airlines is the ease with which you can be transported from the damp chill of English weather to sunnier warmer climes in under a couple of hours.

The French railway network is fast too – the French government has banned internal flights of less than two hours and you can travel from Paris to Bordeaux on high- speed TGV in just a few more minutes than that, similarly the journey down to Marseille on the Mediterranean coast can take as little as three hours from Paris! The Channel Tunnel is the easiest way to take your car across, about 35 minutes from Folkestone to Fréthun just outside Calais, and the whole of this part of northern France and Normandy coast is serviced by regular ferry services.

So why don’t we start our suggestions for perfect French exploratory mini-breaks for ‘research purposes’ in Normandy, in and around the wonderful port of Honfleur. Coming by ferry from Portsmouth or Southampton takes four hours to Le Havre then it’s an easy half-hour drive (on the righthand side of the road) across the amazing Pont de Normandie over the mouth of the River Seine into Honfleur itself.

Each time I visit this harbour town I am struck anew by its charm, winding cobbled streets, pretty half-timbered houses and churches clustered around its ancient port, dating back to the time of William the Conqueror. Choose one of the charming restaurants clustered around the Vieux Bassin to sample local fare – savoury galettes or sweet crèpes, or lashings of seafood, overlooking the boats nestled safely in its charming harbour.

From here it’s a great base to explore lush Norman countryside and experience the local life – stop at an old farmhouse displaying a shingle with the magical words calvados or cider for sale – well it’d be rude not to stop! If you’re not seduced by the charm of Honfleur itself, there’s nothing to beat the half-timbered charm of a renovated Norman farmhouse in lush countryside.

CAPITAL RETURNS

Paris, Audrey Hepburn famously declared, is always worth a visit. So easy to get to by Eurostar or fly – I hesitate to drive there myself, parking can be a mission and this year will be full of excitement with the Olympic Games in July and August, a busy time which promises to be spectacular.

East of Paris, Reims, the champagne capital of the world, is amazing with its spectacular cathedral where kings of France were once crowned. There are very many champagne houses to tempt you too. I had some wonderful watercress soup here on a weekend visit, followed by the chicken plat du jour and amazing apple dessert. The countryside of Champagne is so much prettier than I had anticipated, with undulating chalk slopes surrounding the River Marne, vineyards and ancient walled cities to explore – plus lots of Brie cheese to sample too!

CHÂTEAU COUNTRY

Further south, the Loire Valley is another great place to visit and buy a home – full of history, there seems to be a major château to admire at every turn. It seems that the climate changes as you cross the river and it’s easy to drive down from the Channel. I have spent many happy hours exploring châteaux and countryside here – there’s the charm of bustling market towns, wonderful architecture and delightful properties with which to fall in love – ideal for extended holidays or a permanent home with many a business opportunity too.

When it comes to a plethora of châteaux though, its hard to beat the Dordogne where it’s claimed there are 1001! Strung along the hilltops above the Dordogne river are some of the most historical and magnificent châteaux, keenly contested between the French and English during the Hundred Years’ War. Castles are everywhere – there are four around the tiny commune where I live in the northern Périgord alone!

Spring comes early here when grues (cranes) start flying in their enormous V-formations; summers are long and hot; warm autumn evenings invite you to sit outside dining late; winter is usually short. Many properties are stone-built with terracotta-tiled roofs. There are picturesque and bustling market towns with wonderful street markets and amazing local food.

Getting here is easy too with flights directly into Bergerac, and Bordeaux has even more!

PICTURE PROVENCE

And when it comes to mini- breaks for research, it would be remiss not to mention Provence and the south of France. Avignon with its wonderful city and famous bridge springs to mind; there’s so much to see and do around here.

Then there are the hilltop villages of ancient Provence – visiting this region in June there seems to be a sea of purple in every direction as the lavender fields are in full fragrant bloom. Sample a glass of local pale pink rosé as you feast your eyes and senses on ancient stone villages inviting you to keep exploring ‘just around the corner’ – the light is amazing no wonder the Impressionists loved to paint here!

There are so many other places to visit and explore on seductive mini-breaks while househunting. Carcassonne is a great stopping-off point for exploring what many call ‘the real south of France’ and it’s certainly less pricey than Provence and the Côte d’Azur!

They say travel broadens the mind – I say what a wonderful way to hunt for your dream French home.

Joanna Leggett is the Marketing Director at Leggett Immobilier.

Tel: 08700 115151 (UK), 0033 (0)553 60 84 88 (INT)

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