WHERE TO BUY


promote their summer activities now, including hiking, climbing, cycling, paragliding and swimming in mountain lakes. The international airport in Geneva is a short drive away. Property prices are high, especially in the most exclusive resorts. Savoie has an average of €2,830/m2 and €3,860/m2


for apartments, which Morzine


resorts, including Avoriaz, Morzine and Les Gets in the Portes du Soleil ski area (number two in the Forbes index), boasting some 650km of ski slopes. With its vibrant mix of shops, bars


and restaurants, Morzine attracts a lot of expats, many of whom run outdoors businesses in the town, while Les Gets has a strong summer mountain-biking scene as well as winter skiing. Haute-Savoie boasts one of the Alps’


oldest ski resorts, legendary Chamonix, which hosted the fi rst Winter Olympics in 1924. It’s as popular in summer as in winter; indeed, all the Alpine resorts


compares favourably with Haute- Savoie, where average prices are over €4,200/m2


is Megève (average apartment price €13,380/m2


ski domain, followed by Chamonix (€11,000/m2 m2


) and Les Gets (€7,540/m2 . The most expensive resort ) in the Évasion-Mont Blanc


), while Morzine (€7,780/ ) are


considerably more aff ordable, as is the traditional town of Samoëns (€4,960/m2


for houses, )


in the Grand Massif area. Away from the ski resorts, the lakeside town of Annecy (€6,040/m2 €5,120/m2


apartments) is the Haute-


Savoie capital, while on Lake Geneva, there are two spa towns, Évian-les-Bains (€4,800/m2


, €4,220/m2 Bains (€3,970/m2 , €3,470/m2


) and Thonon-les- ).


Dordogne


In a list of France’s property hotspots, we couldn’t miss out the Dordogne, so beloved by British homeowners that it’s been nicknamed Dordogneshire! The southwest department is popular for a reason, or rather, lots of them: breathtaking scenery with river valleys, medieval villages and hilltop châteaux, a rich local gastronomy and fi ne wines, plenty of outdoors pursuits on off er, and traditional communities. With no major cities, property remains


surprisingly aff ordable, with an average house price across the department of just €1,540/m2


.


m2 m2


St-Tropez Var


If your dreams are of Provence and the Med coast, consider the Var department where the average house price of €3,950/m2


is considerably less than


neighbouring Alpes-Maritimes (€4,850/ m2


). It has all the cachet of glamorous


(cheaper for apartments at €10,780/ ), along with Grimaud (€9,080/m2 Ste-Maxime (€6,800/m2 (€5,360/m2


), ) and Hyères (€4,510/m2 ).


resorts – exclusive St-Tropez commands an average house price of €20,280/ m2 m2


) and St-Raphael ). Head west along the coast


and prices fall a little, even in gorgeous spots like Bormes-les-Mimosas (€5,990/ m2


Var has some lovely countryside too,


off ering peace and quiet away from the coast, and including the mountainous


8 l Expert Guide


Verdon regional park – the turquoise- hued Verdon gorges are a highlight – and the Ste-Baume regional park. This is lavender country too, along with vineyards and olive groves. The warm climate with over 300 sunny


days a year is all part of the appeal, as are picturesque Provençal villages like Tourtour, Fayence and Cotignac, and beautiful stone houses including ‘mas’, the local style of farmhouse. The departmental capital is naval port Toulon (€4,040/m2


) while key towns


inland include Draguignan (€3,130/m2 and Brignoles (€2,790/m2


). ) ). The cheapest


areas are in the rural north, for instance, St-Julien and Aups, where prices fall to around (€2,000/m2


Towns such as Bergerac (€1,570/ ), Eymet (€1,490/m2


) and Brantôme (€1,490/m2


), Sarlat (€1,840/ ) have


particularly found favour with the British, but there are plenty of other places where you won’t hear an English voice (the Dordogne is one of the largest departments in France). The main city is Périgueux (€1,910/ ) on the River Isle, with a medieval


m2


centre and buildings that go back to Roman times, plus all the shops, markets, restaurants and bars you’d expect from a departmental capital. There are so many pretty villages and bastide towns, including no fewer than 10 Plus Beaux Villages, including Beynac-et-Cazenac, La Roque-Gageac, Monpazier and Domme. The north of the department, home


to the Périgord-Limousin regional park, has the cheapest property with prices dropping below €800/m2


Despite being a rural area, the


Dordogne is well-connected with airports at Bergerac, Bordeaux, Limoges and Brive, TGV rail services to Paris and beyond, and Channel ferry ports within a day’s drive. ■


in some areas. Castelnaud


for houses


© Shutterstock © Shutterstock


© Shutterstock


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