Moving abroad is a massive dream for some and with France, you have the chance to explore one the most cultural countries on the continent. Having a lovely villa on the coast or a trendy apartment in the city enables you to live a completely different lifestyle and take advantage of all around you, from French furniture to French fashion.

Menton, Cote d’Azur, France by Berthold Werner

It is advised that you pick a region where people go to visit on their holidays or at least where the local economy has a healthy bounce to it. It also helps if the location has great communication and access to the countries roadways, unless, of course, you want to feel detached in a serene environment.

Putting money into property abroad can be quite a risk and therefore it is the better bet to locate yourself in an area that has a history of having a healthy financial climate. If you do have money to burn, however, you may feel obliged to test out untapped areas and gamble on a slightly more obscure part of the country.

For the purposes of this post though, we’ll just stick to the well-established towns and cities.

Going for glamour

It’s fair to say that the most obvious places in France to relocate to are the likes of Paris and the south coast (Cote d’Azur). The French capital of Paris harbours expensive tastes, but great opportunity for profitable investments on property, with house prices always on the rise and the city never going out of fashion. Grabbing yourself a city apartment and decking it out with some trendy French furniture and artwork could really spruce up your life.

The Cote d’Azur offers a completely different angle to French living thanks to both the climate and the jet set lifestyle. The big problem, however, is that you will need a pretty big budget and small investors will struggle to get on the property ladder. If you do have the money, it can be a very sound investment and you will be able to enjoy every sunny day of your time down there.

The Alps

For those of an active disposition will likely see the Alps as a fantastic prospect when deciding where to move to in France. The location is possibly the most popular skiing destination on the planet and because of that, house prices can be quite high, but going just a couple of miles out of the hotspots could see you pick up a bargain.

The slopes are the real attraction, of course, and you could enjoy a life of shopping in some of the most stylish shopping areas and then moving onto a bit of skiing, as well as taking in the breath-taking views.

French Alps by Jim Trodel

Living it up in the city

French cities are finding more and more investment being thrown at them and so are making for a very prosperous place to move to.

Places like Marseille and Bordeaux are beginning to thrive, the latter being the capital of one of France’s finest wine regions. With the countries brilliant TGV train service, most places are very accessible and going from somewhere like Marseille to Paris can be done in just under two hours.

Other locations worth a mention for a great taste of French city life include Reims and Strasbourg.

About the author: Sam writes for The Furniture Market where you can get a great selection of furniture made from solid oak and in such styles as French style furniture.

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Portsmouth fishing fleet, UK by Roger H. Goun

How to keep occupied when on a low budget

There are many attractions in Portsmouth which don’t cost a single penny in order to enjoy them. Portsmouth has a very long seafront (approximately 4 kilometres) and two piers (Clarence and South Parade) are situated there as well. When walking, cycling or driving along the seafront, there are many events which are organised throughout the year, such as the bandstand which overlooks the seafront. During the summer months, a host of bands and artists perform at the bandstand and several styles of music can be enjoyed at no cost whatsoever.

Portsmouth is a city of culture

Unlike other towns and cities in the United Kingdom, Portsmouth’s cultural attractions have not suffered greatly because its many libraries are still open. Portsmouth has numerous museums which are still free to enter (although giving a donation is recommended). They are also open extensively throughout the year as well.

Enjoying the great outdoors

Despite being hugely developed over the past few hundred years, especially since the end of the Second World War, Portsmouth has many areas which have copious amounts of nature. Hilsea Lines is found in the north of the city and were originally built in the 19^th century in order to protect Portsmouth and its affluent residents from French and Spanish forces if an invasion took place. As the likelihood of this happening soon diminished, Hilsea Lines returned to civilian use and now houses a sanctuary which is host to much nature. Running through Hilsea Lines is a canal and this attracts an abundance of birdlife.

Just a few hundred yards away from Hilsea Lines is Farlington Marshes. With a path running through the top of it, many walkways are in Farlington Marshes which offers those who visit this picturesque area the opportunity to see many birds and animals. Free to enter, Farlington Marshes is a very popular destination, especially as there are many car parks throughout.

Home to the last remains of Henry VIII’s warship the Mary Rose and also both HMS Victory and HMS Warrior, Portsmouth continues to attract thousands of visitors every year. As the upmarket shopping complex Gunwharf Quays opened in 2001 and the hideous Tricorn Centre demolished in 2004, Portsmouth is a far more pleasant place to live and visit, especially as it regularly hosts events which attract people from around the world.

About the author: Russell Hill is a journalist and freelance writer. He loves green tourism and enjoys exploring cities rich in culture and heritage. He gives preference to staying in fully furnished corporate apartments rather than hotels. One company that inspired Russell was Executive Apartments, a fully furnished corporate apartment rentals provider in Washington, D.C.

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Agni

You can always opt to travel all inclusive resorts when going to Greece as there are several resorts offering this kind of package. One of them which is also the best-known is the Club Med resort which operates 4 resorts in Greece. The resort locations are in Athens, Kos, Gregolimano and Mare Nostrum. They actually pioneered the “all-inclusive” idea. However, you can now opt to choose if you want your rate to be all-inclusive or not. The Mark Warner’s Resort in Lakitira in the island of Kos as well as the San Agostino near Kalamata are some of their all-inclusive resorts. They have a wide array of water sports activities that you can enjoy during your stay in the resorts and if you have your children with you, services for childcare are available even for infants. However due to an economical crisis in Greece, Club Med is going to open only a resort in Gregolimano in 2012. So hurry up, maybe it is the last one of their all inclusive resorts in Greece and your last chance to enjoy their service here.

The Maris Hotels in Crete are also an option if you prefer to travel all inclusive resorts. They have seven hotels in the area which are all-inclusive but you can add on some more activities or meal options to make your trip more memorable and stress-free. Another all-inclusive resort in the south coast of the island of Crete is the Kalypso Cretan Village. You can choose from many options depending on how “inclusive” you want your rate to be. This resort offers water sports activities just like other island resorts however, what is unique to this place is that it was once a pirate’s haven. A stress-free vacation is assured when you travel all inclusive resorts so you don’t have to worry about anything.

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Photo by admin

In France, “le camping” is something of a religion. Families take everything but the kitchen sink to their favourite destinations – often setting up for a whole month of alfresco living.
Almost every commune has a “camping municipal” a publicly provided campsite – which are cheaper than the private ones and usually have excellent facilities. These can be particularly useful if you’re only staying for one or two nights as you travel around. A couple of good Vango sleeping bags and a cheap tent are all you’ll need any time between May and September.

Where you decide to go camping in France is entirely dependent on what you most love to do. France is a very diverse country with varied landscapes.

In the north, the coastline is rugged, while the south coast offers classic Mediterranean stretches of golden beaches.

Inland, the landscape is lush with landscapes carved by famous rivers such as the Loire and the Dordogne, whilst the Alps offer a mountainous landscape beloved by outdoor sports enthusiasts in every season for different reasons. You’ll need you best Merrell gear during any season here.

Also, the Vendée, Royan and the South-West along the Atlantic coast are perfect for family holidays camping in France. There are huge stretches of open sandy beach and the sea is perfect for swimming and water sports during the summer. Be warned, though, it can be exposed in these regions during the hottest months as the beaches are so open and the landscape generally flat.

Wherever you decide to camp in this magnificent and hugely varied country – you won’t be disappointed by the camping facilities.

Bon voyage!

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