Whether you are thinking of emigrating, retiring, buying a holiday home or investing in buy-to-let property in France, does what region you do it in really make a difference?
With regions in France on average 67 per cent larger than British counties; and landscape, climate and community varying widely across the country, the answer has to side on the affirmative. However, there is great variation within regions and it's dangerous to assume that once you've seen one department within a region, you've seen it all. It is also important not to be so fixated with one region that you might overlook another that offers similar variables, cheaper property and greater convenience. Chances are you could come across the exact opposite of what you're looking for right next door to your perfect French area, but whatever you are in search of you're bound to find it somewhere within the country's 26 diverse regions.

Climate change
"There can't be much incentive for the French to travel beyond their own country boundaries for a holiday when they have everything except Scandinavian and polar climate to hand," says Michael Kingdom-Hockings, who moved to the Limousin region in 2004. "If you are emigrating for a change in climate, you should study regional climatic history carefully and travel to your chosen region in winter."

Although the weather is generally better in France than in the UK, due to the county's unique geography there is tremendous variation from one region to the next and indeed, within regions. For example the Provence/Cote d'Azur region has almost 50 per cent more sun than Normandy, Brittany and the Western Loire  – which in turn has twice as many rainy days as the south-east.

Money talk
Unless you've had some luck on the lottery, and we're talking more than three balls, cost will always be a major consideration when looking to buy property in France and with great variation in property prices between and within regions its worth doing your research. "The most expensive areas are the city centres such as Paris in Ille de France and Bordeaux in Aquitaine and also famous tourist spots such as the Côte D'Azur and Biarritz, also in Aquitaine," says Niclas Dowlatshahi, managing director of Leapfrog Properties Europe.

Historically popular with British tourists, Brittany and Normandy also have strong property markets in which prices are not expected to drop in the near future, as do Burgundy and the Dordogne department. However, property prices are stabilising and even dropping in previously high-priced areas such as Aude in the Languedoc, Lot and Quercy and Tarn in the
Midi-Pyrénées and Indre in the Centre. "The cheapest regions are the Limousin and Auvergne regions, closely followed by the southern Centre region," says Dowlatshahi. "I predict the Auvergne to be the next area popular with the Brits as it is still the cheapest region in France and offers a wide range of outdoor activities. When eventually an international airport is built here I think we will see prices soar."

Peace and quiet
The Limousin also remains one of the few areas in France where it is possible to buy property for 40,000 or 50,000 euros. As the majority of the Limousin is traditionally rural many of the locals are now moving out of the region and closer to urban conurbations giving Brits the opportunity to buy cheap properties in peaceful countryside. "If you want to integrate quietly into a relaxed environment reminiscent of England 50 years ago it's best to choose rural regions like Limousin," Kingdom-Hockings says.

Franche Comte is also something of an undiscovered gem in terms of price, culture and traditional French community. The region is conveniently located to the Swiss Jura Mountain range and its sporting opportunities. Its capital city, Besançon, is a beautiful example of French history and culture, still displaying extensive fortifications from when the city was controlled by the Spanish and offering all kinds of festivals and leisure activities. However, due to the lack of an obvious airport-link to the UK, Franche Comte has been overlooked by the British market and renovation properties with gardens are available for under 100,000 euros.

Cheap regions such as the Limousin, Auvergne and the Centre, as well as inland Poitou Charente, inland Brittany, inland Normandy and the Midi-Pyrénées form the more quiet rural areas of France, perfect for those looking for a holiday retreat or a peaceful place to retire. 

Cross-Channel communications
However, if you're looking for a more jet-setting lifestyle or the opportunity to make good returns by letting out holiday properties, Provence, Brittany, the Dordogne in the Aquitaine and the Languedoc region are your best bets. These areas have historically been very popular with British holiday-makers due to their warm climates, coastal positions, scenic landscapes and celebrated cuisine and their appeal has only grown since budget airlines appeared on the scene. 

Good communications also make the northern regions of France – namely Picardie, Normandy, Brittany and the Western Loire – best placed for weekend boltholes. Thanks to the Eurostar, you could be enjoying your holiday home in Picardie on a Friday evening after working all week in the UK. Normandy and Brittany also benefit from convenient ferry connections from Poole and Portsmouth to name just two, while the Western Loire is just a short car journey away. The Languedoc is also a convenient region for Brits looking for weekend retreats. Served by numerous budget airlines and with airports nearby in Toulouse, Neme, Perpignon and Carcassone, a weekend trip is realistic. 

Living in France
If you are thinking of emigrating to France there are different variables to take into consideration than when looking for a holiday-home. "Fortunately, France has a good infrastructure throughout the country so it doesn't matter too much which region you go to," says Dowlatshahi. "Availability of schools and amenities can be found of course in every region so value for money, culture, environment and a good climate it usually what sways people to buy in a particular region"

The typically British expat honey-pots equate to the most popular destinations with British holidaymakers, these being Provence, Brittany, Normandy and the Dordogne. The latter has even being nick-named 'little-Britain' by the French. However, due to the Brits increasing love affair with France you'd be hard pushed to find a department, let alone a region, where no English voices can be heard. That said, Dowlatshahi does have some advice on where to find affordable properties and the French traditional lifestyle so many Brits crave: "Good areas to look at that offer good value for money are currently Burgundy, Poitou Charentes, Midi Pyrénées , Centre and Limousin," he says. "These areas also allow you to become part of real France as supposed to more cosmopolitan cities or tourist spots."
 Whichever region you choose, part of the reason an increasing amount of Brits want to spend so much of their lives in France is friendly welcome they get from the locals. Val Critchley moved to Normandy with her husband and three teenage children in 2001. "There is quite a large expat community here  but we really don't get any anti-emigrant sentiment," she says. "Far from it, we are friends with the deputy mayor and his wife here in Carentan. One of his biggest achievements of last year was to get all the restaurants to print their menus in English."

But, as in Britain, every local community is different, and should be carefully tried and tested before you buy property or move into the area. "I remember last year talking to the French man we bought our cars from. He was so helpful and I was telling him how strange it was it was," Val says. "He said that it was a Manche thing. His son had recently moved to a town close to Caen and couldn't get over how unfriendly the people were!"

Which region and more specifically, which city, town or village you chose to buy property, either for holiday purposes or to live in, is undoubtedly and intrinsically influential to the success of your venture, so make sure to do your research, visit your preferred area on at least three occasions at different times of year and then sit back, enjoy and feel proud of your new home.

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Article published 16 April 2007