The claim comes from a recent report by French property experts, VEF, who say holiday lets within 30 minutes of an airport saw a 21 per cent price rise in 2005. And while prices are taking off near airports, the rest of France is having a turbulent time, with property prices varying from region to region. There were also some surprises as prices in the usually popular areas of Dordogne and the fairly new market of Limousín, decreased by 35 and 15 per cent repectively.

In general, the European Housing Review supported VEF's findings, noting double-digit house price inflation rates. Average property prices for 2005 were up from the year before, and French estate agents have officially confirmed what many have suspected for a while: you'll be extremely lucky to find any properties on the market for less than 100,000 euros (£68,000) in the majority of  the French regions. The typical amount you can expect to pay for a property anywhere in the country is 152,000 euros (approximately £103,000). The market has seen unparalleled growth in recent years, and the report put growth last year at 10.9 per cent, up from 'traditional' yearly growth of 5 per cent.

The Rhône-Alpes region has France's highest average property price, at around 403,300 euros (£275,500), but following in second place is the ever-popular Provence, with typical properties going for 370,000 euros (£253,000). In contrast, the Límousín has houses on the market for an average of 123,000 euros (£84,000), making it one of the cheapest in France, according to the VEF report. Auvergne wasn't far behind with 137,000 euros (£93,600) as the standard price paid for properties, making them both attractive to investors looking for new growth areas as well as those just trying to nab a bargain.

This is attributed to the stable interest rates in France and the fact that mortgage lenders are now offering 20-year mortgages, and discussions for a 50-year option are also underway for the near future. The 'papy boom', says the VEF report, where people of retirement age in France are looking to buy in areas usually the sole domain of British buyers, has also boosted competition and, as a result, house prices. The Languedoc, the Pyrénées-Atlantiques and Brittany are cited as the next boom areas. Burgundy, previously thought too inaccessible to be popular with foreign buyers, also gets a mention, along with the Perpignan, which is set to benefit from the new Train Grande Vitesse (TGV) railway link from Barcelona.

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Article first published in March 2006