They say the grass is greener on the other side and now more Brits are shunning the gloomy UK and moving to a greener side – over the Channel – to France in the hope of enjoying a better quality of life, agents report.

With its ambient capital city, wine regions, beaches and top class skiing, the country’s diversity and proximity to our shores has historically made France a popular place to holiday. French property expert Patrick Joseph, from my-french-house.com, helps Brits find houses in France and has noticed our needs are changing.

“When I first started sourcing property for British buyers in 2004 most of my work involved finding second homes and renovation opportunities for investors looking for property in popular holiday destinations that would provide a good rental income over the summer months,” Joseph says.  “But there has been a definite shift towards relocation and self-sufficiency in recent years.”

France almost always tops the quality of life tables. As a nation, they fight hard for their lifestyle, be it keeping the retirement age down, their holiday allowances up or wages uncut and in return they enjoy the best quality of life in Europe. And, Frogs legs and snails aside, they are also known for their fabulous food, normally enjoyed over long leisurely lunches.

So, instead of a quick mini break across the Channel we’re thinking twice about heading back to the expensive, over-crowded, corporate UK and choosing to buy homes in France – and the cost of a relaxed country life there is more affordable too.

“An increasing number of enquiries are for small country houses with several acres of land where people can enjoy a greener lifestyle,” says Joseph. “A rural lifestyle in England comes with a hefty price tag and UK buyers are discovering that they can achieve their dream of a sustainable lifestyle across the Channel far more cheaply. In some parts of France such as Poitou Charentes and the north Dordogne homes can be picked up for as little as €150,000 to €200,000.”

If you’re now dreaming of baguettes, brie and a bottle of Beaujolais in the garden of your new French country home, you’re not alone and you’d also be investing in a stable property market. Now all you need to do is learn the lingo.

Find an airport overseas and invariably, as long as the flights are affordable from the UK, you will find holiday homes nearby. This works both ways. Property abroad can rise in value when routes start up, but equally Brits can be left high and dry when they close. So which way will the new routes announced this week go?

The most recent example is Albania, the poorest nation in south eastern Europe and arguably the least secure. Its ‘emerging’ economy hasn’t put off developers building luxury resorts there and with prices starting at €39,000 some investors are piling in. One reason why they’re happy to take the risk and buy property in Albania is thanks to the world’s favourite airline – British Airways this week increased the number of flights between London and Tirana – Albania’s capital – from three times a week to a daily service.

Overall, Albania’s economic indicators are travelling in the right direction. Tourism is increasing for those happy to venture into a country still in the grips of post-Communist architecture – there’s been an 8.5 per cent increase so far this year – and it’s set to join the EU in 2014.

Ravin Maharajah, from Lalzit Bay Resort and Spa – a five-star residential development 45 minutes by car from Tirana, thinks the country’s success is going to continue:

“Interest from international second home buyers is steadily increasing as people realise the buying opportunity is now rather than later when the prices may have gone up.”

At the other end of the property scale, the Alps is another destination to which the number of flights is increasing. It’s one of the most expensive places in the world to buy homes and now budget operator Jet2 is bringing in the Scots – the new services are from Glasgow (to Geneva) and Edinburgh (to Salzburg/Chambery) from December this year.

This is good for those with ski chalets in the Alps as it will increase demand for property at a time when it’s been falling away during the recession. Charlie Williams, from ski property developer Terresens, says: “Giving home owners and holiday makers more choice and more availability to fly is always very positive news. We are particularly interested in the new flights being opened to Chambery.

“This airport is a very key portal to get into the Alps but particularly good for people wanting to ski in the Tarentaise as the airport is only just over an hour from most resorts in this area.  This ski region includes Val d’Isere and Tignes which is undoubtedly one of the largest ski areas in the world.”

What is it about France?

For me, it was the lure of the snow-covered Alps. What was it for you? The language? The gastronomy? The lifestyle? Once I was lured here, I discovered all these things and more, and now I find myself unable to leave. Holidays previously spent abroad are now spent discovering different regions of France. And what better way to see areas of France than from a convertible?

My first road trip centred on Normandy. First up was the Bayeaux. Strangely, the French don’t seem all that aware of the tapestry, and perhaps this is why Bayeaux remains a rather small town in the North. After having to learn about it at school in Australia, I was determined to see this thing for myself. Unfortunately, even photos without a flash are not allowed, so after waling around the entire glassed-off tapestry, I headed along the coastal road towards le Mont Saint Michel. War museums and bunkers are abundant along this slower road, and they provide good opportunities to stop and smell the salty air. Le Mont Saint Michel boasts the biggest tides in Europe. Accommodation is available both on and off the island, and both have advantages. I spent a night overlooking a part of the island that floods at the highest of tides, then a night off the island, walking up to the causeway that joins it to the mainland to see how lovely the island looks at night. This place is well worth a visit, with no cars beyond the causeway and narrow streets winding up to a monastery at the top.

Another road trip took me from my home in La Clusaz to Nice. The mountainous roads around Briançon provide a great top-down experience, especially for passengers who don’t have to concentrate. The route took me through a town called ‘Bonnuit’ (’good night’) and though Barcelonnette, which leads to the Cime de la Bonette. The narrow but freshly resurfaced and empty roads were breathtaking and the French are rumoured to have added an extra loop of road at the top to make the route an extra 50 metres higher in order to claim the title for the highest road in Europe at 2802 metres high. I really recommend this road — part of the Route Napoleon — for the natural views. Beware of clouds that act as thick fog. Just beyond the peak was an old army barracks, now turning to rubble, complete with cartoon murals inside. On the way back, I stopped in Digne-les-Bains and passed an amazingly blue lake, with lots of people dotted around swimming. If I had to move away from La Clusaz, this place would be on my list of alternatives.

On a summer road trip to the West coast, I stopped along the Dordogne — a popular tourist spot for Brits and the Dutch as well as the French. It’s easy to see why so many are attracted to this region. The weather is stable (unlike my mountains) and there is so much to see. Sarlat-la-Canéda stands out as a town full of activity throughout the day and into the night, with street performers, an open-air theatre, all sorts of restaurants and really narrow, pretty alleyways in the largely pedestrianised town. The town had a great relaxed feeling about it, and it’s also on the list of places to live if I ever leave La Clusaz. It’s also close to lots of great sites, such as the ancient cave paintings of Lascaux, the once-inhabited limestone cliff-faces such as La Roque Saint Christophe, a variety of castles and the beautifully sculpted Marqueyssac gardens. Slightly further away is the Gouffre de Padirac, an amazing underground cave complete with a Venetian-style boat ride and impressive scenery. Remember to ‘ooh’ at the first-ever plant life seen in the cave — from a seed that our guide said washed down and somehow germinated under one of the security lights. Along the coast, the still-French La Palmyre has big camping grounds and long beaches for surfing, without the crowds of more popular places like Biarritz. For me, the town felt a lot like a surf stop along the Victorian coast of Australia, with calm roads, unspoilt beaches and beachwear being the norm. Further down the coast, the Dune du Pilat, Europe’s largest dune, is a paragliding haven. Climbing the dune purely to get to the beach seemed to me like more effort than it was worth when the coastal town of Pyla-sur-Mer offers a beach on its doorstep. Obviously, it’s a bit busier, but on a hot day, who has the energy to conquer a huge sand dune? The drive home was a fast one, with the roof down at 130km/h on the toll roads, and still no relief from the heat. Lunch was a picnic under the gigantic Millau Bridge which is so high that I’m not sure I could drive over it.

My most recent road trip was not in a convertible. After driving my little Golf GTI cabriolet, the ex-La Poste van just didn’t have the same appeal. There were certainly less security hassles, but the roads just weren’t as much fun. Thankfully, visits to some bunkers in the North (La Coupole and Blockhaus d’ Eperlerques) made up for the boredom of driving a yellow thing with a big bubble dome and no power. After a night of rest in Reims, a city with a name that no non-French person can ever really pronounce and a lovely cathedral with a smiling angel, the road to the Jura ranges was hot and long. The reward was a stunning view of Geneva and Lac Léman on the descent towards La Clusaz, along with a much-needed cool breeze from the lake.

This summer, I’ll be back in the Golf for more top-down adventures.

April Hollands

For fans of skiing, there’s nothing quite like owning your own ski property in your favourite resort, saving you the hassle of having to find and pay for accommodation each time you want to head for the slopes. Whilst some people don’t enjoy having to fly to their ski property homes, especially when lugging equipment with them, there is an alternative – the snow train.

Snow or ski trains help take the hassle out of reaching ski properties (as well as helping people concerned about cutting down their carbon footprints) and are ideal for Brits heading to French and European ski slopes. Accommodation is available on board, so you can travel through the night and not waste valuable skiing time, and there are no extra charges for transporting your skis or boards.

The Eurostar Direct Ski Train, for example, operates from late December to early April. Serving three of the main stations in the French Alps – Moûtiers, Aime la Plagne and Bourg St Maurice – it provides easy access to many of the key resorts in the area. The high-speed service operates in the day, taking 7½ hours, but the night service is ideal for weekend breaks or anyone wanting to make the most of their time, as you leave on the Friday night and arrive first thing on Saturday morning.

Rail Europe’s Snow Train operates from London St Pancras and Ebbsfleet International and travels to four main ski destinations in the French Alps – Les Trois Vallées, Paradiski, Mont Blanc and Espace Killy. If you don’t want to worry about sleeping, it even has its own – fully sound proofed! – disco carriage, so you can party your way to the slopes.

If you’re considering in investing in ski property, then the easy access and relatively low cost of the ski trains are definitely an option to think about.