Ille de France 75 Ville de Paris 77 Seine et Marne 78 Yvelines 91 Essonne 92 Hauts de seine 93 Seine Saint Denis 94 Val de Marne 95 Val d Oise.
By ille de France, most people are generally referring to the French capital, Paris itself. Unless you are very rich or have a hankering for city life, then we doubt if you will be looking for a French holiday home in Paris or it’s neighbouring suburbs. For one thing, property prices here are amongst the most expensive in the world, it is a city that attracts a great deal of persons seeking employment, Paris is a world metropolis it has a highly skilled and professional workforce and it also contains 17 world renowned universities and grand ecoles that train in excess of 600,000 students each year, couple this with the 75 million visitors a year and you will understand why property property prices and rental prices are very high. For most Brits Paris tends to remain a city to visit and enjoy. Of course as you travel further away from the centre out in to the country, property prices do lower but even so, holiday home ownership in this region is fairly low.
The a majority of Parisians themselves actually rent property in the city because of the high prices, often they choose to purchase property further out in to the country or by the coast as a holiday home. If you decide to visit Paris on holiday then try to spend some time in the surrounding suburban district, you will find that region containing the city of Paris, is rich in beautiful countryside and has a multitude of forests all of which the city dwellers are able to escape to at a moments notice. It boast three National Parks and 4 National Forests and these are all very popular amongst Parisians, seeking to escape the often smog filled centre. The scenery is quite stunning and here you can enjoy as much as 27500 hectares of forest and woodland. The region is also intersected by many waterways and there over 440 miles that can be navigated and these beautiful canals and waterways are an attraction to the area in there own right. In a previous article on Corsica, we mentioned Napoleon and it was here in the French suburbs that he resided, enjoying the beautiful scenery, the soft landscapes and pretty rivers. These rivers, notably the Seine Marne & Oise have inspired countless artists over the years and the works of Manet, Monet, & Sisley to name but a few have all been influenced by the magical quality this area offers.
For many Paris is the centre of Europe, it has fantastic connections by both air, rail & road to all corners of the globe and speaking from a British perspective, the opening of the channel tunnel in 1995 has made travel to Paris from England fast and easy. We have not mentioned transport links in this article suffice to say that as a European transport hub, practically every airline in the world fly’s to this destination and certainly you will find no end of UK budget flights that can transport you at very reasonable prices. If you don’t fancy flying then there is a whole host of other options available to you and certainly the Euro star train service will transport you to Paris with speed and style.
With a population of over 10 million Paris is the world capital of chic and romance and it is no wonder that it is a popular choice for overseas investors, property prices have always been high as can be expected with any city that has a high population and excellent tourist attractions. Smaller overseas investors have tended to leave this area alone, people that do buy in the suburbs tend to be locals with good local area knowledge they are best placed to buy property for personal use or for rental to the local workforce. In a city that is so large and diverse, property can vary from street to street and an excellent local knowledge is required to secure property and the right price in the right location.
it’s fair to say that the closer you get to the centre of this vibrant city, the brighter it’s attractions become, the suburbs or surrounding departments do have attractions of there own to offer, there are many cultural sights and plenty of classic chateaux as well as the world famous basilica at St Denis which is the final resting place of many kings and queens of France. Witness the splendour of Versailles through to wonderful palace at Fontainebleau. These surrounding departments have managed to remain largely unspoilt and have a charm and beauty all of there own. If property is purchased either as a home or a holiday home, it tends to be in these outlying districts. For one thing, prices are a little lower and you are also away from the noise and pollutions from the inner city areas. Pollution is a particular problem in the centre of Paris and from time to time, restrictions have to be applied to car usage. Pollution aside, Paris is known the world over as the city of romance and has a romantic atmosphere. Most enjoyable is a trip down the Seine on the Bateaux Mouches to have a scenic view of Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower.
Often in descriptions of Paris, you will here the term left bank and right bank. Paris is a city that displays 2000 years of history, the gauls settled in this area and it was also occupied for a time by the Romans under Julies Caesar. These phrases came about centuries ago when settlers sailed the Seine towards the sea, Paris was growing in importance and locations were either on the left or right bank. The left bank of the city (The south side), is world famous for it’s somewhat bohemian lifestyle and here you will find the areas Saint Germain de Pres, Saint Michel, Rue de Renne & Montarnasse. Here at the Sorbonne, classes were taught in Latin so this area also became know as the Latin quarter. Of course, perhaps the famous symbol of the whole of France can be located here, formally described as an eyesore, it is debatable if there is a more famous sight in the world than the Eiffel Tower, it is almost unthinkable to visit this city without taking in a trip to see this monument. You can spend an age in this area and it is doubtful if it’s atmosphere can be replicated anywhere else in the world.
The right bank of Paris is described as being more upmarket, here you can witness the elegant and sophisticated lifestyle that Paris has become synonymous with. The most famous landmark on this side of the river is the Arc de Triomphe which was built on the instruction of Napoleon in 1799. Without doubt the famous street on the right bank is the Champs -Elyseees. This street caters for the worlds rich & famous and here you will find all the top designer stores and hotels.
The centre of the city also houses the world famous Louvre museum, with it’s stunning glass pyramid which any one that has watched the Da Vinci Code film will instantly recognise. The Louvre contains a vast amount of treasures including the Mona Lisa. Close by to the Louvre you will find Musee d Orsay, a former train station that now houses a fantastic collection of impressionist paintings. As well as the buildings and art, Paris is known as a centre of gastronomic excellence and one things for certain, you certainly wont go hungry in this city, there is a never ending choice to suit all tastes and pockets available 24 hours day
Guide to Paris, France from Assetsure
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