SoF.

[Alistairr]

Is it all expencive, or are there reasonable area to buy property in??

We are thinking of a 2 bedroom flat, Had thought about Spain, But a lot of People are suggesting the South of France,.

What are the good area, up and coming, not necessarily on the coast, but certainly fairly near the coast?
What are the best airports to fly to?And do the cheaper airlines fly to them?

Cheers..

Alistair..


<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://arweb.co.uk/argallery/alistair?&page=1> My Pictures, Look if you want.</A>

 

[TroyTempest]

Hi Alistair!

Happy new-year! We lived in a village called Valbonne in the hills above Nice/Antibes etc for a year when I was working out there. Might I suggest you look here? http://www.french-property-news.com/

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Alistairr]

Valbonne, Looks not far from the coast, About 30-40mins???
How did you find the prices there?

Good site, Thanks Mark.

Cheers

Alistair..

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://arweb.co.uk/argallery/alistair?&page=1> My Pictures, Look if you want.</A>

 

[Alistairr]

BTW, How many of you guys actually drive to SoF? and how long does it usually take you?

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://arweb.co.uk/argallery/alistair?&page=1> My Pictures, Look if you want.</A>

 

[Dave1258]

Hi Al, If Your thinking of doing the Dover/Calais crossing, I usually allow 2 days when driving.
First leg from Calais down to Macon, then Macon to the Coast, 2nd leg always shorter and try to start out early morning to avoid the heat build up during the day,which can be uncomfortable to say the least!
The route down is straightforward "Autoroute du Soleil" plenty of tolls or "peage" as they call them there.
Plenty of motels to stop at whilst travelling down, Formula 1 being one of the most frequently used by us Brits. Try to avoid stopping overnight at one of the "aires" on the Autoroute, short breaks meals and rest stops are fine, fuel is cheap and the sevices provided 1st Class IMHO.
Dover/Calais is probably the shortest and least expensive crossing, but quite a long drive frrom the ferry port, some 837 miles to St. Maxime I think?..will have to confirm with Mandy on that one (navigator)
Can supply you with loads of info when we see you at Easter up at Lomond
Rgards Dave

<hr width=100% size=1>Someday my ship will come in, and with my luck I'll be at the airport!!

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

We had our boat in SoF last year so I cant comment on property prices other than to say, they seem to be generally higher than Spain but we found Nice to be a very good airport to fly to and from. Its served by BA, Bmi and Easyjet and the competition keeps fares competitive and its one of the few Med airports you can fly to on a Friday evening and back Sunday night throughout the year so weekends abroad are possible during school term
This is only a personal opinion but SoF is a cut above anywhere I've seen in Spain. The scenery is stunning, the food mostly excellent (although pricier than the rest of France), the shopping is sophisticated and whatever you think about the French, they know how to live well

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[tcm]

Eight hours is feasible calais-cannes if you keep your foot down. Tunnel the only way. Get swmbo to queue to pay while you fill up, and keep stops to 10 mins tops and no congratulaory "definitely broken it's back" meals, otherwise 778 miles extends to more than a day. Thrash it, aiming to touch/crusie on empty roads at 140 in the north and 120 in the south, be lucky with traffic out of season and out of peak hours and it's possible somehwat less than 8 hours, but don't play in-car music else you tend to slow down to reduce wind noise and listen.

Alistair, there are loads and loads of 2-bed flats there, all bought by people who fancy a bit of sun, and kidding themselves that self/kids will have a great time 10 or 20 miles ionland when in fact they all want to sit on the coast. You must be careful - valbonne is sodding ages from the coast in the season, get out of the house by 7 to get a parking spot. Same goes for lots of other places too. SoF is approx 2x expensive as spain. Easter and october is not so good weather wise, tho france never quite reaches really high temps at which you die on the coast at least (last year excepted ahem)

For lots of ovbious expats, gib up to marbella and beyond is very british. But the south of france also has large expat community, bit posher bunch i suppose.

Word of warning - when buying in sof, pretend that you can NEVER sell the flat/house. I know peeps who are selling now at approxc same4 price as 5/10 years ago. So, make very sure you are buying the right place for along term investment - though south france prices could easily return bigtime if non-anti-french US president returns next year.

Easyjet is flexible on changing dtaes, BA is nicer.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[tcm]

Re: aires on autoroutes

These are ok, non? okay, there will be places not on service stations that are muchnicer. But the motels *just* off the motorways, esp off the toll-free bits, are frequented by thieves, not loads of violence but a smashed window here and there from obviously loaded-up brit cars.



<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[EME]

Most of it has already been said.. but you do need to ask what you want and for what purpose cos SoF has everything you want for a retreat. I cann't compare with Spain as I love France. We are 15 minutes from some beaches but also can get to Isola 2000 in less than 2 hrs

IF you are after a holiday place for 2 visits of a week or so then avoid places like Valbonne. 20 mins to Antibes in spring and autumn - can easily be an hour in August if it's the beaches you want. There are backroads to everywhere BUT you need to live there to know which ones to use when.However the choice closer to the beaches are endless.

House prices on the Cote d'Azur are complex - they have been increasing by about 5% per annum in recent years but the choice is endless - and rather like the UK there are highly-sought after areas which increase faster. We live in a 2 bed house on an inland domain which you could easily buy for £100,000 but I know 1-bed flats overlooking Golfe Juan (bay) which would be closer to £1m.

Flights are easy from any part of the UK - and cheap, apart from August.

As well as the Cote d'Azur you could go further west and that is becoming a lot more popular with Brits.

The best way to find oot what it is like is to go down twice, once out of season (march/April) - and once in the summer before committing to buying -- it really is different .

If you want the sixpenny tour of the area one weekend , I would be delighted to oblige if you come down but I would suggest you decide on how many visits/what you want to use it for / budget beforehand.

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=blue>I am WHAT I say I am</font color=blue>

 

[wakeup]

Can definitely recommend the six penny tour!!!

Although the 'grey/blond' tour guide is a bit scruffy and drinks rather too much /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[EME]

Whadya mean..

I am 'totally' scruffy .... and the missus will take exception to being told she drinks too much.

BTW - you have so far only done the penny tour , another 472 bars and 18 'hilltop' villages to go..



<hr width=100% size=1><font color=blue>I am WHAT I say I am</font color=blue>

 

[tcm]

Re: junior tour enquiry

I wonder at what level is the one where the kids get taken off to the footy in monaco and come back with detialed knowldge of Welsh rugby songs? As per wakeup, highly recommended.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[EME]

Re: junior tour enquiry

.. aarggh that one is simple.

'Kids to Monaco soccer' is tour that grownups have to pay for ,,, this is due to ending up having great night-out and general increase in 'hip' vocabulary.

'Tickets for grown-ups' will in future only be available on ebay auction with very high reserve for future trips. Reminder to all grown-ups this one is alcohol-free but good for occasional detox and lessons from junior trippers on how to get served in MacDo with Eyeties and French pushing everywhere. English kids win hands down.

Only downside to 'Youf tours' is vague promises made at time that in (unlikely) event of Man Utd or Arsenal meeting Monaco in Soccer Euro Bonanza that repeat journey will be enjoyed by all. Beginning to look like possibility .. ticket prices go up!!

P.S, I also confess to being very surprised at the Monagesque soccer followers being so well versed in Welsh rugby songs.

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=blue>I am WHAT I say I am</font color=blue>

 

[Alistairr]

Thanks to everyone for your replies.
I think we are looking for somewhere we can go When we like, just book a last minute flight and go. Also for longer holidays possibility of driving down. As i said earlier a 1 or 2 bedroom Appartment, would be ideal, But reading the replies, i'm now not sure if thats possible for £60k to £80k, Maybe Spain IS the cheaper option.

Thinking more indepth, running it as a business scheme might be better, Renting it out to holiday makers, for a week at a time. So location i suppose is quite critical. Only downside is we would be restricted to when we could us it. But i'd be lucky if it was that busy anyway. And we would keep the boat in this country to use.

As you say i think a couple of Reccies are required, And if we deceide to come down, i'll certainly look you up for the Sixpenny Tour. Thanks very much for the offer.

Cheers.

Alistair..


<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://arweb.co.uk/argallery/alistair?&page=1> My Pictures, Look if you want.</A>

 

[Alistairr]

Thanks very much for the indepth reply.
140 to 120, I presume that is Kph and not Mph??/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif
778miles is a heck of a distance to do in 1 day. But i suppose i'd give it a try./forums/images/icons/smile.gif

If we find somewhere that is right we hope it would be a long term purchase.

Thanks again Matt.

Cheers
Alistair.



<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://arweb.co.uk/argallery/alistair?&page=1> My Pictures, Look if you want.</A>

 

[jfm]

Re: SoF. 140mph

Yes, alistair, I'm quite sure he meant kph. Really, I know the guy and I'm very sure he meant kph, definitely, for sure. No doubt about it, not at all.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Alistairr]

Re: SoF. 140mph

Are you 'Sure'? /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif/forums/images/icons/smile.gif



<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://arweb.co.uk/argallery/alistair?&page=1> My Pictures, Look if you want.</A>

 

[adarcy]

Re: SoF. 140mph

for an 8hr trip work it out for yourself!

As we "all" know the speed limit is 130kph but 110 kph in rain

IF this board was anonymous to the world I might intimate that "someone" I know well prefers to cruise at 95 "not kph" - rozzer seeking eyeballs being less strained and there's often peeps going faster to take their attention anyway. In this alleged scenario, it takes 10hrs on the road from Calais, allow 90 mins for 2 -3 coffee stops and a quick lunch (only fuel at Calais + one of the midway Carrefours - diesel car) so 12 hrs. This person has also allegedly done the whole trip 150 miles to the Chunnel, crossing and 750 miles in France in one go three times but it sure is tiring - allegedly.

<hr width=100% size=1>