Guide to the Côte d’Azur

Introduction

The south of France has been one of the most enduring holiday destinations for British tourists for decades, from the days of families driving down the autoroutes towards the sunshine to the modern-day equivalent of hopping onto a low-cost flight direct to the resorts.

The Côte d’Azur has long been synonymous with the glitz and glamour of movie premieres and celebrity, with the Cannes Film Festival and St Tropez attracting the rich and famous to the Mediterranean. Many of the resorts along the coast have a distinct British history, as it was British travellers who established many of them as winter sunshine destinations.

The region

This part of France, one of the most famous resort destinations in the world, is also known as the French Riviera. In the east, it continues on from the Italian Riviera at the border at Menton to the town of Cassis in the west. Cassis lies around 20km to the east of Marseille, at the mouth of the Rhône.

Heading westwards along the coast from Italy, Menton attracts large number of retirees with its microclimate that makes it one of the warmest towns in France. From there, the coastal road winds in and around the corniches to the ultra-luxurious Principality of Monaco, and on through the small towns of Eze, Beaulieu-Sur-Mer and Cap d’Antibes to the regional capital at Nice.

With the second-largest airport in France, Nice is the gateway to the region, but should not be overlooked as a destination in its own right, with fresh produce and flower markets daily in the charming old town, as well as the latest shops, bars and restaurants in the newer parts of the city. The sweeping expanse of the Baie des Anges forming the crescent-shaped form of the beach fronting the town, with the snow-capped Alps behind make one of the most spectacular sights for visitors, and epitomize what the Côte d’Azur offers for those buying property here.

Further along the coast are the yachting Mecca of Antibes, and the focus of the film industry for ten days every May, Cannes, both of which offer holidaymakers the combination of sun and sand, as well as the chance of spotting the rich and famous outside a pavement café.

More towns bearing similar characteristics and of a similar size are dotted along the coast, and take you all the way down to Cassis. One notable stop-off point along the way is St Tropez, beloved of the stars and the paparazzi alike. Property, or even a meal, is out of reach of most mere mortals, but in the surrounding hills and villages there are still some property gems to be found. The area is some distance from the motorway running along the coast, and is accessed by only one road that gets incredibly clogged throughout the summer months.

Climate

The Côte d’Azur is known for it’s hot summer season, though there is the perception that is stays hot all year round. Temperatures are certainly higher in the winter than anywhere in the UK, but it should be noted that this is not the same climate as the Canary Islands much further south off the African coast. It has been known for the snows from the Alps not far away to make it all the way down to the beaches, though this is rare.

Typically, a hot summer from April or May until late September or October will be followed by a relatively mild winter with temperatures rarely dropping below six or seven degrees C. Rainfall can be high in Autumn, but summers are generally dry and fine.

Getting there

Flights with scheduled, charter and low-cost airlines are frequent and can be cheap, arriving at Nice, Toulon or Marseille airports. Flying time is just two hours from the UK.

During the summer months, the Eurostar service extends a direct service to the southern city of Avignon, and with construction of a high-speed line all the way to Nice continuing, it makes travelling to the Côte d’Azur by train a realistic and more environmentally-friendly option.

Property

Understandably, given the popularity of the Côte d’Azur as a tourist destination, property in many parts of the Côte d’Azur has escalated in value beyond the means of the majority of the overseas property market. It should also not be overlooked that there is significant competition in the marketplace from those French citizens who are also looking for a second home or to relocate to a warmer climate.

That said, there are some significant opportunities for ordinary buyers to have a piece of the Côte d’Azur to themselves either as an investment to let out to tourists, or to use as a base in France. Within some of the growth areas of the towns along the coast, there are properties available which are not as expensive as might be imagined. There are also some great investment opportunities.

The leaseback scheme, unique to the French property system, is a method of buying a property in a tourist destination, letting it out for the majority of the year, having a guaranteed rent over a period of up to 11 years, and then taking full possession of the property for personal use.

New developments and renovations of older properties are also taking place inside the towns along the coast, and in the villages going up into the hills behind the coastline, offering opportunities to own an apartment from under £200,000. It is also quite possible to stumble upon a small apartment in the centre of Nice for not much more than £100,000.

Of course, should you fall into a large sum of money, or have the kind of job that will allow you to splash the cash, there is almost no limit to the properties you can buy in this area. From apartments in Monaco overlooking the casino to rambling seaside villas in the exclusive community of St Paul de Vence, there will be something here to soak up your millions.

Local life

Much of the Côte d’Azur was under-developed until the British came along to explore the tiny fishing villages that dotted the coastline. Cannes was relatively unknown until Lord Henry Peter Brougham, a British politician, discovered the town on his way to Italy, and used his many connections in French politics to purchase land.

Conclusion

The Côte d’Azur is one of the most desired and exclusive destinations in the world both for tourists and for property buyers. However, the perceived cost of property there means that many people do not even consider it as a possibility. With a little open-mindedness as to your preferred location however, you can find a property reasonable priced and within striking distance of the Mediterranean.