Category Archives: Destinations

Looking For a Property For Sale? Provence is a Perfect Destination

If you’re looking for a property for sale, Provence is a perfect destination for many reasons, and this article will provide you with an overview of Provence and the property market.

With an appealing coastline and a typical Mediterranean climate, Provence never fails to captivate people. Located in the south-east of France by the Mediterranean Sea, with the beach-laden Cote d’Azur in the south, Provence takes you back to the classical times of the past. Tranquility is in abundance, with ancient oak groves and forests that induce a pronounced feeling of calmness. The scenery is breathtaking with natural gorges, fragrance-laden slopes and dazzling fields. There is an array of activities for cultural enthusiasts, ranging from art exhibitions to traditional music and facilities such as: kayaking, trekking, biking and even skiing in winter for outdoor sport lovers. Last but not least, several stylish cities are only one to two hours away in the car.

Do you have your mind medieval village-like picture in your mind? Then you are both right and wrong at the same time! Provence has the rare twin-mix of being steeped in culture while at the same time being equipped with a good, modern infrastructure. Provence is well connected by a good network of roads and high-speed train services, and several towns boast of great markets, schools and health services.

Provence broadly comprises of the regions of Var, Vaucluse and Bouches du Rhone Toulon. Brignoles (in Var), Avignonm Orange (in Vaucluse) and Aubagne (in Bouches du Rhone) are some of the prominent cities, and the well-known city of Cannes that hosts the prestigious film festival nestles in Alpes-Maritimes, is essentially a part of Provence as well.

Coming to the property scenario in Provence, there is only one way the market has gone – up. There exists a clear two-fold benefit to the property buyer – a second home for an idyllic getaway coupled with the fact that it is an undeniably good investment as property prices soar even during the course of a year. Several options exist for the buyer looking for a property for sale in Provence, for example: two-bedroom apartments that would cost around 150,000 Euros to exotically designed villas that can cost over 3,000,000 Euros.

Location plays an important role in the property price. While properties for sale in the coastal Var region (cities like Toulon, Brignoles and Frejus) are more affordable, the downside is a population bottleneck on the roads, especially in early summer, owing to a heavy influx of tourists. Cities like Orange and Avignon in Vaucluse have lower property prices due to Parisians owning second homes in the region and the homes tending to have basic amenities. However the area has a strong musical culture and the beauty of open-air festivals needs to be seen to be believed. Properties in the Alpine region in Provence often have their own vineyards and olive groves and are a wise consideration when you’re looking for a property with a really good return for investment purposes.

When it comes to buying a property for sale, Provence has made it straightforward. All you need to do is contact real estate agents in South East France who are registered with recognised bodies. The agent’s fee is approximately 4-10% of the property price.

In conclusion, investment in property is never considered a waste; more so in a rapidly growing region such as Provence. Non-residents benefit from having a property they can visit whenever they want, then using the property for short-term rental income, and then benefiting from a high return when the property is sold. So when you’re looking for a property for sale, Provence is the perfect destination.

Destination Wedding – Planning the Adventure

Where do you get married? In the groom’s hometown or the bride’s? What about neither! That’s what a destination wedding is. So which destination will it be? Maybe a place you and your fiancĂ©e have never been but always wanted to go to. Another way of approaching this is to plan the ceremony at the honeymoon location, that way, the honeymoon can start right away.

As with everything, there are pluses and minuses to getting married somewhere other than at “home.” One plus is a world-wide number of choices of exotic locations to pick from. Second, you might be able to finagle a discount on your honeymoon if you package it with your ceremony and other guest’s accommodations.

Now on the negative side, planning a destination wedding is not the easiest thing to do in the world. Wedding planning can be a challenge as it is when everything is just across town, but when it’s out of the country perhaps, or across the country, the challenge multiplies. Also, it may be hard for some of your guests to come to your wedding so far away. It requires more time away from work or other responsibilities and more expense. Planning a destination wedding may feel like an overwhelming task. But so would planning a local wedding. So just be prepared to put a little extra effort in and you can have a wedding that is exciting and sets you off on your adventurous new life together in style.

If you want to give it a go, here are some tips to help you in planning your destination wedding.

One good idea is to make sure everything is taken care of in one location. This works well even with weddings at home, but more so when you are in an unfamiliar location to everyone. So, the ceremony and the reception and everything you need to go with both should be conveniently located together. Having them separate or piece-meal only opens the door to complications that you don’t need.

Since your guests are probably making some sacrifice to come to your destination wedding, you should choose a location that they will enjoy. Las Vegas destination weddings are chosen by many because there is so much to do there.

If gambling is not to the tastes of your guests, you might consider another location that many couples choose: New York City. Now, you can’t say that any of your guests couldn’t find something to enjoy in the Big Apple. From sports, to museums and plays, there is really something for everyone.