Ile de France

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Surrounding the city of Paris is the region of Ile-de-France, a green land where the living is good – a region full of energy.

Of course, there will always be Paris – the locomotive of a very dynamic region called Ile-de-France. But don't overlook the Paris environs with its multi-faceted charm. From the Chevreuse, Yvette or Essonne valleys and their picturesque villages, to the inviting forests of Rambouillet, Saint-Germain or Fontainebleau, the Ile-de-France is a natural paradise.
The city of Paris is in fact one small département located in the heart of the Ile-de-France region, surrounded by other seven others. The region as a whole is home to over 11,000,000 people (and the largest number of English-speaking ex-pats in France), and the capital is densely populated.

The area surrounding Paris features fields and forests dotted with grand hunting lodges and châteaux, the most famous being the château de Versailles, built for Louis XIV and located within 815 hectares of beautifully kept parkland. Other popular spots are the up market former royal towns of Fontainebleau, Rambouillet and Vaux-Le-Vicomte, all very green, pleasant and located within a 50 mile radius of Paris. To the north, the well-heeled suburbs of Neuilly and Saint Cloud are highly rated – and pricey - in terms of property, as are waterfront locations on the Seine and Marne rivers.

There are four RER (Réseau Express Régional) high speed suburban railway lines that interconnect with the métro at major stations, running across Paris and out into Ile-de-France commuter land, making a second (or indeed, first) home purchase outside the capital a perfectly viable option for those who want to be within striking distance of the urban vibe without living it full time.

For others, the city buzz is a must, and Paris is undeniably the jewel in the Ile-de-France crown. With its legendary monuments, sweeping boulevards, buzzing brasseries and oodles of romance, it’s a major tourist attraction as well as a seething metropolis. Classified into 20 arrondissements, France’s capital city offers many possibilities for prospective property purchasers.

Part of the charm of living here is the real community spirit that exists within each quartier, often in evidence at the Sunday morning market or in the neighbourhood shops and bars. Step out of the areas beloved of tourists (Montmartre, the Marais, the Ile de la Cité and Ile St-Louis) and plunge into the backstreets of more anonymous areas like the 11th or 20th arrondissements to find Parisians quietly going about their day-to-day business and get a real feel for this stimulating city.

Accommodation in Paris doesn’t tend to have much in the way of outside space, unless you count the odd communal courtyard or you’ve got a sizable budget and can buy in the greener suburbs to the west such as Neuilly or St-Cloud. What you will get however is a truly cosmopolitan environment, as well as short- and long-term financial rewards. Generally speaking, Parisian apartments cost half as much as flats in London, and the severe lack of rented accommodation in the city means that your Parisian pied-à-terre need never stand empty.