According to recent reports from Virgin Trains, the number of people using rail services to get to France versus flying to other short haul destinations is increasing.
Virgin Trains reported that rail works and the Channel Tunnel are being “well-used” and increasingly seen as a greener and more convenient way to travel.
Philippa Richardson, Communications Manager for Virgin Trains, said: “More and more people are choosing rail services as a means to get to destinations they might have previously gone to by car or plane.”
Eurostar has recently launched a high-speed rail service from London St Pancras to Paris that offers a reduced journey time of just two hours and 15 minutes. And with high-speed trains available from Paris to the south of France, the number of tourists using rail services and seeking high quality holiday rental property is expected to continue to expand.
Local Jersey resident Peter Walsh has launched a campaign to build a bridge between Jersey and France.
He has already sounded out local civil servants on the island and has written to French President Nicolas Sarkozy asking for his support.
Previous ideas concerning a bridge between Jersey and France have been dismissed as impractical but Mr Walsh feels that the Oresund Bridge and others like it linking Denmark and Sweden have proven that such a bridge can pay its way through tolls in 25 years.
Mr Walsh argues that the link would allow Jersey to expand its economy without creating local housing problems and there would also be huge savings on freight.
He also proposes green benefits with tidal electricity turbines attached to the piers of the bridge allowing the island to generate its own electricity.
Despite increasing competition for the tourist pound, dollar and euro, France still regularly attracts enormous amounts of visitors from around the world.
According to the World Tourism Organization, France receives more foreign visitors per year than any other country - some 76 million in 2006. This is followed by Spain with 55 million, the US with 50 million and China with 47 million. Italy completes the top 5 with 37 million (just ahead of the UK).
And whilst Time Square was the most visited place in 2006 with 35 million tourist visitors, the top 50 most visited places compiled by Forbes Traveller includes 7 attractions in France:
9. Notre Dame, 12 million
10. Disneyland Paris, 10.6m
11. Sacre-Coeur, 8.2m
15. The Louvre, 7.5m
18. The Eiffel Tower, 6.7m
25. The Pompidou Centre, 5.1m
45. The Palace of Versailles, 3.45m
Property investors from the UK bought around £24 billion worth of foreign property last year, new figures have revealed.
According to the Association of International Property Professionals, almost 242,000 purchases were made by British buyers last year, an increase of 21% over the previous 12 months.
Volumes were up but the value of transactions remained relatively the same. This was attributed to a number of factors, including the increasing popularity of countries that still offer relatively cheap properties compared to more established markets.
Despite a move towards less expensive markets, established locations such as Spain and France were still found to dominate the buyers’ decisions in attracting 25.4% and 17% of British purchasers respectively.
According to reports from industry experts, the French Atlantic Coast is becoming more popular with British holidaymakers.
Property-Abroad.com which specialises in offering overseas property for sale in worldwide destinations, stated recently that holidaymakers have discovered they can enjoy sunshine in France at a cheaper price than on the Mediterranean coast.
Les Calvert, director of Property-Abroad.com, said: “Areas that tend to be showing more interest than previously are Aquitaine on the Atlantic Coast. The Mediterranean has always been popular, but now the Atlantic Coast is catching up and visitor numbers to the Silver Coast in Portugal are also increasing.”
He stated that holidaymakers can get the same amount of sunshine in France for about “half the price” of going to Mediterranean destinations.
French property company VEF Group also said recently that environmental concerns are making France a more popular overseas investment destination and holiday location for UK residents as it can be easily accessed by modes of transport other than air.
France and Spain are still streets ahead of their rivals for UK-based property investors according to Louise Hall, business director at Primelocation.com, with over half of all UK investors buying overseas property in these top two destinations.
She says that investors look for a combination of factors, including good weather, good transport links, easy lifestyle and familiarity as well as ‘rentability’ to ensure a steady income stream, which is why France and Spain have been in positions one and two for so long.
“Portugal, Italy and Florida are the next in line but there is a big gap in property search volumes between the number two and number three positions, which has been consistent for a number of years”, she concludes.
Research by the Department of Communities and Local Government for the financial year 2005-06 found that 34% of holiday homes owned by Britons were in Spain and 23% in France.
