What It's Actually Like to Buy an Old Chateau in France

By far the favourite European ski destination, France consistently welcomes around a third of British skiers who are drawn by the convenience of a winter sports break in our near-neighbour country. Along with offering good no-fly travel options, skiers have a huge choice of wide-open slopes, lifts zigzagging across dramatic mountains and modern accommodation.

Montpellier – nicknamed the surdouée, the wonder child – is a city that buzzes with life and Mediterranean light.

The French Senate has greenlit measures to apply value-added tax (VAT) to Airbnb and similar platforms, aiming to address perceived competition imbalances with the hotel sector. 

Berlin-based hospitality brand Numa Group has acquired Dutch aparthotels operator YAYS Group from Proprium Capital Partners. The companies did not disclose details of the deal. 

Ask any Barcelona local where they would prefer to own a second home and one of the most frequent answers will no doubt be l’Empordà. If you have never heard of this under-the-radar part of Catalonia, you are not alone.

We all appreciate the pilots who fly us safely to our destination. Some of us even clap for them on landing - much to the chagrin of fellow travellers.

For people with a travel bug, the months between spring 2021 and October 2023 posed an unprecedented opportunity.

France consistently tops the list as the world’s most visited destination – and it doesn’t take much imagination to see why.

Gifts that make a bedroom feel like a five-star hotel can help a jetsetter feel like they’re on a perpetual vacation. From plush bedding to posh amenities, these holiday gift ideas for travelers bring hotel magic into the home, conjuring the atmosphere of a high-end guest room. And with the hotel-inspired ambience might come that spark of curiosity and deep relaxation every traveler feels on a trip. All that’s missing is daily housekeeping.

In September, hours after landing in Paris, I headed straight to Signature Montmartre, a French-Korean bistro friends had been lavishing with praise. But already this is a series of words I find startling. I had lived and worked in Paris awhile during college; I go back when I can; until this trip, I didn't recall noticing a Korean shop or restaurant here. The bistro's lights shone from large windows like an inviting beacon, guiding me to food that was, as reported, astonishing: French cuisine shot through with distinctly Korean flavors, like tender prawn-filled perilla in a curry aioli, followed by a fig tart with jujube cream, one of the most delicate, fascinating pastries I've ever had.

France is one of the most visited countries in the world. Its gorgeous mountains, top-class cuisine and sunny coastlines attracted 66.6 million tourists last year.

With many new and exciting openings, exhibitions, sustainable tourism initiatives, major anniversaries (including Impressionism and D-Day) and the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic & Paralympic Games, it is without doubt that 2024 is the year to travel to France!