irving

Looking to buy a cheap escape in a nice area and have found that Moulins is apparently good value. Does anybody know the area well? Seems to be well connected by TGV which is important to me. Not sure of the weather but some google searches suggest it is ok.
Thanks

dmu

Hi!
Do you mean Moulins in the Allier (Auvergne)? Sorry to say that there's no TGV connection, just a normal railway line, not quite 2 1/2 hrs. direct from Paris.
I used to have in-laws living there, a pleasant place to live, but no guarantee of "OK" weather. All things being relative, it's very green there, which might give an indication of normal rainfall and lack of blazing sun...
Maybe some one local will come along with more info!

irving

Oh yes you are correct, no TGV but quite achievable from Paris. The weather thing is always a compromise. Of course I would rather have sun all the time but as I want a place I can go for say 3 or 4 days without flying, need to stay in striking distance of the channel ports (dogs to consider too). I did see a place in Beaulie sur Dordogne for £70k but seems that it would take another few hours to get there......I have also been looking around Autun ...by the way if anyone is selling a property in this price range give me a shout!
Regards

dmu

Hello again! I've never been to Autun, but I've just checked on the SNCF website and there's no direct train to Paris. Google "Réseau TGV" to see where there are TGV stops, and look rathermore in Bretagne or Normandie to avoid having to pass through Paris.
But if you've got dogs and aren't driving back and forth from France and the UK, be aware that foot passengers can't take dogs on the ferries and they aren't allowed on the Eurostar train...

irving

Thanks for that useful info I will look at TGV stations- but what I have done in the past when visiting a pal in Pairs with dogs is park in Calais and jump on a train there. Autun seems a nice place - never been but google images suggest a sort of stereo typical cobbled streets type of place which is what many British people hope for in France (or at least I do!)

dmu

[QUOTE=irving;9639609] but what I have done in the past when visiting a pal in Pairs with dogs is park in Calais and jump on a train there.QUOTE]

If you choose somewhere south of Paris, consider towns on the TGV line from Lille going south, there'd simply be a change in Lille for the TGV to and from Calais. Otherwise you'd have to cross Paris from, for example, the Gare to Lyon to the Gare du Nord for the Calais train, and dogs aren't allowed in the Métro or on busses. This might be a factor to take into account...
Maybe there are easily accessible towns with cobbled streets in the Nord-Pas de Calais?
Good luck in your search!

PRothera

I live 50km south of Moulins in the "Montagne Bourbonnaise".
The area is one of the most natural and untouched of France.
Houses can still be found here at a reasonable price, especially in a village, where they are less sought after by the Dutch who prefer to be in a more remote setting.
There have been huge cutbacks on the train service to the area in recent years. Some time ago there was a train to Paris every hour, now there are no trains after 8pm. However, the area remains accessible due to the main north-south track which has always been here.
I have been a builder here for fifteen years and am well aware of all the problems people face when they take on a property here. Be careful! Most people are surprised by the cost of repairs and the taxes. French businesses are heavily taxed so this is passed on to the consumer. But... there are ways around this without breaking any laws.

All the best with your house hunting.

Pete