The UK and France – our closest continental neighbour – are working hard to make travel between the two countries smooth post-lockdown. In a nod to these efforts, here’s a reminder of four expat hot spots, all within a drive from at least one ferry port. For each, we’ve picked a great value character home…

Eymet, Dordogne
Long-time favourite with Brits, the south-west department of the Dordogne rolls everything we love about the culture and lifestyle of rural France into a neat package. There are its chateaux, ancient fortified towns and villages, the diverse natural landscapes of rivers – including the Dordogne, forests and vineyards, and of course its gastronomy.

Buyers have their pick of picturesque villages, most of which have at least a handful of resident expats. But one that has become especially popular over the years, so that today around a third of its homeowners are British, is Eymet. In amongst its pretty town centre, complete with half-timbered square, château and river frontage, you’ll spot the pub, tea rooms, an English grocer’s and, further out, its cricket club. Ribérac is another area in the Dordogne where you’ll hear a lot of English spoken.
Getting there: Fly to Bergerac, Toulouse or Bordeaux. By car/ferry, Le Havre is seven hours’ drive or Calais around nine hours.

Sourdeval, Lower Normandy
Lower Normandy has the draw of its proximity to France’s north-western ferry ports, making the UK very accessible by car. It’s a land of lush rolling hills dotted with dairy farms, apple orchards and equestrian establishments, while its coastline of grass-topped chalk cliffs and sandy beaches has pretty fishing harbours serving glistening fresh seafood.

There is history too, from the D-Day landings sites to Mont Saint-Michel, famous Honfleur harbour, Bayeux and the cities of Caen and Rennes. Expats are evenly spread throughout the countryside, but an example of a village with a noticeable expat population is picturesque Sourdeval, part of the Manche area. A pretty square at its centre, weekly market and all basic amenities, its location near the coast, cities and countryside forms a large part of its appeal. It’s also home to an English grocer’s!
Getting there: By car/ferry, via St Malo, Le Havre, Caen or Cherbourg or further north at Dieppe and Calais.

Aubeterre-sur-Dronne, Charente
Recent years have seen increasing numbers of Brits opting for the Charente department, part of the former Poitou-Charentes region, as a more affordable and accessible alternative to the Dordogne just south. It’s a flatter rural area with an abundance of lakes and rivers, including the Charente, rolling vineyards, including those of world-famous Cognac and pretty old towns, not least its principal town Angoulême.  The coast at La Rochelle and Rochefort is close by too.

Aubeterre-sur-Dronne, officially one of ‘Les Plus Beaux Villages de France’, ticks all the boxes for anyone seeking an idyllic French village with oodles of history and charm. A lovely square, winding cobbled streets, river frontage, arts and craft shops and historic sites, including an underground church – these are a large part of the reason around a fifth of the local population are expats.
Getting there: Fly to Bergerac, Bordeaux or Limoges. By car/ferry, Calais is around seven-and-a-half hours, or closer options include St Malo, Caen and Le Havre. Or, Angoulême has a high speed rail connection with Paris.

Josselin, Brittany
Steeped in history and with a Celtic history linking it with south-west England, this corner of northern France unsurprisingly has been luring expats across the Channel for decades. Its easy ferry access and, if you’re off the coast, affordable character homes have a part to play too.

The Morbihan department is particularly attractive to Brits, including the countryside around the medieval town of Josselin, which has a fairy-tale castle and sits majestically on the Oust River. Head to Morbihan’s craggy coast, dotted with unspoilt bays, and you’ll find bijou fishing towns, such as Carnac and Quiberon.
Getting there: By car/ferry, via Roscoff, Cherbourg or St Malo. Or fly to Nantes or Dinard.