 Ile de France is the name given to the ring of seven departments that surrounds Paris, as well as the department in which the capital itself resides. Open parkland, grand chateaux, woodlands, rivers and forests adorn the countryside around Paris, making it one of the most popular areas in France for English-speaking ex-pats to buy French property.
The department of Yvelines to the south-west of Paris, contains some real gems including nine chateaux that are open to the public, two royal villas, two natural parks, 22 golf courses and over 70,000 hectares of forest. The grand city of Versailles is situated within its boundary, as is a large segment of the meandering River Seine. There are some prestige properties to be found in this area, not least so around Mantes la Jolie on the Seine. An 18-bed 18th century chateau set in 5 acres of land overlooking the Seine was recently on the market for 2,000,000 euros. Rambouillet is another small town in which there is a good selection of grand Ile de France property.
To the north of Paris in the departments of Val d'Oise and Seine Saint Denis, Ile de France property hunters will find some rather exclusive waterfront property on the Seine as it winds its way into the Parisian suburbs. Just as in Yvelines, French property prices here are high, especially if you're looking at places in the St Germain district or St Cloud area.
On the south-east side of Paris is the department of Essonne. Here, grand parks and gardens flank the Seine as it continues its journey. There are some very beautiful areas in which to buy a villa in France close to Paris here, but just as with many of the other departments around Paris, prices are quite high.
Immediately to the east of Paris is Val de Marne. It takes its name from the other major river that flows through Paris - the Marne. Exclusive waterfront property is available along the Marne, some of the nicest property being available to the north-east of Meaux. Val de Marne is also noted for one other major attraction - Disneyland Paris. Property in the towns and villages surrounding Disneyland naturally have very good rental potential.
Seine et Marne to the east is the region's biggest department and the one that offers the largest selection of Ile de France property in the countryside. It is also the area where the cheapest properties in the region are found, especially in areas to the extreme south-east of the department.
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