There are dozens of reasons why starting a whole new life in one of France's many stunning provinces is a good idea with the country, and particularly the rural areas, offering a relaxed and relatively cheap lifestyle.

But if nothing else convinces you to make that purchase then the country's famous wine regions should.

Whether you decide to buy a holiday home in France or live there on a permanent basis, there are few who can escape the pull of the country's best known export.

Sample the French lifestyle in Languedoc Roussillon

One of the best places to celebrate French wine is Languedoc Roussillon where every year a festival is held in honor of the booze which comes out of the region.

Held on the Place de La Republique in Perpignan, it sees thousands of visitors head down to enjoy the area's best wines and regional delicacies.

The wine from Roussillon is a firm favourite with connoisseurs for its rich, strong flavour but the province is also famous for its Banyuls port and cheeses.

There are dozens of other tasty delights to sample at the annual July event as well as the opportunity to wander through the city of Perpignan.

French versus UK property market

So France has the wine, the food and the style, but there are other reasons to leave the shores of good old Blighty and head for foreign lands. The Languedoc-Roussillon is an increasingly popular location for property buyers. It is well served by the budget airlines and the flight times from the UK are about 90 minutes.

Perhaps the most prominent of these at the moment is the rising property prices which are currently being experienced throughout the UK.

Housing, particularly in the south east of England, is fast becoming unaffordable for first time buyers, many of whom are turning to France as another option.

Ray Boulger of mortgage broker Charcol said of the UK market: "Large sections of society are already priced out of the market and at some point people are going to find half of their income going on mortgage payments and they will rightly ask themselves what the point is."