Your Italian Escape: Advice on Buying Property in Italy

Your Italian Escape: Advice on Buying Property in Italy

Buying property in a foreign country can be a logistical, cultural, and legal minefield. When I started house hunting in Italy, I was a complete novice, and with hindsight would have done many things differently – learning to speak Italian at least semi-fluently would have helped! …read more

A Provençal Villa and Working Wine Vineyard in the Heart of Côtes du Rhône

A Provençal Villa and Working Wine Vineyard in the Heart of Côtes du Rhône

Settled amongst the vines of the Rhone Valley, where the fresh air is perfumed with the scent of the surrounding fruit orchards and olive groves, you’ll find Nick and Sabine’s lovely villa. Visit the friendly couple for a wine tasting during the week or rent their home for a holiday. …read more

Before & After: The Renovation of Haven in Paris’ Victor Hugo Luxe Apartment

Before & After: The Renovation of Haven in Paris’ Victor Hugo Luxe Apartment

One of Haven in Paris’ newest apartments, Victor Hugo Luxe, is found on a quiet street just minutes away from the Eiffel Tower and the Bois de Boulogne. The owner and interior decorator took the HiP Paris Blog through the nine-month long renovation process of this spacious, Belle Époque gem. …read more

Our Search For a French Country House, Part II (I Blame Peter Mayle…)

Our Search For a French Country House, Part II (I Blame Peter Mayle…)

You know the story. Disillusioned ad exec flees rainy London for the sunshine and lavender fields of Provence. Hilarity ensues in the shape of a dilapidated stone house, a village populated by idiosyncratic Frenchmen and lots of good food and wine. Indeed, Peter Mayle’s Provence seduced many dreamers to set off in search of their… …read more

Living A Dream: The Search For An Old Stone House In the French Countryside

Living A Dream: The Search For An Old Stone House In the French Countryside

It started on a whim. We were vacationing in the South of France near the idyllic medieval town of Roquebrun, about an hour’s drive from Montpellier. Its sun-baked stone facades are built up into a cascading hillside; a smattering of cafes and merchants dot its central tree-lined street… …read more

Paris Style: Secrets to Decorating Like a Parisian

Paris Style: Secrets to Decorating Like a Parisian

When we decided to move to Paris, one of the things I was most excited about was decorating my own Parisian apartment. It would be classic Haussmannian with herringbone floors, marble mantels, high ceilings and moldings – the works. Here are some tips and favorite spots discovered along my decorating journey à la Parisienne. …read more

Vacation Rentals for Those Who Don’t just Travel, they Experience. they Experience.

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Romantic Getaways: Spend Valentine’s Day in Paris

Romantic Getaways: Spend Valentine’s Day in Paris

This year, you could spend Valentine’s day the way you usually do. Or you could go to Europe. No, really. If you were thinking of surprising a certain special someone this Valentine’s Day (yes, even if that special someone is you), we would love to help. Book any Haven in Paris apartment over Valentine’s day… …read more

A French Country Home Dream: Buying near Bordeaux, France

The Dordogne river (Doni Belau) I’m often asked why we bought the house (in France) that we did, in this tiny town whose name we can barely pronounce and that’s even harder to find on a map. What about your first love, Paris? People ask. Mordac Well, I was fortunate enough to have a deliciously… …read more

A Leap of Faith: Finding the Perfect Paris Apartment (Part Deux)

Lindsey Tramuta; Carams After many horrendously unsuccessful attempts at trying to find my first pied-à-terre in Paris, I had one last shot before I would literally be living in the metro.  My lead was a long one — a friend of a very distant acquaintance who could show me her place on the very last… …read more

Haven in Paris Goes to London!

David Jones Pssst… Don’t tell anyone, but we’re making a move. A move to London, our other favorite European city, just as full of great shopping, architecture, art, history, and (almost as much) great food. Francophiles need not fret, though — we’ll still cover Paris’ best hidden secrets, but with a little British flair thrown… …read more

A Leap of Faith: Finding the Perfect Paris Apartment

Chris Waits; David L. After having made the huge, scary, glorious decision to quit my plum entertainment job of 14 years to move to Paris, all I could picture was drinking rosé in fabulous cafes in St. Germain and strolling with my soon-to-be-named French lover along the Seine.  It was going to be all storybook… …read more

Buying In Nice: Negotiating Real Estate A La Niçoise

Navigating the real estate scene in France can be tricky — even more so when you are unfamiliar with the labyrinthine bureaucracy and unusual quirks the French can be known for.  Adrian Leeds, who specializes in helping Americans negotiate the market to secure their dream pied-à-terres in France,  just recently ventured into the market in… …read more

Living in Paris: Making Your Real Estate Dream Come True

Miranda Bothe can make dreams come true — if, like us, your dream is to own a property in France, that is. Although the obstacles can seem daunting (for French and foreigners alike), Miranda shares with us here the story of how her own mother made it happen. If she can, so can we! -Geneviève… …read more