A train ride away from a new home

The view of the village of Digne-les-Bains from the old hospital

If you set off from Nice, there is little real estate worth dwelling on in the early stages of the journey. Puget-Théniers, the last stop in the 06 district, and everything ending in sur-Var to the south are the city's satellite towns and the nearer the sea, the higher the prices. However, long before you reach Digne, about half way down the track, is Annot, a village that lies between the small mountain torrents of the Vaïre and the Beïte in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.

"We cover the whole valley," explains Jacklyne Sauvan at Agence Vauban. "From Annot, it runs up through Le Fugeret, up to the Colle St Michel." Downstream, the agency also has property in medieval Entrevaux. "Today, asking prices are more reasonable," says Sauvan. You can find affordable renovated villas, small apartments and even the odd village house - like the six-bedroom stone house at 295,000 euros.

Peyresq, a 1,400 metre high hamlet, had fallen into ruin until it was discovered by Belgian students who went on to renovate most of the buildings. But properties rarely come on the market. Further along the track is the sleepy station of Méailles. You'll spot the tiny village clinging to the rock face. “Price per square metre depends on location and exposition,” says Sauvan. Small apartments cost around 70,000 - 100,000 euros; an average price for a villa is 250,000 - 300,000 euros.

On to the medieval village of Thorame-Haute. Here a connecting bus will take you to the ski station of Val d'Allos, and a different one, due to perturbation traffic along the rest of the line, will take you down again to St-André-les-Alpes, which lies at the head of the Lac de Castillon. Lying where the Issole and Verdon rivers converge, the town is popular with people buying second homes. Local air currents make it ideal for aerial activities and it has swimming, fishing and wind surfing in the lake. You can buy a 220m2 eight-room villa - with gîte or B&B potential - for 475,000 euros (2,159 euros/ m2). After St-Andre the train heads west past Moriez, Barrême, Chaudon-Norante, Mézel and Châteauredon where the Asse continues its journey into the Durance.

Digne-les-Bains (population 18,000) is the main town of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. The air is so pure, it is the only department where there are no asthmatic children. You can pick up a 20m2 studio with two adjoining cellars for 44,000 euros (2,200 euros/m2) and 10 minutes from Digne a five-bedroom with 180m2 of land is priced at just under 370,000 euros (2,055 euros/m2).

So pack your wallet and all aboard the house-hunting express!

www.trainprovence.com

Carolyn Reynier