France’s capital didn’t perform particularly well in 2013 but in the biggest cosmopolitan centres like Paris, there are always excellent investment opportunities to be found; it’s just a case of understanding the risks associated with buying to sell in the current market and the comparative safe-haven of targeting holiday lets. Paris stands alongside New York, London and Hong Kong as one of the world's most important prime and luxury property markets. Long-term rent yields never tend to go above the 3.5 per cent mark in Paris, regardless of the size and type of property purchased. However, short-term yields can be exponentially higher if letting out to tourists in any of the main cultural centres of Paris where accommodation prices are notoriously high for much of the year. High-end real estate is popular in the city centre, while prices get cheaper as buyers move towards the outer arrondissements.