When you’re transferring to France, I’d like to share some recommendation with you. I’ve been there, performed that, made errors and realized methods to plan for a brand new life in France.
The place to stay in France
For some folks it’s a simple resolution to make, perhaps you go on vacation and fall in love with a spot as an example. In my case, I went for a day journey to purchase wine and ended up shopping for a really low cost run down previous hovel (it’s a protracted story).
For others, the choice to maneuver takes a bit longer.
However nonetheless you make the selection, you actually need to think about what are your important necessities. For example, if it’s common, assured sunshine you need, then you’ll want to go south of Brittany – however you don’t must go all the best way to the French Riviera.You additionally must suppose whether or not you need it actually sizzling, temperatures within the 40’s are frequent within the far south of France and that’s not for everybody.
Charente-Maritime which is a little more than midway down France, between Brittany and Bordeaux, is the second sunniest space of France – but it surely doesn’t have the intense warmth of the far south, or the costs. Head inland away from the coast and into Charente, and property costs drop much more. Mayenne within the Pays de la Loire can be a great wager, usually nice climate. It’s value testing the departments above the French Riviera and between Paris to see whether or not the climate usually fits you.
Likewise should you don’t need it too wet – the north won’t be for you although it’s not as dangerous as folks make out. I stay in in Pas-de-Calais, within the lovely countryside of the Seven Valleys, and although we’re not even within the prime 5 rainiest departments in France, Pas-de-Calais is nicknamed by the southerners the “North Pole of France” as a result of now we have much less solar in summer time and longer, damper winters than them. It’s just about the equal of the climate in Cornwall, southeast England. It doesn’t actually get that chilly, we hardly ever get plenty of snow, summers are usually fairly good, and rain is frequent – nice for gardeners!
Transport and amenities
If you need to have the ability to get to the UK simply, then you’ll want to be close to a method of transport – airport, practice, ferries. I stay about an hour from Calais the place I can take Le Shuttle and be within the UK in simply 35 minutes, or the DFDS ferry from both Calais or Dunkirk (a couple of 20-minute drive from Calais) to Dover in 1.5 hours or 2 hours relying which port I am going from. Since Eurostar determined to drop their Calais Frethun cease, Lille and Paris are your solely decisions in France now.
I journey lots in France, and I wish to take the practice in every single place, I’m a couple of 30-minute drive from the closest practice station which will get me into Paris in two hours which is okay for me. However in some elements of France, it’s fairly a protracted drive to public transport – in elements of Brittany as an example it might take nearly an hour to drive to a station.
If you wish to be someplace with good amenities on the doorstep, as an example outlets, bars and eating places, docs surgical procedure, close to a college, that kind of factor, you’ll probably want to think about transferring to a city or biggish village. Or chances are you’ll to depend on public transport/want a automotive to entry amenities from additional away. In my village there are not any outlets in any respect, no bar, no nothing, simply homes and a city corridor. However some outlets come to us. Each week now we have a fruit and veg van, fishmonger, and meat van. Bread can be delivered thrice per week and within the subsequent village alongside which is inside strolling distance, there’s a bread merchandising machine which is stuffed every day with baguettes and loaves. The closest grocery store and all amenities are a couple of miles away and with largely site visitors free roads, it doesn’t take lengthy to get round. A faculty bus collects children from throughout the valley to take them to colleges within the cities.
However should you don’t drive, residing within the countryside is usually not likely going to work. There’s typically no common bus service, no public transport, and it’s normally too far to stroll to a connecting bus service. So try the transport hyperlinks.
Nation life
Coming from London and now residing in very rural French countryside, I might by no means stay in a metropolis once more, I really like the tranquillity of nation life, waking as much as cockerels crowing, watching the seasons change, driving on uncrowded roads, and having fun with conventional methods of life: I swap eggs for beer on the native bar, I belong to a neighbourhood cider membership the place I give my apples in return for a minimize of the cider!
I stay in a not touristy space and it by no means will get overcrowded, even within the peak of summer time I get a desk in my native restaurant. Nevertheless, once you’re looking for your dream house remember that there are some beautiful countryside cities and seaside cities that you simply would possibly go to out of season and suppose they’re splendidly tranquil, however – within the peak customer season they turn out to be filled with crowds, in order that’s one thing you positively want to think about.
When you transfer someplace remoted, it is perhaps fabulous within the hotter months, however come winter when the roads are icy, it won’t be fairly a lot enjoyable. That stated, most villages, even when comparatively remoted, are usually in farming nation which implies the farmers clear the roads in a short time as they need to get to the fields.
Vacationer magnet cities
When you’re transferring to a touristic city, remember that parking could turn out to be a problem, eating places get packed, the entire nature of the city modifications, so I’d say you positively want to have a look at whether or not a spot is a vacationer magnet and go to out and in of peak season. In France some villages with lower than a couple of hundred persons are categorized as Plus Beaux Villages, essentially the most lovely villages, they usually’re very well-known and far cherished, like Saint-Cirq-Lapopie within the Lot. And they’re typically tranquil and quiet however when the crowds arrive in summer time – there will be hundreds of individuals per day within the village, and you must think about whether or not you’d be ready to place up with that for a few months.
Web & Cell phone networks in France
When you’re desiring to work in France – particularly with so many distant working alternatives now, think about the web and cellular community service. It’s not a serious drawback in France as a result of usually talking the web and cellular community protection is sweet. There’s been an enormous push for super-fast fibre optic rollout throughout France – however should you’re reliant on the web, test that you’ve got a great service.
Not having cell phone protection generally is a actual drawback. First, it’s a backup in case your web does go down, however extra importantly, it’s very onerous to do banking or shopping for issues on-line should you can’t get a cell phone sign. I’ve misplaced depend of the occasions I needed to run up a hill exterior my home to get a sign to just accept a code. Or my different half must bounce within the automotive, drive a mile to get a sign after which telephone me with it. Not enjoyable. However we’re tremendous now, now we have a wonderful mayor who fought for cell phone protection for our little village in the course of nowhere and now we have a number of gigabytes pace – higher than my children who stay in London!
What’s your funds
Property worth is an enormous issue once you’re searching for your dream house in France. Usually cities are costly, you’re getting all of the amenities and nice transport hyperlinks. Some areas are costlier than others – Provence and the French Riviera for instance. The countryside is usually most cost-effective and the least populated elements of France are the most affordable of these. Properties in Brittany can simply be discovered for 100,000 euros (2025), Normandy property costs common 160,000 euros (2025) in comparison with Provence at round 350,000 euros (2025). There are many homes on the market right here, and France has such a various panorama the selection is absolutely large. A chalet within the alps, seaside villas, nation cottages, city homes, flats, mansions, chateaux… The east of France, Alsace and Lorraine could be very completely different from the west of France, the north and south are completely completely different, I imply, there’s simply a lot alternative.
Whenever you’re searching for property, even you probably have a city in thoughts, think about widening the scope and take a look at whether or not you’ll be able to attain the city simply and if being away from the centre is cheaper, chances are you’ll be shocked and delighted by what you discover.
The right way to plan for a brand new life in France
A fantastic supply of knowledge for locating property, and getting assist to maneuver to France from visas to monetary recommendation and every thing you’ll want to make a easy transfer – the French Property Present, held in April and October gives personalised recommendation from consultants: thefrenchpropertyshow
Janine Marsh is the creator of a number of internationally best-selling books about France. Her newest ebook The right way to be French – a celebration of the French way of life and artwork de vivre, is out now – a have a look at the French lifestyle. Discover all books on her web site janinemarsh.com
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