Pangur

My experience is that a lot of those who say they will definitely come don't bother  You just have to learn to be strict and set groundrules before the flights are booked.  We both work so we have told all who are interested that if they want to get around they will have hire a car, which cuts down on airport collections and makes them a lot less dependent on you for their activities.  I suggest things to do, but don't organise anything and certainly don't pay for anything upfront. Also, bring them shopping at the start of their visit.  Just be honest and say, let's split the cost of this week's food.  That way they can choose what they will and will not eat.  Perhaps we are just lucky with our friends and family, but most offer to cook at least once in the week.  And, you just have to cheerily say 'why don't you wash/dry etc' if they are not pulling their weight.  They're guests in your home and it is up to you to set the rules. At the end of the day, it is up to you to give the okay to come and it is oh so easy to find an excuse for the troublesome ones.  Give yourself a couple of months breather at the start, but it is great to have familiar faces over.  For us, a big draw with France was that we would see a lot more of friends and family as no one wanted to visit us in the UK.  Our calender is definitely a lot fuller these days      

If you are talking about long term rental rather than holiday let, I think it boils down to your language skills.  Personally, I think it is important with private landlords to be able to speak to them and ensure that you trust them and that everything is above board.  If your French isn't good, you may be taking a big risk.  Of course the same is true of agencies, but it is a bit easier to check whether or not they are bona fide.  We went through an immoblier who essentially found the house for us, organised the paperwork etc while we were in the UK, sorted out our EDF registration etc and did a very through etat des lieux, marking any damage to skirting boards etc before we moved in.  We were also confident that everything was above board.  It cost a little less than the first months' rent, which is expensive and I'm sure there was a nice profit margin from them but we didn't begrudge it.  Plus, we only paid the fee when we signed a lease - I certainly wouldn't have paid to see what they have. Why not do a combination of both while searching - you get dodgy agents as well as private landlords and treat it on a case by case basis.   

Check-in times are normally airport dependent which is why you need to check your ticket every time you fly - it is going to take you a lot longer to get from check-in gate to the gate at Heathrow than at Derry.  For example, Heathrow normally recommend check in 90 min beforehand for scheduled flights to European destinations. Of course, the other reason why low cost airlines can be really inflexible with the check-in times is that they have often flogged your seat to the people who missed the cut off for the previous flight...  And when they know they don't have too much luggage or passengers on board they can be a bit more flexible with baggage allowance etc  Still, Ryanair get a higher satisfaction rating than BA, Lufthansa or Air France among others in a Consumer Assoc survey.... http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1432563,00.html Not as good as the likes of easyjet who have taken Ryanairs model but added customer service  And I think the low costs airlines tend to lose your bags less than others, though I can't find the link to the stats  

Sorry, I am obviously extremely dim – I am still struggling to understand where the ‘insults and abuse’ has come from.  Where or when did they insult or abuse you? A slightly snotty check-in assistant when you checked in late? However, unless your destination is Stanstead and I couldn't imagine anyone's is then YOU'LL HAVE TO CONNECT. For people living or visiting London or the SE, Stansted is quite a normal destination, so no you don’t HAVE to connect. I have to say it is a nightmare of an airport to get through.  Even checking in 40 min before the flight, it can be hard to get to the gate on time, especially on a busy date.  The purpose of the post .. which must be spelt out obviously, is that the check in closure has changed from 20 min to 40 min.    There was really ever a 20 minutes check in for a flight at Stansted? As you were talking about Dublin, France and the UK I assumed you were connecting internationally and that certainly is 40 min and has been for a long time, but I didn’t think it is even physically possible to check in at Stansted and get onto your plane in 20 min!  Normally the check in time is on your ticket - are you saying it had changed from the time of booking? Complain away about Ryanair, they are totally inflexible and customer service is not something they like to provide.  My point was that this should come as no surprise.  If you don’t follow their rules, you can pay heavily. 

Can I book a connecting flight with Ryanair?< BACKNo. Ryanair is strictly a ’point-to-point’ airline. We therefore do not offer, and cannot facilitate, the transfer of passengers or their baggage to other flights, whether operated by Ryanair or other carriers. You should therefore not book onward flights with Ryanair or indeed with any other air or surface carrier. Ryanair accepts no responsibility for making connections and therefore will not be liable for any losses or expenses arising out of any failure to achieve a planned connection. I really don't understand the title of this thread - abuse and insults?  They're just following policy and it is amazing that anyone who uses airlines is surprised that Ryanair follows its rules strictly.  How do you think they make so much money?  And in fairness, they have made it clear for years that if you are late, the plane will go and you shouldn't make inter-connecting flights using them.  If you want to get on the flight, get there in time or just accept that the plane will go without you.  I don't see why check in staff should make exceptions for people who are late - why should the rest of the plane be delayed because one person feels exceptions should be made for their circumstances.  I try not to fly Ryanair because I know the score and I prefer to fork out a bit more for an airline that is a bit more flexible.  But, I have to say, apart from the really crap coffee on early morning flights, any flights I have taken with Ryanair have been relatively hassle free and on schedule.  But I make sure I get there with time to spare as I know there will be no sympathy from them if I am late.    

Lizzie, ask for a Mastercard from CA and you will be able to withdraw money anywhere.  Bank cashcards are practically useless unless they have this.   Mastercard works/is the same as (?) Maestro.   I assume the reason you can use your UK card anywhere is because it has a maestro/mastercard symbol and has nothing whatsoever to do with being a UK card or a regional CA card.  I use my CA card everywhere - in France and abroad...

We found the CA in our local village really helpful, and they accepted our rental agreement as proof of residence.  We got a mastercard which works like a Switch/Maestro card, a cheque book and overdraft facility without any difficulty.  Their online banking is good  to(they have a whizzy graph thing  probably not crucial ) and to date we've found them very friendly and willing to help with all our problems (including us changing address after the pins and cheque books had been posted and before they were delivered)  Do you speak any French?  I assume for those who can only speak English, the choice of banks is going to be rather limited.  It is a bit strange coming from a UK bank where there are no charges at all to see lots of frais on your statement, but it doesn't seem too bad compared to say Irish banks. 

I should add that the return to sender address on the envelope sent by the IR was Malmo in Sweden     

The French dual system? Dick, surely the UK does the same to a large degree - 30% of UK students do not go on to do A levels.  There's not a level playing field in the UK either,  brighter (and in general, more well off) students are being separated from the others at quite a young age there too.  And universities all over the world mouth off about trying to increase participation levels of students from ethnic minorities / lower socio economic backgrounds, it's not just a British thing.  The mainstream UK job market may be very meritocratic - the educational system certainly is not.  Where do the UK captains of industry and policitans come from?  Surely Oxbridge and the Russell group are a type of Grande Ecole, Whitehall is riddled with it. And as for individual student paces - all very well in theory but how do you manage a classroom with 30 different paces?  British teachers are drowning in lesson plans and paperwork to try and achieve this and frankly, it is unworkable, especially in one of the many schools where discipline is a serious problem. Parents on this forum talk about 'independent thinking' - that's all very well, but you also have to be able to read, write and analyse and the news from the UK is that the educational system is churning out lots of illiterates.  Fantastic having enthusiastic, positive thinkers, - but if they haven't good a sound educational background, that is going to hamper them enormously.  Life can be hard and failure is something we all have to get used to and, if treated the right way, something we can learn from.  What are children going to learn if they constantly win?  Sure, being battered down is not the way to go, but parents also have to instill confidence and get up and go into their kids - it's not just a school's job. Digby Jones, head of the CBI is contantly telling us how British young people do not have basic skills http://education.guardian.co.uk/1419education/story/0,15147,1423690,00.htm And teachers in the UK want to scrap the current system, which is doing few any favours http://education.guardian.co.uk/1419education/story/0,15147,1423733,00.html and perpetuates the dual system which some believe only exists in France. It's not all roses back in the UK and that while the French system may educate them in a verydifferent way, it doesn't mean they won't receive a sound education.  There are holes in all systems - it sounds like both countries need to take a bit of advice from each other. 

I got my E104 back in just 2 weeks from 'my' Newcastle, which came as a pleasant surprise   I assumed that the Inland Revenue was the Newcastle everyone here was speaking about!

No, not drunk Ron, but there's more than one way to skin a cat and this is the way I found.  I wanted an E104  and sent my aplication form, as requested to: Inland Revenue Centre for Non-Residents (Newcastle) Longbenton Newcastle Upon Tyne NE98 1ZZ United Kingdom. Newcastle, not Nottingham.  And the Newcastle in brackets is theirs, not mine so maybe they're trying to make things clearer for confused LFers. The link also says that they'll give you E128s and E106s and retirement pension forms and God knows what else -see the link for more details.  I found it a lot easier to navigate for my puposes than the DWP site. If your entitlement to health cover is based on the amount of NI paid, surely the Inland Revenue is where the DWP is going to have to go to at some point anyway?   So much for joined up government 

http://www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/cnr/osc.htm It's really the Centre for Non Residents run by the Inland Revenue and just happens to be based in Newcastle.  Just some kind of LF slang I assume

While HSBC and First Direct happily send my statements and bills to my French address, Egg won't accept foreign addresses and have told me I have to close my credit card and saving account with them if I do not have a UK address - perhaps you should ask you bank about their policy before telling them you have moved

http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/01/20/ndale20.xml http://money.guardian.co.uk/property/story/0,14422,1394614,00.html Sounds similar to what people in national parks in the UK are feeling.  I think there is an enormous difference between those foreigners who come to live in the area and contribute to the local economy: I can see why locals get aggrieved if there are lots of empty houses.  The increasing trend for people to invest in housing rather than trusting in pensions means an ever increasing number of maison secondaires, whether it be in the UK, Ireland or France or whereever, which does push up the prices and means that first time buyers and those on low wages cannot afford to buy and must pay the mortgages of those who were fortunate enough to get on not one but two property ladders! Here in 74, the ire is aimed mainly at the Swiss, from what I can see, as a bilateral treaty has made it easier for them to buy in France, and with Swiss wages financing the mortgages, house prices have gone up quite a bit in the last while.    

So, if nobody educated in France can get a good job and the French won't let foreigners work for them, who is doing all the work?    

We found paruvendu.com really useful in 74.  It lists both private and immoblier rents and gives an good overview of prices and what seems to be available.  We were looking from London and set up appointments for a particular long weekend and then flew over.  We viewed a mixture of private lets and ones through immobliers.  Also agree that there is no point saying you might only be there for a year - sign the standard contract and it does give you the freedom to leave.  Good luck!

Saligo, I don't believe comparing employment rates has much to do with educational systems.  The high rate of unemployment in France does not correlate directly with the French educational system. UK kids get jobs because there are jobs, not because they have been educated to a higher standard.  Education is not just about employment, and training for a job.  What the stats illustrate is merely that the UK is out of step with the rest of Europe, whether it is due to obligatory leaving ages or not (and certainly those in the high 90s are as a result of compulsory education).  They include children in fulltime and part-time education and government supported training,.  They patently show that other european countries manage to keep their kids in school longer, which personally I feel is beneficial and raises the educational level of all and not a select few.  I'm know the UK educational system has a lot to offer, particularly for clever children - but my experience in the UK is that it is far from ideal, and leaves kids badly educated, especially when they leave at 16.  I would not let a child of mine go through that system.  I do have  experience in this field working with employers and they repeatedly told me that their employees leaving school at 16, expect a well paid and interesting job but generally have poor literacy and numeracy skills and a very poor work ethic.  I have personally interviewed those leaving college/FE in the UK and been stunned by their attitude and lack of general knowledge and all-round education.  Because unemployment is low, they get jobs: it doesn't mean that the system has educated them. That is why many people support a bac style exam, which gives a better educational spread.  I know the French style is far from ideal, but I think British people, (like everyone else!) tend to be blinkered about their 'gold standard' A levels etc - good to share and compare, eh?

Saligo, I don't believe comparing employment rates has much to do with educational systems.  The high rate of unemployment in France does not correlate directly with the French educational system. UK kids get jobs because there are jobs, not because they have been educated to a higher standard.  Education is not just about employment, and training for a job.  What the stats illustrate is merely that the UK is out of step with the rest of Europe, whether it is due to obligatory leaving ages or not (and certainly those in the high 90s are as a result of compulsory education).  They include children in fulltime and partime education and government supported training,.  They patently show that other european countries manage to keep their kids in school longer, which personally I feel is beneficial and raises the educational level of all and not a select few.  I'm know the UK educational system has a lot to offer, particularly for clever children - but my experience in the UK is that it is far from ideal, and leaves kids badly educated, especially when they leave at 16.  I would not let a child of mine go through that system.  I do have  experience in this field working with employers and they repeatedly told me that their employees leaving school at 16, expect a well paid and interesting job but generally have poor literacy and numeracy skills and a very poor work ethic.  I have personally interviewed those leaving college/FE in the UK and been stunned by their attitude and lack of general knowledge and all-round education.  Because unemployment is low, they get jobs: it doesn't mean that the system has educated them. That is why many people support a bac style exam, which gives a better educational spread.  I know the French style is far from ideal, but I think British people, (like everyone else!) tend to be blinkered about their 'gold standard' A levels etc - good to share and compare, eh?

School  should definitely not be just about exams - education is valuable and despite the current trends, should not just be about securing employment.  I'm not sure if people realise how out of step the UK is with most of the rest of Europe in terms of keeping children on in basic education.  The figures below are taken from the UK national statistics office and refer to full time education figures (which in the UK includes FE).  Using GCSE as the basic school certificate does mean that non academic kids essentially have to leave school earlier than their European counterparts.                                % 16yrs     %  17years Greece                     90            67 France                     95            90 Netherlands              97            89 Belgium                    94             94 Spain                       88              79  Germany                  96               92 Finland                     89                  93 United Kingdom          81                 68 Irish Republic            92                 82 Sweden                  98                  97  Denmark               93                   82 Portugal               84                    84 Italy                   78                   73 Austria                  88                 86    

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/magazine/story/0,11913,1389638,00.html for an article on the French in Britain. I knew lots of French people in London and most of them were there for the same reason I was: London is a fantastic city, epecially if you are young and/or educated.  There's only a handful of world cities that compare with it and it's no wonder it attracts people from all over the world. Some of them stay for good, but for many migrants, we stay there for the experience, the money, the wide range of employment and the wonders that London has to offer. Then we get out.  Most of my social circle in London were migrants: European, Australian, American but the one thing we all had in common was that we were in London for a fixed period only. 

I would negotiate with your landlord to get your name put on the EDF bill, it really will save you an awful lot of trouble with lots of different places.  I'm sure they can still pay it if they want. We're renting and constantly being asked for it as proof of address. Having just bought a car through a Renault dealership, they required proof of salary as well as the mandatory EDF bill and passport for a financing deal and for organising the carte grise.  It really is worth finding a way to get your name put on the bill.

There is a minimum pass level for the Leaving Cert in the republic of Ireland (Eire is a term that jars terribly with Irish people for lots of different reasons  )    I think you need to pass a certain number of subjects, but generally on CVs etc you'd put down Pass maths C1 etc, so employers can differentiate between different strenghts and weaknesses. No educational system is perfect, and each is designed for its own market but in my opinion, a system where a range of subjects is taught gives a better all round education than one where a large proportion are excluded from  upper secondary education and those included are only educated in their few favourite subjects.  

T, What do you mean by 'value'?  It's valuable (essential?) as entry into university.  It is valuable in that it is evidence that you have been educated to a particular standard in a wide range of specific subjects.  Of course it doesn't train you for a specific job and further training/study will be required, but that is the same in most countries.  For instance, A levels are only valuable in the same way - perhaps less so as you've followed a much narrower path.  What is less valuable about the bac compared with other final exam systems? And, as more and more people do something like the bac or A levels, the entry level for jobs has to be raised that bit higher.  In Ireland a good Leaving Cert mean a good job.  Now most jobs want students with a bit more, that's just educational evolution.  S, can employers not get a breakdown of what grades are achieved in which subjects?  The educational system and the chances of employment are not correlated - the fact that there is higher unemployment in France is not due to the educational system.      

Coming from a bac style educational background (Ireland) I think the UK desperately needs a similar system.  At the moment, England and Wales chuck out about 40% of students after GCSE, meaning the UK is ranked 22nd out of 30 OECD countries when it comes to the proportion of adults having completed upper secondary education.    Having worked in employment research, I know that UK employers are extremely concerned about the lack of basic literacy and numeracy skills those leaving after GCSE have.      I don’t know a huge amount about the French system, but in Ireland we must take 7 subjects for the Leaving Certificate, all of which can be taken at higher or ordinary level, depending on what you want to do after school.  This means that upper secondary education is not restricted to those who want to go to university.  English Maths and Irish are compulsory, with most students also doing a modern language.  You can then choose to specialize in science, arts, commerce or mix them up, giving you a decent broad education, which is surely the purpose of secondary school.    Personally, I think it is crazy to encourage only those who want to go to university to stay on in school, and then allow them only study the subjects they like and are good at!  I’ve worked with extremely intelligent English people who have very poor maths skills if they’ve gone the arts route or who have never read a book as the last one they were read was for GCSE and they were allowed just do science for A level.  A bac type exam gives all student a much broader range of knowledge.  They’re trying with the AS levels but have just succeeded in overloading the students.   Ah, but what about university, doesn’t an A level mean you do better in your chosen field?  Not necessarily in my experience.  In the university I studied in, there were many English and NI students, all of whom had spent the last two years studying 2 or 3 of their favourite subjects while we had done 7 and sometimes 8.  OK, at the start, their breadth of knowledge in the university subject was a bit wider, but certainly by the end of 4 years there was no difference between A level and Leaving Cert students in terms of

We're looking to buy a car, and are getting v bogged down in various deals... Basically we need a very reliable car as I commute daily to Geneva and I need to be sure it will start in the morning.  Looking at car prices over here, there really isn't a lot of difference between new and second hand prices in the type of cars we're looking at (renault clio) and I think we are going to go for a new one.  The garages all offer financing deals which seem to offer 2 years guarantee including all servicing, parts etc and guarantee to give you the Argus price for the car if you sell it back to them at the end of three years.  We're still trying to figure out the small print but French friends use this scheme happily, especially ones who couldn't be bothered with the hassle of dealing with garages.  Anyone have any good or bad experiences of these types of schemes?