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Tram-definitely. It's easy there's a tram directly from the station to the cite du vin. If you Google the Bordeaux trams on line you can get timetables , prices and a map. Not expensive either.

But with most company pension schemes you don't buy anything as your pension fund is run by trustees.

I believe this is more to do with private (as in totally private pensions backed by insurance companies) rather than company pension schemes. At least that's what was said on a Facebook (members only) site.

You're right Minnie. Start on the blue form and after a couple of pages boxes appear on the left hand side of the screen with the other forms listed that have been filled in for previous years-the red one and the bank details. Click on those and fill them in the the system automatically goes back to the blue one to finish off.

I print mine out and file it with all the relevant pension info etc.

The DVLA don't want to know if you move abroad and anyway you can't put a french address on a UK licence .

While the paper UK licence is valid until 70 -it is no longer valid IF you have one of the pink plastic ones. Those have to be renewed every 10 years. The only time the paper licence is accepted is if you have never had a pink plastic one and that would only be if you have never had to change anything on your license -address,points ect.-since the card ones were introduced. This came into effect in June 2015. If your pink plastic card is out of date you would-if stopped in the UK (and presumably in France since tell format is the same) be technically driving without a valid driving licence .

Forgive my ignorance but doesn't the card have a 10 year limit the same as a UK one and have to be renewed every 10 years the same as the UK one?

Can I recommend Michel Bussi. I've just read' Black Waterlilies'-a murder /mystery set in Giverney. A really good read with a twist at the end that made me begin reading it again straight away to see if I'd missed a clue along the way. He is a popular French writer-although I had never heard of him. I read it in translation as my French isn't good enough to read and really enjoy a book in the original-too much stopping and starting to keep the flow going. Just about to start another of his 'After the Crash'- hope it's as good.

I don't know that the French system is any better re' sticking a pin in a map' to choose a surgeon. When friends have needed ops they have been provided a list but no recommendations and had to resort to asking others who've had similar ops. How often on forum do you see posts asking for recommendations for a doctor/surgeon for this or that procedure?

I think that after reading all this-I'll go with the idea that the more paperwork the better. So I've applied for a CoE and copies of the paper licence as well as the card will be going to Nantes.

Thanks Sid-and everyone else. They don't make it easy do they!!

If someone has filled in the forms can I ask a couple of questions. On the grid where you fill in the catagories the centre 3 boxes say above them:- Code Departmental. Against the catago rise on the back of the card there is a code number but some are 2 digit (01) some are 5 digit (01-107) one is 8 ( 01-101-110)-which do you use? And when it asks for "Date d' obtention" does that mean the date you originally got your license or the date the card licence was issued?

That's what I thought originally but in the list of items to be provided-the one before my query says:- photocopie de Jusificatif de domicile ( facture de four issuers, d'electricity, d'eau,de telephone) I assumed that was the utility bill so not sure what the second one is..

Obviously they've changed the criteria due to the backlog. I have just printed the forms to fill in and on the list of things to send it says that if you're not French but are a citizen of another EU country you need to send- "photocopies de justificatifs de residence normal en France à la date de la demande (au moins 185 jour avec attaches personnelles et/ou professionelles" What do they require for that? I thought a tax form but I'm confused by the 185 days bit and the attatcments ?

Maybe because the OP wants to match what's already painted? Hence the phrase-to avoid a major repaint. Lidl paint is fine-we've used it lots.

Would you care to elaborate Richard. Must have missed the extermination camps organised by Churchill-and all the other things he did that "caused suffering and death for millions"-and as I like history I'm always willing to learn new things.

Not an age thing at all. I needed to phone Amazon UK and it took ages to find a number. They don't want you to ring them-that's the point.

I agree. Living over here I don't use the NHS -but speaking to my sister there don't appear to be huge problems in general when she needs to take my parents for check-ups, to the GP or for tests.

Depends. We brought a vehicle. (large van) to France when we moved. We were going to re register it after we got here permenantly but an Englishman we knew ( who had a business ) was in dire need of a van and purchased it. He then registered it in France. We rang the DVLA to tell them we had sold it but they didn't want to know as we were in France as was the buyer.

Providing you live permenantly in France and fulfil all the criteria why don't you just join the french health service? I helped an American lady near me get her paperwork together and she applied and was accepted. She has her carte vital. Check on the Ameli website for details of what you need.

I'm trying to help a friend who has just turned 65 and got his OAP. He has been in the French health service with a carte vital for some years but now wants to get his S1. I am not sure which dept in the UK he spoke to but he was told he's not eligible for an S1 as he's already in the French health system. I know this isn't right as he has no pension paid by France-all his pensions are UK (military and his OAP) but I can't find the exact pages I need on the govt. websites so he can go back to them armed with the correct information. I've tried gov.uk and the NHS website but it's like wading through mud. Can anyone point me to the correct place to find information? TIA

Ours is €300 a week for each card on our joint account. Must admit it's never caused us a problem since it doesn't include payments made by card to shops etc.

Don't understand thus sneering attitude towards the Dordogne. Well actually I do-it makes those who sneer feel superior.

On an average income are the French tax aurhorities going to be that concerned if you use an exchange rate that is a cent or 2 different from their rate? The difference would be small. If you have a huge income however that might be different-so probably wouldn't affect most of us!!