Llantony

Yes, they have been saying they'll buy another boat/ship/catamaran for ages.  I think Speedferries are great, and cheap, but they don't have many crossings and are prone to delays if anything goes wrong with Speed One. Last year we broke down and I rang to change our Speedferry crossing and was told there was no chance for another week.  Had to go P & O, just missed the one we aimed for (I told other half we wouldn't make it but he didn't listen!) but there was another along fairly soon.  Would have to wait hours for Speedferry and probably would have to pay a lot more for a last minute booking. Have just purchased a trailer (6' wide and around 7' tall - would they accept that?  Other half says it would be difficult to manoevre as Speedferries are so packed.  

Many thanks for the replies, they do help - though it sounds as though French insurance companies operate in different ways to UK ones and each other! I've a feeling that as our current motor insurance is via M & S it may be hard to get a NCB letter.  They change the company every year to get the cheapest. We'll be keeping the battered Citroen Berlingo as long as possible as the pension will be pretty small. Someone assumed I'm a man - I'm not.

I've read all the arguments about whether a UK car should be used in France. Still confused! Our motor insurance currently covers us for up to 45 days but we are going for 2 months before returning to take some more stuff over.  It would make sense to sort out re-registering the car after that.  We will probably come and go so would need French insurance that covers us on trips back to the UK. What I'd like to know is:  how expensive is motor insurance in France compared to the UK?  Looking at all the battered vehicles one sees in France, I get the impression most people don't have fully comp as they don't bother to get their cars repaired.  Does that mean fully comp is very expensive?  If 3rd party only, what happens if our car is damaged by someone uninsured/unknown?

Ho ho!  Only useful if you live right by the sea so you can carry stuff straight into the house!

Thanks for helpful replies.  Might think about a trailer - sounds a cheaper option.  Don't want to get involved with hiring a 'man with a van' as likely to be more expensive and friends did that with unfortunate results. I know what you mean about an old, possibly unreliable van but if we can get one that isn't too decrepit there'd be no worrying about rushing back to return a hired one. 

We are moving over this summer to our little house we've had 5 years.  We haven't got a full load for a removal lorry as we already have furniture there - and, apart from the huge cost - a big lorry couldn't get up our street. We are debating between hiring a van to move stuff over - possible including doors from B & Q- and buying one so there's no rush to get it back.  We can hire a van for less than £400 for a week.  It would take 2 days each way so a bit knackering.  Problem is we haven't anyway to park near the house. We bought a garage but haven't used it yet as want to strengthen the floor (due to steepness of village, there is a space below the garage floor to which I really would't want a vehicle to fall through!) Any thoughts?

Shutters can be painted!  In fact they need to be from time to time.  

Well, we bought our little French house 5 years ago and before we went to the notaire, the estate agent came with us for a last look.  We'd heard of people taking everything including the toilet seat!  In fact, the first thing we bought was a toilet seat as the existing one was disgusting.  He left the horrible rusty fluorescent lights, & the sink and quite honestly there wasn't anything else worth having!

Anyone know if there are still problems on the M20?  We are due to travel to Dover early Friday for the 7.00am Speedferries crossing to Boulogne(weather permitting!)  and are worried how long it will take with the roadworks and the lorries parked on the M20. The tunnel would have been very expensive as we are taking the trailer but it will be the tunnel on the return journey.

i've been using my Nationwide credit and debit cards for 4 and a half years (on average 4 visits to France a year) and so far no problem.  We often go to Leclerc and other supermarkets.  I hope my luck doesn't change.

So is a permis required for a velux? Our village is supposed to be a conservation area and the notaire said that means '.g. you can't paint your shutters red' but there are all colours.  Veluxes were not allowed but there are new ones every time we go there!  The general view is ' do it when no-one is looking'.  Our house is very dark so it would be great' Likewise friends were told they couldn't have a blue pool, nor a tear shaped one - had to be white and oblong.  it can't be seen from the street and anyway either colour/ shape is not medieval!  

Hi, thanks for replies.  Very helpful. The only trouble with a very good top up medical insurance - it could be very expensive and our income will be pretty small. Would it be cheaper to visit dentists/opticians  on a trip back to the UK if non-urgent?

We plan to move over to France later this year.   I hope we can get into the French health system via my E121 (though not entirely sure if it will cover my husband too - DWP says yes). I realise I don't know exactly what that means?  Presumably we'll still have to pay for visits to doctor, hospital etc - but how much?  And will we be entitled to claim something back?  What %? And we'll still need a mutuel too I guess.

We have ancient bikes in the shed that we're planning to use in the UK soon.  We're not serious cyclists but fancy having bikes in France when we go to live there in the summer. (Our  French house is in a bastide village but I thought of taking bikes to the canals!) We were thinking of taking our bikes from the UK but perhaps it would be easier to buy some in France.  Are bikes expensive there?  Nothing fancy required.

When greeting a Notaire should one use Monsieur <surname> or Maître <surname> (or have I got the wrong end of the stick here) ? When we bought our house the estate agent addressed the notaire as 'Maitre' so we did too.    

We just haven't bothered to have a phone installed.  Just not worth it fpr a maximium of 3 weels at a time.  Mobile for occasional use and phone card for planned calls works fine.   Will need a phone when move over later this year - does it take long to organise? 

Haven't looked at the forum for a while - where did that irritating popup in the holidays topic come from?  I thought posters weren't allowed to advertise!  

Thanks Roger, Very helpful.  Just hope CPAM agree that my husband is a dependent!

Thanks Ron, that's really helpful - as I have a day off I might phone DWP.  Is the E121 time-limited?  My worry is that I'm very healthy at the moment but other half has minor problems (tho going for a heart check tomorrow) requiring daily tablet taking, which would be expensive and possibly a problem for insurance.  Glad you like Lauzerte, we love it and have found it very friendly.  Our house is small and there is no view from the house though a great one from the garden above it.  I hope it won't be too depressing all winter long! I wonder if Montcuq got on the new Monopoly board? 

Not good news!  £6000 is likely to be around half our net annual income - so it looks as tho our long-held dream of living in France full time is not going to be possible.  I wonder if house prices will drop too, if fewer early retired Brits buy?  Having said that, many of those we know seem rather well off. My husband  also had the idea of setting up a 'business' in France to get round the problem of healthcare.  I pointed out that some authority might notice if he didn't do much and made no profit.  

Thanks for the reply. Well, I am 60 and get a pathetic state pension, and am still working.  Husband plans to retire at 60, end of term next July. We planned to move over to France full time then & see how it goes. Have just downsized in UK and hope to rent to our son as won't be rich enought to keep 2 houses and come and go. Someone suggested I apply for a E121 and my husband might be covered for basic healthcare as well.  I realise we'd need a top up insurance but it would help if some costs were covered.  Yes, I realise it depends how rich we are, but as I indicated, not terribly.  What I meant was - would it be VERY expensive!

Oh dear!  We were hoping to do exactly that - I get an E106 or E121 as I am already 60, and my husband who will retire next summer would be covered too when we move to France.  Are you saying that as he will be receiving a teacher's pension (only 28 qualifiying years out of 40 so not huge) he will have to pay for all healthcare in France?  Is possible to get an insurance to cover 100% - and could we afford it?

That wretched married women's thing caught me too!  It is definitely a breach of Equal Opportunities - but the Commission doesn't cover pensions. I worked for the Probation Service for about 10 years but when I asked the Personnel officer as she was then called, about changing to full NHS contributions, she said 'why bother?  You get sick pay, are unlikely to be redundant and will get a pension on your husband's NHI'.  She forgot to point out I'd get no pension till he's 65, - when I'll be 66, and then only 70%. Double whammy as I wasn't allowed to join their pension scheme as I was part-time! Anyway, I did eventually change and managed to get 10 years in and a tiny pension. I'm confused about these E things: as I will be 61 when we hope to move to France, do I try for an E121 straight away?  Will my husband be covered by either?  He'll only be 60.

Yes, You have to book in advance anyway but yes, if you ask they do a veggie meal - cheaper than meat too!

I  know the E106 can last up to 2 years, January- December, but would it be possible to stop work in July and not register in France till January, thus getting the maximum cover?  I will retire in July and we will go to France but may come back for a bit so we are covered by our travel insurance until January.