Ac50

I am thinking of travelling BF Portsmouth to Caen in April.  As my car is in France, I will be travelling as a foot passenger on the overnight sailing.  Does anyone know how easy it is to get from the ferry port to the train station in Caen?  Would be arriving in Caen around 7.30 am on a Sunday morning.  Would prefer to travel Portsmouth to Cherbourg, but if I do that I would only get in at 19h30 on Sunday night, long after the last train has left. Friends have offered to come get me from the ferry port, but I hate asking, especially on a Sunday morning.  Other alternative is to travel Portsmouth to Cherbourg but loose almost a day as ferry only arrives 19h30 Sunday night.

Personally, we love living in Normandy and are so happy we have a house there. I think one thing to remember though is that Normandy covers a large area.  Where we are, close to Carentan and the sea, the weather is milder than further south, where there are more hills and higher altitude.  In winter,  our daughter who was at  university in Caen,  would leave  here in clear weather, only to phone us from Caen to say there was thick snow.   Housing, attitudes etc also change as you go from different departments.  We know a few people who make their living here looking after gites, gardening etc. and I know life is not easy for them.  I also think since P&O stopped the ferry from Portsmouth to Cherbourg, Flybe aren't using Cherbourg airport this summer by the look of things, Brittany Ferries prices keep going up etc. tourism is not as active here as it was when we first arrived in 2001.   

we left just over a year ago and have been trying ever since to get back!  It made me laugh reading your post because we want to leave Canada for all the reasons you reckon your friends are leaving France for.  Not even the luxury of being in a (theoretically) English speaking country makes up for all we left behind in France.  Utter boredom in winter - huh - try living where it's -25 degs for weeks on end and you can't get the car out of the drive because the snow ploughs have made 5 ft drifts at the end of it. The most exciting thing to happen here is seeing how many kids get their tongues stuck to lamposts on their way home from school!!!  Cheapest bottle of wine is at least 10 euros, so you can't even afford to drown your sorrows!   As for intelligent, educated friends, well it is North america so we should have known better!!!  What motivated us to give up our life in France - ego.  My husband was headhunted, offered a salary double the one he was receiving in France and a position as vice president with his new company.  The reality is we are no better off as taxes etc are higher here, he now works at least 48 hours a week instead of 35, and is down to 3 weeks leave a year instead of 7 weeks in France.  Thankfully our youngest starts university in September so I can move back to our house in Normandy.  How can you be bored in France in winter?  Even if you don't drive you can get on the train, there is so much to see.  All those museums, churches, art galleries, cafes, markets, Now I'm really feeling homesick.  You don't say if they have gone back to UK?  Be interesting to know how feel after they move, if they are really any happier.

We have bought a couple of cars over the last 6 years, both from our local Renault dealer.  No problems getting financing from the garage, although the bank would also have given us a loan.  Very quick, hassle free application, but again we were living and working here in France.

Thanks guys, you really made me laugh.  I knew I could rely on you all. Thanks for your note Dick.  We are in Manche, our house is in Carentan.  I love it with a passion, never been happier than living there.  Miss it so much. So Tresco, you want to know something good about Canada - hang on a minute........, no - nothing!  We are in Nova Scotia, which is on the east coast, a bit like living on some isolated Scottish Island.  Not as cold as the middle of the country, only been around -13 degs for the last couple of weeks.  Not much snow in winter, hot and humid in summer with lots of little black flies that bite.  Thankfully, summer only lasts about  6 weeks.  Wonder if I could get a job with the Canadian Tourist Board!!  Hubby has gone from 7 weeks holiday a year down to 3 weeks, a 35 hour week to 48.  Not a day goes by when he doesn't wish he could put the clock back, and we were back in France.  On paper, his salary has doubled compared to what he was getting in France, but in reality the cost of living and tax is so high here, we are probably worse off.  The food is awful, everything has sugar added to it.  The fruit and veg mostly get sent up from USA, so is either frozen or rotten when it gets here.  Plus - the Canadians have no sense of humour!!!  Because they get so little holiday a year, most of them have never travelled overseas (it is a big story in the news at the moment that they now have to have a passport to travel to USA, as most of them don't have one).  They are so insular, they have no concept of what the rest of the world is like.  Our eldest, who is in her final year of university here, is one of 16 choosen to go to Northern Ireland next week as part of a Canadian delegation to advise them on conflict resolution!!! Talk about teaching your mother to suck eggs!!!    It is really interesting listening to her talk about her experience at university here (which is double the cost of university fees in UK) compared to her time at university in Caen.  She can't wait to graduate in May and get back to France, where she has a job lined up for the summer. Worst place we've ever lived in - and we've lived in a few! Furry knickers, there are a few black bears around, a bit like foxes in UK, their natural habit is being wiped out so the poor things have to rely on rubbish bins for food.  We did have a couple of deer in the back garden, eating the few plants I was trying to grow.  A few weeks after we moved into this house, the forest that backed onto our back garden was blown up - literally.  There is now a row of appartments where 60 ft trees grew.  The poor animals now have no where to go.  Planning seems to be non existent here and they give no thought to the environment.  will keep reading your postings, hopefully that will get me through till June when I can get back. Thanks again Val

Just been reading different posts on the site and feeling really homesick. Been  in Canada for 6 weeks now, it is bitterly cold, down to -25 C for the last week, although thankfully not much snow.  Think I am suffering from S.A.D!!! Wont be able to get back to France until mid-June and missing our house there so much. Keep thinking of how the garden must be looking, with all the bulbs out etc. Miss the markets, walks on the beach, wine and good, fresh food. Sorry, just had to post. For all of you still there - enjoy.  You are luckier than you know you are Val

Hi Terry, we have friends who have just put this in a barn they are renovating - will try to get hold of them for you and get them to email you. I know they are raving about it and think it's one of the best things they have done. Val

Agree fully with all you say Beryl.  We moved to France from a expat community (Namibia).  After that experience, when we arrived in Normandy we made a decision to stay away from expats and try to make friends locally.  We had 3 teenagers at the time, who all went to school locally.  None of us spoke French when we arrived, although my husband's company were fantastic in helping us settle in.  The first few months weren't easy but now we have no regrets and know we made the right decision.  All our children are now bi-llingual, we have some great friends (french and English) and love the way of life in France. We would have missed so much if we had only mixed with other expats. Why would you want to move to another country if you don't want to experience all it has to offer?  I know it's good to know you have a safety net if you need one, but are you 100% sure you want to move?  As we've found out, attitude is one thing that can make such a difference to where you live. Language isn't the only problem when moving to a new country.  As many of you know, we moved to Canada just over a year ago now.  Everyone here in Nova Scotia speaks English (a form of it anyway!!!).  The move was a terrible mistake.  We are surrounded by expats, nearly all of them spend their time moaning and wishing they could move away. Unfortunately the cost of getting here is so high it's not so easy to go back once you've made the move.  We were lucky in being able to keep a small house in France, and I have been able to spend a few months there, which will hopefully increase once our son finishes school in June.

When we moved from Utah Beach to Carentan a year ago we used AGS.  Their head office is in Paris, our contact there was Isabelle Bax, who spoke English and was fantastic. They have a local office in Le Mans.  The move was a bit complicated in that we moved half our things to Canada at the same time we moved the rest to Carentan.  They coped really well and we had no problems.  Obviously depends on what team you get though. We also looked at Noyon, based close to Cherbourg.  Only have the phone no. there for them , which is 02 33440225 Have you looked in your local yellow pages too?  There should be a couple of local companies listed. Good luck with the move.  We've lived in and around Carentan for the last 6 years now and love it. Val

We're Brummies! 

what happens though if the tickets don't arrive?  That's the real Catch 22 of it all. Have just been over and bought new tickets for tomorrow and cancelled the others online.  However it says you have to take the cancelled tickets in for a refund.  Surely there must be something you can do if the tickets don't arrive? Has been a horrible day, think someone's trying to tell me something - maybe I'm not meant to be leaving France!

hi there that is one of the options. Shouldn't be any problem if you book online - just make sure you put in the right option!  I honestly don't know why I didn't do that instead of asking for the tickets to be posted. Have just been over to the station again but they say there is nothing they can do. Wouldn't be so bad but we are enroute for Canada and I will probably be away for a few months.

can someone please help with this query. I've bought tickets from SNCF online before but never had a problem.  This time I bought the tickets online over a week ago. For some reason it wouldn't let me print them but said they could be posted free of charge.  We leave for Paris tomorrow. As the tickets hadn't arrived today (and tomorrow is a holiday, so no post) I went over to our local station with the reference number etc. They say the tickets have been issued and posted so there is nothing they can do! I can't get a refund as I don't have the tickets to take to the station for a refund! We are talking of over 100 euro's here (thought I would treat us and travel 1st class) Do we have to just write off this amount or can anyone suggest anything. Could we get away with travelling on the train with just the booking reference number, although it clearly states on there that it is not a ticket. Also, don't have the number of the seats for the reservation. A bit of a mess that is spoiling the trip before it's even begun. Many thanks

Does anyone know anything about the train strikes at the moment?  We are due to catch a train to Paris on Saturday, on route to the airport,  but have heard that there is some disruption.  Would be grateful for any information. Thanks Val

Hi there thanks for the help.  Just got back.  Had a great day out.  The drive down from Carentan was great, really pretty once we got through the mist. Vide Grenier was worth going to - hubby is busy polishing some copper he bought as I write!  Can't wait to hit Villedieu on Tuesday now!  Will let you know which restaurant we choose.  Was thinking if we time it right we could have lunch at one, and supper at the other!  

Back again! Does anyone know anything about Saint Georges de Rouelley?   I see they are having a Vide Grenier on Sunday.  Is it a place worth going to?  Can't find any information about it on the internet, so presume it's a small place. Thanks, Val

It's not just France that has problems with racism.  We moved to Canada last year, after living for 5 years in Normandy.  Our 3 teenagers attended school here and all did well.  When we moved to Canada, our eldest who got her french bac (AB) had just finished her first year at university in Caen, and had been accepted into 2 nd year there.  When she applied to the university in Canada she was told that she could start again in 1st year but they wouldn't accept anything she had done in France, as nowhere was as good as they were (the university actually wrote that to her).  After much protest, and the intervention of my husband's boss, she was finally accepted into 2nd year.  Her marks were so good at the end of it, that this year she has been told she can skip 3rd year and go straight to honours!  My son, who is now 17 has applied for numerous part time jobs but hasn't even got as far as a interview - excuse given is no experience of work in Canada.  I am a registered nurse, trained in UK, but unless I retrain for 2 years and sit exams I cannot work there.  Again, they consider their no-one from overseas can possibly be as good as they are. Thankfully we managed to keep a house here in Normandy and I now spend half my time here and half in Canada.  The kids came over in the summer and managed to get summer jobs here, no problem.  As soon as they've finished university/school they have all said they want to move. You would think living somewhere where English was the main language would be better for us all but it's been a really bad move.  I could go on for ever about the horrible things that have happened to us since we moved there, mainly based on the fact that there is blatant racism against immigrants, wherever they are from.  We are white, middle aged, my husband is vice president of the company he was head hunted by, so by local standards relatively well off, and used to moving and living in different countries.  Nothing though prepared us for the racism, pettiness and narrow mindness we've encountered in Canada. On another note, my neice who lives in Birmingham, is married to a Greek Cypriot. They have 2 small boys. Their surname was Hazam.  Earlier this year they flew to Spain.  Their experience at Birmingham Airport was so awful that when she got back she applied to change all their names back to her maiden name - Phillips.  Will it make any difference?  Who knows but I doubt it.  I honestly think where ever you are nowdays you are going to find discrimination and racism.  It is nothing new, it's always been around.  We are probably just more aware of it now.  Thankfully where we are in Normandy we've never experienced it.  If anything, we've had the opposite experience and would give anything to be able to move back here permanently.  

many thanks for all the info.  Will definitely try to visit next Tuesday.  Hubby arrives from Canada this Friday - will have to ease his conscience and buy lots of "guilt" presents!!!

Drove through here yesterday for the first time.  Looked really nice and worth going back for another visit.  Does anyone know when market day is there and also if the depot ventes are open this time of year?  I noticed 2 on my way through.  Have exshausted the one's close to home!  The one at Bayeaux is charging ridiculous prices for absolute rubbish (and what is that awful smell at the back of the shop? [+o(] )  and the one at La Haye du Puits doesn't seem to have as much stuff as they used to.  In fact, when I was there last week, I wondered if they were shutting down! 

Hi Dotty, quite agree with you.  We moved to France 5 years ago, with 3 children aged 13, 15 and 16.  None of us spoke French when we arrived.  We bought a old farmhouse, close to the beach, here in Normandy. We found most of the children's friends used to want to come stay over at the farm, especially in summer, mainly because we had lots of space, and it didn't matter if they made a noise. The youngest children went to school in the nearest town, about 20 minutes drive from the house, and the eldest became a weekly boarder at St Lo, mainly to help with her french.  The assistance we got from both schools and from the local community was fantastic.  I think the main thing was we all wanted to be here, and loved every minute. Although they all had to go back a year, age wise, they saw it as taking a gap year before rather than after leaving school!  Both schools arranged for the children to have one on one lessons with a teacher to improve their french, without us asking for help.  We also found the children at the schools helped too.  One of our eldests friends used to photocopy her notes at the end of everyday, so Rebecca could go through them at night.   After just a couple of years she passed  her french bac (AB) and went on to university in Caen.  Unfortunately my husband was head hunted by a Canadian company.  Although we all begged him not to accept the offer, we moved there last year.  You would think that moving to a country where English was the first language would have made life easier, but far from it.  The children decided to come too but have had a terrible time settling in.  Thankfully, we managed to buy a smaller house here in Normandy, as the eldest just wants to finish her degree next May, and move back to France as soon as possible.  Our son, who is now 18, finishes school also next May and also wants to move back to France.  At the moment I spend 2 months here, and 2 months in Canada.  Everone is different, but I know none of our teenagers regret the time they spent here at school in France.

There is quite a big vide-greniers at Pont d'Ouilly (40 km south of Caen) on Sunday 29 October (130 stalls) and Saint Pois (26 km north east of Avranches) Will certainly try to get to the St Pois one.  Went to the one at Tinchebray a couple of weeks ago that was brilliant.  I have become a clock a holic!  Running out of places to put them all. I got the little book - L'agenda des Brocantes Normandie earlier in the year from the local book store.  Has been a great source of information Their website is www.agendanationaldesbrocantes.com

Have you checked out voyages-sncf.com?  I had a email from them today with new offers, one of which is London for 70 euros return.  Sometimes if you split the journey and book 2 seperate tickets (ie London to Paris and then Paris to St Lo for example) it works out much cheaper.  I used LD lines this week - 95 euros for car and club class.  Took me just under 2 hours to drive from Le Havre to Carentan, will certainly use them again. Flybe are still flying from Southampton to Rennes as well.  If I remember correctly, there is a train service from Rennes to St Lo, so that might also be worth looking at.

Apologies to all those who don't like sentimental drivel but I just had to say that I love living in Normandy.  I know it's not the most fashionable area in France, people think the weather is warmer further south etc.  but today was the most amazing day.  The weather was fantastic, started off a bit cool but by lunchtime it was warm enough for short sleeves.  Set off for a vide grenier near Vire, scenery on the drive down from Carentan was fantastic, great roads, hardly any traffic. Lots of pretty villages to drive through.  So many flowers out, especially in the hanging baskets. Vide grenier was great fun, got lots of bargains, wasn't ridiculed for my terrible accent when haggling.  Was great to see families out together, there were no rowdy crowds, just lots of people enjoying the sunshine and having fun.  Had great sausage for lunch, followed by crepes.  On the drive home, still light until about 7 pm.  Neighbour called round with some homemade soup and fresh farm eggs (she is worried that because I am by myself until hubby gets back the end of the month, that I am going to fade away).  Other french friends stopped by to invite me round for supper next weekend.  Sitting down to catch up on emails etc I suddenly realised I'm happy and that I love living in Normandy. 

Thanks for all the replies.  Don't know why I didn't think to use Trip Advisor, we usually do, don't know why I thought the airport wouldn't be included! Managed to get a kingsize room at the Hilton (CDG) for 99 euro - they were top of the list!  Booking online directly with the hotel, 3 weeks in advance, gave the best price.  I often find if you book direct on hotel websites you can get better prices.  Hopefully can relax before facing the flight back to Canada[:(] boo hoo!!!!  

Can anyone recommend a hotel close to Charles de Gaulle airport.  We have a early morning flight (need to be at the airport by 8 am on a Sunday morning).  Seem to be quite a few to choose from on the internet but would be good to know if anyone has had any good/bad experiences.  Thanks