LanguedocGal

[quote user="Dick Smith"]LG I think you have misunderstood Ron's post. I also don't think that being rude is the best way to get what you want. [/quote] I'd be delighted if you could explain Ron's post to me because the gist of it seems to be ''go with the flow''. Not bad advice for certain situations but not productive for others. Like you, I don't believe in rudeness but assertiveness is a very positive thing when dealing with certain institutions in all countries including France.  Britline is not the real culprit here but the regionalised nature of CA in general. A bank like BNP may be better for those who need more regional flexibility.

Disagree Ron. If people want to call the French banking system or any other inefficient institution names, I feel they should be free to do so. The banking system is horridly backward to a large extent.  What I want to know is why so many Brits feel they have to be on their best behaviour in France. A friend of mine went completely nuts when the post refused her a service, and she ended up getting exactly what she wanted. Don't think they are used to such assertive Brits.  I'm not saying we should all go around being rude (she says the incompetence was sheer provocation) but if we would complain about a poor service in the UK, why not in France?  We are quite happy to talk about the things we love and enjoy about France so why not criticise their systems when it's crap because they often are.  This is not about doing things in the UK way, it's about having institutions in 2006 that operate as if they were back in the 1960s. Even their health service (which is fine) can be incredibly complicated based on the experience of various friends. We should feel free to call a spade a spade. That does not mean we do not appreciate aspects of the country. I for one could do without the horrendous bureaucracy in every area of our lives here. For those who are retired and live, relatively speaking, outside the system, consider yourselves lucky.  There is no point in chastising those who refuse to accept the incompetent and frustrating elements of French society with a stiff upper lip. I think one's lips would need to be incredibly stiff not to blow one's top at local ways occasionally. Go on Ian, let off steam... just don't hit anybody:-)))

Agree entirely with Cooperlola  about ''A year in the Merde'' and I only read about 20 pages. Found it too excruciating to continue further. Utter rubbish! However, for those with enough French, I would highly recommend the books by Ted Stanger. So far, I have read ''Sacres Francais'' and I'm in the process of reading ''Sacres Fonctionnaires''.  In my opinion, true gems and a must for anyone moving to France from an Anglo-Saxon country. He also wrote ''Sacres Americains' which I have yet to read. I would recommend you try  them even if your French is average as the subject matter affects all of us to some extent and great for increasing  our vocabulary in any case. I'd be interested to hear the views of anyone else who has read them.      

[quote user="KathyC"]We got ours today, to our English address. We seem to be the only people in the world who have to pay more property taxes in France than we do in the UK (750 TF + 450TH). Surprising as we've only got a 2 bed semi in a small town (in France). C'est la vie![/quote] KathyC, you are definitely not alone.  The operative word in your posting explaining the rate of your taxes is probably 'town'.  As more and more British buy in or nearer towns, the myth of cheaper property taxes in France will no doubt start to disappear. Local friends tell me that the poorer the town, the more expensive the Taxe Fonciere and Taxe d'habitation and that explains why that of Paris is very low.  I've been told that the logic behind it, as in the UK I suppose, is that you are paying for the extra services that the country dwellers lack, hence large properties and low taxes for them and the opposite for us. The poorer towns taxes are higher because they have fewer businesses to gain revenu from so this is passed onto homeowners (TF&TH) and the employed (TH).  Anyway, that's what my local friends tell me and what I have understood from various articles.  If anyone else has any other theories, I'd love to know.

An alternative view of costs from a townie, hope you green-fingered bunch don't mind:-))   £9500 per annum.  Might be OK in certain islolated areas but I would say avoid the south including even the poorer Languedoc, though you might just manage it in the underpopulated Lozere. I live in a town centre (not a million miles from Lunel) and pay almost 1300 for Tax fonciere plus 1080 for Taxe d’hab for a good sized flat with no garden (thank goodness) and no terrace (dommage)..  However, there is local transport and very little need for a car. Spoilt for choice with regards to local amenities and cinemas, theatres, restaurants etc etc minutes walk from my home. Heating is expensive but due to warmer climate, necessity greatly reduced and have not needed to turn on the central heating at all yet.  Insurances vary according to personal circumstances and insurance companies so you may not necessarily find things as cheap as some who have already posted.  Like others have said, it really depends on the type of life you want here. Struggling financially in France won’t be anymore pleasant because you have a larger house or enormous garden. I think the general misconception that France is much cheaper than the UK comes from the generation of Brits who retired to these isolated locations with no mortgage, a sum in the bank and because of age and retired status probably didn’t have to pay a number of taxes. Hardly standard France because even if homes are cheaper in many regions compared to the UK, salaries are atrocious.  It really does depend on location and how you want to live.  I think life is only really cheaper  in France than the UK overall if people change their lives drastically as others have mentioned here. For example, if you want to maintain a Holland Park or Belgravia type lifestyle in France, you are not going to be better off… I have a list of things I buy from the UK as far too expensive here eg computer disks but I can also pop over to Spain as so many from this region do in order to get things cheaper. Myself and most of my French friends (30s and 40s) who pay mortgages and the tons of taxes, mutuelles etc on local salaries find the ‘France is cheaper’ postings hilarious.  One of them has just bought a flat of 45 sqm in a Languedoc town  for 116,000 (a bargain!)and has a taxe fonciere of 680, yet another a house of 70sq m and a Taxe Fonciere of over 800. Their taxe d’habitation comes through next year and they are not looking forward to them as you can imagine. These standard taxes vary so much from region to region, town to town and no doubt village to village according to the whims of the ‘’Municipalites’’.  So, can you live on £9500? I’d say choose your location very very carefully, don't fall ill unless you are entitled to full health cover, and be brutally realistic as you would be in the UK and Bonne Chance!  

  Agree entirely! Entrepreneur may be a French word but they have forgotten what it means...  Most of their young dynamic Entrepreneurs are in the UK or US, so that should tell you a thing or two. Entrepreneur in France is basically ''Antipreneur''.

[quote user="Diva Star"] Migration for whatever reason is widespread but the French don't seem to have realised this. Parts of Britain are swamped with 'foreigners',  it is now called multi culturism. But for some reason we are supposed to sympathise with the French when they feel hard done by. Not me I'm afraid. Most Brits pay their way and don't ask for much in return.They buy houses that often the French don't want. This about the French being priced out by the Brits,no don't hold with that either as very often the French  woo the British market because they think we have more money than sense and they could sell to a local for less if they really wanted to. By all means be an active part of the community but not out of some enforced guilt.   [/quote] Nice to read a non-apologist. I'm with you Diva Star.  I grew up in London where a chunk of Kensington was considered 'French' and the French buy in North Africa as the Brits do in France and Spain.  I have no sympathy for the French whingers and where I am, I always remind them that there are 'more' French in the UK than Brits in France.  Admittedly, it's a more dynamic set over there but thats because the 'system' makes this dynamism possible. In France, 'the system' makes practically makes dynamism a dirty word. Recent negative Media about a handful of people claiming RMI and using the health service in the Dordorgne was blown out of all proportion and I think that has also got into the minds of some locals and may explain increased negative reaction. I've had these reports thrown at me many times by local friends (who know Zilch about the UK). Readers on this board may not have known any French, Spaniards and Italians in the UK claiming income support but, in the 90s, I knew quite a lot and I would not think things have changed that much.  A few locals here have asked me  if there is a social security system in the UK! The first time, I almost fainted from shock at such a stupid question but as someone mentioned in an earlier posting, they don't travel out of their region much. I'm not for anybody claiming illegally but reading these reports, I also sensed the green eyes of envy as one article talked about young people living in their parents 'maisons cossues' and claiming.  So, basically, these young people should not have been entitled because their parents owned expensives houses. But if the local economy doesn't offer them work, the RMI is the basic income support to help them get out and get work. They probably would have been entitled in the UK too as the young French in the UK. Also, living in a large house doesn't mean one is rich as circumstances can change. I live here (for the sun - hence anywhere north of Cevennes or Provence is out of the question for me-  and because i'm fluent in the lingo) and claim my rights to the services for which I pay like my French friends in the UK claim free education for their kids, free health treatment etc.  It's about time Brits in France stop being apologetic and stake a claim in a land to which they now contribute according to their means and stop acting as foreigners on a day trip. I'm with you Diva Star....

Mark, I think you are as mad or sane as the rest of us. I agree with one of the postings in that I think you are looking for reassurance, having already decided to come. My views in reading a lot of the comments about the pros and cons of UK/France is that many on this forum do not compare like for like when they talk about France in such glowing terms. I have been coming to France since  the age of 14 (now early 40s) and I can assure you that  I know as many French people in high powered/pressured jobs living in large French cities that have the same problems as friends in similar situations in the UK. Have any of you ever tried commuting to and from Paris or making ends meet in Marseille or Nice and Cannes on French Salaries etc?  What is the point in comparing life in busy UK towns to life in secluded French villages and hamlets? Oh and what about the huge numbers of French who have flooded the UK in the past decade?  I employed a few of them.  All, I'm trying to say is that things could work out for you here but, like the young couple I met who moved back to the UK after two years in southern France  with their two young children, the work situation has to be taken very very seriously.  Often on these forums, you have the glowing opinons (sorry, I call them the wine and cheese brigade) regarding the quality of life (subjective) of those who have retired  and having a great time - good for you all, you have no doubt deserved it. However, the reality for those in their late 30s/early 40s (with or without children) is often far removed from those of the retired set.  The initial euphoria can wear off very quickly if you are not realistic about your expectations and choice of region.  Our needs are different from those of the earlier or older 'settlers' and so should our choices.  I think you are wise to have bought in a town instead of a remote area, a complete nonesense in my books for many and a full receipe for isolation though most do not admit it.  Great for a while but  I have met many older 'settlers'  living in fabulous properites miles from the local village who end up living for the moments their famillies/friends visit as they have not integrated at all.  En plus, instead of needing 2 legs, they need six (4 on their cars) to do anything. Having said all that, I love my life in France (in a  reasonably large town, not picture post card stuff but a real community/facillites etc).  I came here fully aware of the pros and cons of the French system - and still got stung by French bureaucracy and ineffective laws! I did not have a rosey pro french view (but came for the sun and sea London could not provide, not London faults but nature I hasten to add for all you France better quality of life mob), nor this UK is all bad comments you often get on these types of forums. Like many of you here, I did come for a slower pace of life but ask yourself this, France attracts ageing immigrants (myself included) whereas the UK attracts the young. For those of us who may grow old here - think about the economic impact of such immigration.  We may all be heading back in 15-20 years [:)] I wish you lots of luck in the Limousin as you are no doubt heading there next year.... PS: Taxe Fonciere varies enormously in France from town to town.  One person mentioned paying less than in the UK. Well, I pay more because I have a town centre property.  As in the UK, the local authority decides the rate and village properties usually incur cheaper Taxe Fonciere because of the lack of services but live in a town (Paris being the exception) and you will be stung by high Fonciere and Taxe d'habitation.  In fact, I believe the govt is looking into capping it according to earnings as it's so expensive in many regions. I apologise for the length of this posting...