Steve c.

Hi All The Link: www.euro-cheque.com Free to use :) Just pick a flag (French, Spanish, Greman or English) then type in the figuer (123.12) and it will translate in words into that language Hope it helps

I use HiFx good quick service, but I think most of the main players are pretty good, just make sure the company is credible before transferring your money off. Be safe and have fun ! Steve C Post edited by the moderators.

Then why don't the banks put you through to the dealer direct, like my brokers do, every time I phone up I have a personal dealer (Tom) who I ask what rate do I get for this much money, I also have some tips on exchanging money on my website which would take to long to re type in here so if your interested just follow the link at the bottom of the page.

I've read with interest, and I think the banks will offer a better service now they need some money coming in, but I've used banks and brokers over the years, and the broker I'm with (I won't endorse them here as it would look like advertising ) are excellent, they have covered my mistakes in the past without charging me (and yet my UK bank wanted to charge me £40.00 until I threatened to close our account ) so if you're looking for a one off it will pay to shop around between the banks and brokers playing them against each other but if you are transferring regular payments use a broker, Please be careful and check out the company before handing over your money,

I think your find that Dépêcher is hurry / quick  like a lot of words it has a double meaning, as English has a lot more words then the French language, I'm only mentioning it as sometime you see words like this and it don't seem to make sense, until know its other meanings, hope that makes sense. a beintot (see you soon)

[quote user="cooperlola"]Get a Nationwide account and use a debit card in the machine.  1.29 last time I took cash out (yesterday).[/quote] Thats OK if you live in the UK, you can open a Nationwide account and well worth it. but for us living in France we have to stick with the same old bank that we had when we left the UK, so if your moving over it might pay to open a few accounts with different banks and swap your money around as and when they change there rates and benefits etc.

Bet you end up paying an (bank) agents transfer fee, but you should get away with the banks exchange rate + fee. You're have to let us know the out come.  

These people do GREAT work and are totally dedicated to re homing animals so if you're looking for a Cat or Dog Horse or Pony. just call or visit their website at, http://www.phoenixasso.com/index.html Or if you're really brave look here http://www.phoenixasso.com/adoption.php3 we got both our little kittens from them, and will be supporting them by going to the book fair.  

Yep you are both right Leroy and carrefour are going to be built on the corner plot, I think the small Champion supper market will go as I believe they are part of the Carrefour group, the diggers have started so I won't be long now. Happy shopping Steve.

Dexter Whats the hurry, unless this house it the "only one for you" I would wait and let things pan out a little, there will always be another house come along, in the mean time have a few holidays in different departments and enjoy you retirement for a while and let the dust settle before jumping out of the frying pan ! Bon Chance what ever you do.    

Loubie I think you might find most rental contracts are for 3 years, and because of the tenants rights being very strong in France, most landlords are extra extra jumpy about taking on anything out of the ordinary, you will need some very good references in French by French to get a look in, of course you could go to an agency but I think even here it could be challenging, maybe you could rent off Brits and pay them in pounds, good luck

Moulin I'm just adding details about chateau de balleroy for all to see. Chateau de Balleroy is in Normandy, And website link is : http://www.chateau-balleroy.com/ Happy ballooning, sadly to far away for us down here in the Dordogne. enjoy

Hi Graye Wood can be expensive here, but saying that I haven't brought any in the UK for a few years, so its hard to compare, in general straight rough sawn is very cheap even big lumps of oak are cheap if you know where to go ! but it takes some cleaning up. The other thing which is real strange here is normal plained wood is only plained on two sides the other two are left rough. this is quite expensive about the same as UK full plained. full plained: last time I brought this it was a silly price, even in the bricos the prices from rough to semi plained to full plained jump up a lot. I know this don't really help you, but if I have access to a van and a cheap boat ticket, I know what I would do. And welcome to the Dordogne, I'm sure your love it  [:)]  

I've had this set up for a few years now and pay 11% in total, which is hard to hand over in one lump sum but then you have to think the UK bank and government where nicking 20% at the time but as usual in a stealthy way which was automatic taken each month, and didn't actually show up on the statement, just the figure after deductions, but now I get to keep it all for a year then pay the French social contributions @ 11% so its not all bad. If I remember right the easy way is to send a R85 form to your bank who then inform the UK tax office, but this system is voluntary and not all banks have embraced it so you will have to ask. 

Ron I have made a website for just that, you can go there anytime type in any sum up to 9,999 it will convert to French, Spanish, German, and I added English as there are some people that will need that as well, the best thing is to go to the website its easy to do any problem let me know. The link is:  www.euro-cheque.com  The foreign cheque writer I know I shouldn't blow my own trumpet, otherwise I will get told off by the moderators, but as I'm not sell anything to you, I'm sure they will let me off with a light whipping (if I'm lucky)

Hi All         Just adding my pennys worth the phone numbers for France Telecom are as follows:   Free phone number:       0800 36 47 75   (from within France only) Fax :                             01 55 78 62 70  (from within France) Phoning from the UK:    0033 155 364 775 Fax number:                  0033 155 786 270 Hope this is of some help, its normal a very busy line you just have to keep trying !  

Hi Tony             Thanks for the warning, not that i drive mad, too busy trying to avoid French drivers, I might as well add women to that list and upset 50% of the forum readers [Www] only joking Lady's, some of the best pedestrians I know are women.

Hi Sam Just seen your post and had to reply, when you say you would like to run someones gites for them, would you be registering as a business paying contributions and taxes, when people ask out on forums for such work, to earn a bit of spare cash it must seems a harmless request, but there are company's like myself and others trying to earn an honest living in France paying our way, and find it very difficult to compete with people that have no over heads, and before entering into any such "cash jobs" in France it may pay to look at what can happen if caught working on the black in France as the stakes are much higher the in the UK, deportation is listed among others

Had this same problems with CA I had to change banks in the end, I still have the old account with CA but do most my business with CCSO who are part of the HSBC banking bods, CA are good but if you move from one department to another they won't even transfer your file to the new branch (crazy) so you have to start from scratch again.