glacier1

Just read this website, I wanted to know what you all think about it? http://www.languedocliving.com/Languedoc/polls/6-6.php I am here now 5 years, and I am struggling to find reasons to stay here, but I do not want to go back to the UK......doing a big soul search at the moment. I speak French perfect, worked here, did a university course here, but I am just tired of all the bull s.....t of working here. what are your thoughts?

well, here's hoping that sunday driver's right, good luck :)

thanks for your advise. We've rented unfurnished before, we are now going to rent furnished. It's a choice because otherwise I'd keep all the furniture in a lock up and that will destroy my furniture over time anyway what with leaks and changes in temperature/humidity. I will take control of the rental myself because I speak good French, got a basic understanding of renting but renting fully furnished is a different ballgame. I know I can ask more money for the rental this way, is it a good idea....who knows! Time will tell!

Hi there, I am going to rent a house out furnished in a few months, buying some furniture for the house tomorrow and the following day, then laying slabs in the back yard. Any advise on how to protect myself with renting? How much guarantee, how to write the contract? Any experience please share. Thanks! David

OMG....I wish I would have seen this post before hand, just got ripped off by optic2000, even though I had an ordanance and a good mutual paid 290 euro for a pair of glasses... grrrr

try 123pneu.fr for cheap tires!

I do not know about makes but by all means do not get the michelin eco tires.....I bought them in August and after 10,000 kms they are nearly 1/4 down to what they were....so that makes 40,000kms tyre change at this rate, not impressed!

exactly, drive on UK plates, go back to the UK to service, mot it, and just hope you don't get pulled over, a lot of people in Spain do the same.....this is what I did for a year and a half

Hi there, The process will be much the same as importing a US vehicle into France. First of all, whether or not it is registered in the UK makes no difference at all to the French, they say that the vehicle laws in each country in Europe are different (which is idiotic in my opinion as it's European law!). They will ask you to take a RDV with the D.R.I.R.E officer, this is to assess the vehicle, he will give you a list as long as your arm with things which are not conformed to French road laws....from the glass (which might not have a E stamp on it) to the tires, which is normal. This is scary. They will tell you to take a meeting with UTAC (a government official test center in Paris, there is only 1 in France), waiting list is 2 months BUT they will not give you the RDV before you contact Toyota to get a certificate of non conformity, which will list everything which is not up to French laws. You will need to weigh the vehicle and this is when it comes complicated, you need to know the max weight fully loaded of the vehicle, the weight empty, as well as other measures which are very hard to get unless you know what you are talking about. This is where I gave up and took up the offer of getting it passed through a garage which dealt with imports. They charged 3,500 euro and did all the work for me, including all the changes on the vehicle. I personally couldn't see a way round it. UTAC will be a pain, they have the last say in the matter, they will put angle cameras in your vehicle to see blind spots, mirror angles etc.....they will measure noise polution and general exhaust polution etc....they will give a detailed report to you to give to the DRIRE, they will then pass you if it's OK, you will then be given the OK to go to the prefecture, pay the tax on the number of fiscal horsepower, and then you'll have the right to register it. Forgot to mention, you will be asked by the prefecture to prove youve paid taxes on the vehicle, this is the impots (the imports/exports department) they will check your paper work to see if it's taxable in France, if the vehicle is less than 1 year old and less than 8,000 kms on the counter you will pay the full tax. For more info, please read here: http://www.forum-auto.com/automobile-pratique/vie-pratique/sujet378543.htm All-in-all, its a pain in the ass which will cost you a lot of money and take from 9 to 12 months to complete, even if you push for it.They just do not want people bringing cars from other countries into France....why do you think they reduce the tax regarding the puicance fiscale on French cars? It will well known to be cheaper to register a French car!!! good luck, hope this helps

and re: switzerland, I have a good idea what to expect over there as I lived near the border last year and my girlfriend who's a patissier worked over there also.....it's a good work environment over there, 42hrs but excellent pay

Thanks for your replies......I know the UK ain't getting better anytime soon but I KNOW I could find work there no problem, here I have my doubts, it's 5 years since I've been here, and there comes a time when you fight for your rights when you ask is it really worth fighting? I find, my own personal experience, that businesses here have a 1970's way of treating their staff, it's strange coming from the UK where we are open to all sexes, religions, nationalities that here it's just so bias and unforgiving. What do you think?

agreed with you Norman, I think those of us at working age in France are really finding it hard to get work at the moment, for the simple reason that there are many French people out of work in the country who can do the same work, so why hire a Brit? It's logical when you think of it, because I'm sure in the UK we'd do the same. I'm considering moving to Annemasse near the Swiss border, and finding work in Geneva, that is a sure fire way to get away from this "hopeless" situation at the moment in France, I too have a house for rent, I'm living in the other to save on costs.....it's hard when you haven't got much in the way of options.....sorry for being so gloomy on a Thursday morning.....loool

Hi everybody, I do not know if it's just me, but I am finding it harder and harder to find work in France and keep a job. I lost my job in Feb in Annecy, I was a technical commercial in wine, qualified in the university of wine in Suze la Rousse, I found it very hard to find work after even though I was made redundant from a CDI due to economic reasons. I travelled from the Alps to Savoie, Isere, Rhone Alps, dept 84, 30, 34 and finally 66 (perpignan) looking for work, made several 600kms round trips for interviews but even though the work implied that I knew English and could be able to write in English perfectly I was always 2nd or 3rd choice. I am back in the Drome now, I am really, really depressed living in France at the moment, thinking of packing up my bags and going back to the UK.....I am sure there are many of you in the same situation. Economically it's no-longer viable to stay in France. I went to the UK in June, and again in September to undertake some training in order to give me a chance in the UK market. I did my lifeguard course, plus the level 1 and 2 swimming teacher qualification which I passed with flying colours. Even if I could translate the course into a French qualification I am not even sure I want to stay in France. Please note I have a French girlfriend and I love France, it's always been my dream, but it's slowly turning into a nightmare, anybody else have the same experience? Is the dream of living a comfortable life in France still viable? What do you all think?

My caravan was stolen in france a while back, police are also looking into it, insurance didn't want to know, I'm 12,000 euro out of pocket

I have seen this type of scam often, I sold 3 cars here in France, EACH time I make them come down to pay for the car on a week day, on Tuesday's or Wednesday's, my bank takes the cheque, I go in with him/her, the bank manager personally calls the buyers bank, asks if the money's actually in the account and that the person is actually whom he says he is, then he accepts the cheque. NEVER accept people's payment on Saturdays, or people who say they are in London but they will send someone over to pick up the vehicle plus they will draft transfer the full sum (without negotiation) to your account and pick up the vehicle the next day etc.....these are classic scams... As foreigners here, we should be doubly careful! David

Hey patrick thanks for your reply, I remember when i was 10, I had a load of rubbish to burn outside, so I pulled out my father's petrol can from the garage, spilt petrol on the boxes, and remembering what he said, I walked back about 10 paces, and lit the match, I threw the match, the rubbish went up like a bomb, but what scared me the most was the line of fire which came towards me....I had spilt some on the floor + vapour, I nearly got a backlash from the fire. That woman could have set her on fire, plus the petrol tank, plus a line of cars by the side of her could have had it too.....what in earth was she thinking, I was cringing in my seat watching a train wreck in slow motion!

I'm writing a letter to the DWP in the UK now, thanks guys

thanks for your reply :) I shall look into it!

You guys make me laugh :) never thought that there was a good side to a dangerous situation!

Was in Nimes y'day, a lady had broken down on the right hand lane (of a 3 lane road) blocking the traffic behind her, I was stuck in the middle lane side by side with her while the lights were red. She got out of the car, cigarette in mouth, waved to the cars behind to say 1min, and then got out a 5lt petrol can, which she opened and poured in her car while she continued to smoke, I was so scared the whole thing was going to blow, I moved my car to the left hand side....what is wrong with people!?!?!?!

Thanks a lot for your reply, this is all great. I know that at 60 years and 9 months she will get her pension (the pension of my father who passed away 7 years ago). Last employment here was a gite/chambre d'hotes. She now has a provisional number (while they change her document over, this has been the case since september last year. I'm worried that if she does nothing they will retain her right for health care when she needs medication for heart problems and stroke etc on a monthy basis (adds up to 180 euro p/m). She is ok for working as a cleaner to pay for her life in France only if it brings her healthcare.

Hi there, my mother's coming up to 60 and she still wants to work, retirement is boring she says! lool. We'll be moving in a week to Canet en Roussillon near Perpignan where she wants to work as a cleaner for foreigners who want a quick turn around of their rental property and can't be present to clean each and every time. Someone said that 10 euro p/h is reasonable to ask, but I want her to be on the books. My question is, do we need to start a business here (auto-entrepeuneur) or can we keep receipts and just add up the total hours/pay and fill in a tax form? How does it work, she wants to work to pay for her carte vitale. Thanks

thank you very much for your advise, much apreciated [:)]

nobody with any ideas?

Hi there, We are selling our gite/chambre d'hotes business in the Rhone wine country.  I want to sell to the international market, and I want to know with whom I could sell with to maximise my chances of getting a potential buyer.  People have told me about selling to the Dutch, but I don't know how to advertise to begin with.  My aim is to 1).  Sell my property to the international community at large, which means England, Netherlands, etc, and also maybe the USA/Canada?  2).  I want to be able to sell in publications (like Living France) in various countries 3).  I want to do 100% to sell my property, I want to push for it, so please, any adivse would be welcome. Thanks guys David Thomas