where to live in France

[polly]

Hello when we were deciding to move to France our first choice was always Normandie. But now I have been looking further south,  Herault, is one area I like but know nothing about, I would appreciate any information about this area, and  why you chose to live where you do, weather ,house prices,  safety, ambiance etc. France is such a huge country, the choice is quite daunting. As is this font which I cannot seem to remove, my steam driven pc having a mind of it's own.

 Polly !

[cooperlola]

What do you value most in a place to live, that's the question?  For us it was the proximity of Le Mans and its motor racing heritage, plus the fact that we knew it very well from a lot of holidaying here.  I think it's therefore a question that's very difficult for anybody else to answer on your behalf.  Maybe if we had an idea of the kind of place you're after - does weather matter? social life? schooling? healthcare? sporting activities?  As you say, it's a big country!

[DZ]

Hi Polly

You could start by looking at some statistics and comparing the different regions you are considering according to different criteria in the survey below (done last year).  But, of course, nothing replaces actually going there and seeing for yourself what you think about the given region.  I am personally biased in favour of Herault (but, having said that, I don't live there, so I don't have to look for a job - unemployment is very high there).

http://www.lexpress.fr/info/france/dossier/departement/dossier.asp?ida=438183

[Benjamin]

Excuse me if this is a grandmother and sucking eggs situation but the link above only takes you to one aspect in the survey.

You need to be clicking on the listing on the left hand side to see the overrall picture and the individual elements that make up the survey.

[Babbles]

Really interesting link, as our holiday (one day our real) home is on the border of Gers and Lot & Garrone it is interesting to see how differently each dept perform as some items are at opposite ends of the rankings, I suppose the sensible thing would be for me to rank the criteria in importance to us and then look at the rankings.

[P-D de Rouffignac]

L'Hérault

The biggest attraction for this region is the city of Montpellier (pop. 300,000) which is regularly voted as the city the French would most like to live in after Paris. Fast TGV links from Paris, and onward to Barcelona once the bit between Montpellier and Perpignan has been upgraded - from March 2009 the journey between Perpignan and Barcelona will be just 40 minutes. Going east along the coast you could be in Nice and then Italy in a few hours. Montpellier has its share of rougher quarters but aside from that it is a major university town (30,000+ students), research, commercial and cultural centre. Not far from the Mediterranean coast with numerous coastal resorts to choose from and 180 kms of sunny beaches until you reach the Spanish border. Add to this superb food, wines and 300 days of sunshine a year and your dreams of Normandy will start to seem like a nightmare!

Get your maps out and start planning,

Peter-Danton de ROUFFIGNAC

 

[Benjamin]

P-D de R

You're obviously very knowledgeable on the area concerned.

Do you have any theory or facts as to why the Mediterranean Departments are all rated so badly on security?

[P-D de Rouffignac]

Security - Mediterranean departments

I have seen various reports about security conerns related to immigration from the southern Mediterranean through Spain, and it is true that the border crossing at Le Perthus (40 minutes from where I live) is the second after the Paris airports in terms of smuggling - cigarettes, drugs and 'illegal immigrants'. Also security of property due to the large number of unoccupied second homes in the area.

To put this into perspective, both Montpellier and Perpignan (25 minutes from where I live) have their quatiers chauds but I personally am not specially worried - and I am aged 71 later this month - about travelling around generally - but then I spent 30 years in central London without any bother. Ex-pats returning here after visits talk of 'feeling unsafe' in central London - I was there two weeks ago and felt fine!

I think it is a matter of personal perception - also the reality. The rate of crime is actually quite low as reported in the faits divers section of the local paper, and I think it is also a matter of integration. Fortunately I speak fluent French though I am English by birth and my experience as a lecturer has helped me keep in tune with young people. I have several friends here that actually wear hoods and baggies that would be banned in a British shopping mall but they are nice people, trying to survive in an area with high unemployment and indeed a bit of racism.

Regarding property security, a lot of closed gates and high walls are primarily for privacy rather than security. French families rarely admit people into their homes who are not family members or close friends. This again is a cultural thing you just have to understand.

These are just my thoughts but they are based on six years experience here.

Peter-Danton de ROUFFIGNAC

[pugwash]

Getting back to the original thread, "where to live", 300 days of sunshine can sound like paradise, but it can also be like hell. My wife and I lived on the Algarve for 6 years, and I can tell you that day after day of 30 degrees plus can be very wearing and difficult to get on with. It is easier when you are younger, we were in our 40's then, and I worked, mostly outdoors, but there were days when you prayed for some relief, or just to see a green hedge. Having lived in Singapore and Hong Kong, and holidayed in the Perpignan area I can tell it's great to have real seasons.  Which is one of the reasons we have gone for Normandy, it can be hotter and colder than the UK, and just as wet, but it is genuinely more comfortable

 

[Babbles]

When we started to look for an area to buy  we started in the North , hovered arround the Loire and Samur for a bit headed west to the coast, wasn't keen on the countryside so headed south east via the Dordogne found Provence too expensive and too windy but liked the better weather so then headed west again to Gers and found it to be just to our taste but it took 15 years to decide that!!! You just have to get out there and see whats important to you.

 

Edit that looks like we couldn't make are minds up, that wasn't the case we just didn't have the money[:)]

[blackduff]

[quote user="polly"]

Hello when we were deciding to move to France our first choice was always Normandie. But now I have been looking further south,  Herault, is one area I like but know nothing about, I would appreciate any information about this area, and  why you chose to live where you do, weather ,house prices,  safety, ambiance etc.  Polly !

[/quote]

The Pyrenees Mediterranean area has a lot to offer, if you want to have nice living. Take a look and you'll see this area on this album. No special theme on this site but it's just a collection of "Living" along the coastal area.

http://www.pyreneesmediterraneanliving.com/

Blackduff

[pugwash]

It's human nature that everybody will try to justify their own decision by "selling" it to you, and I am, to some extent just the same, but it is wise if you are looking at an area that is significantly different to that which you are used to, to go there and rent for the 6 months of the most extreme season, or for 12 to get a taste of everything it can throw at you, then make a decision. It may be ok for a week or 2, but a bit of a blow if you find you cannot put up with the mosquitos, or you develop "prickly heat" at some time after moving in.

[LanguedocGal]

Polly, I live in the Herault and like it very much - apart from what I hate.

It may be useful to post a list of 10-15 things you are looking for and then we Heraultais people here can tell you whether we think the area fits those criteria. It's probably a good idea to indicate roughly how old you are - not trying to pry but this is quite important. If you are in the need to earn a wage range, I'd not be as positive in my replies - reality is reality....

The advice you've been given re renting here is pretty much essential. Really do bear the heat in mind too, as it can be overwhelming for many. I would also suggest you do look at the following sites if you haven't already done so.

http://www.montpellier.fr/   Capital

http://www.nimes.fr/   

http://www.ville-beziers.fr/  2nd city

http://www.decouvrir-l-herault.com/

http://www.the-languedoc-page.com/     in English

http://www.languedocliving.com/    In English

Edited: Sorry Polly, have no idea why I included Nimes in Herault. I'm having one of those half brain days (frequent occurrence). I'll leave the link anyway but Nimes is in the Gard not Herault. In distance however, I think it's closer to Montpellier than Beziers, the dept's second city.

The other towns/larger villages to check out are : Sete, Agde, Pezenas, Marseillan, Meze

[powerdesal]

I can certainly second what pugwash said about the need for 'real seasons'. Constant, or nearly constant, sunshine is a pain. Its great on holiday but............

[InFrance]

[:)] The Herault is a super place to move to!

Great weather, wines, cuisine, sandy mediterranean beaches, countryside, variety of lovely towns & villages ( Tamarissiere, Agde, Beziers, Pezenas etc etc). Plus a very relaxed pace of life!

Some relevant sites to check out are:

http://www.francesouth.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hérault

http://www.herault-tourisme.com

Good Luck!

 

 

 

 

[Equestrian]

When we arrived in France we landed, quite by chance, in the Dordogne and spent 10 very happy years there.

However, we were missing the wild open expanses of the moors and coasts of the Westcountry and so we headed further inland (!!) to the Auvergne/Limousin border where we have mountains closeby, as well as many lakes and river gorges - wonderful wild Auvergne landscapes in addition to the lush farmlands of the Limousin... The best of both worlds for those of us who value the surrounding landscape above all.

But that's not all: we were delighted to discover that the locals hereabouts are even more open and welcoming than in the Dordogne.

So when we have sold our present home (you can see it on our website) we will be staying closeby.

[Ian]

I guess Polly will have picked up that it's going to be a very personal choice - Paris or Perpignan, Vendee or Var, Nice or Nantes, Corsica or Carcassonne, Biarritz or Britany....?

Cooperlola had it right - if you love motor racing Le Mans makes huge sense. Red wine? Try Bordeaux. Surfing? Gotta be Biarritz. Skiing? Alps or Pyrenees. If you work in investment banking, look no further than Paris, the IT industry: Antipolis.

What's your wish list Polly?  Must say that we really enjoyed going through this "Where is best for us"  process - you find out alot about yourself (and France) by asking yourself these types of questions.

[boristhebold]

It was a little simpler for us, we only looked at places that we could afford. That ruled out alot of France and we plumped for the Limousin...second home for the next 8 years but on retirement (at the ripe old age of 49) it'll be a more permanent thing.

Wonder where she picked?

[pugwash]

Wherever Polly went, this thread has been going on so long that by now she has moved in,  raised a family, completed the harvest and is thinking of moving on, so this thread could become a continous loop of Terry Pratchett like proportions and we could all be trapped,,,,,,,,aaargh where's the door

[pepsisue]

Hi Polly

Like you, trying to decide on the best area was hard as everywhere was beautiful. So we decided to  sell up and rent in France  in a very reasonable sous sol (appartment) and take time to look around. The area Midi-Pyrenees is glorious, with rolling hills and beautiful sunsets. We found our house, and with our foot in the door, we could sell and move again if we want. Forunately this area was the right choice and we have made lots of friends french and english.  If you would like to know some more, ask away. LOL.

Regards

Sue