50 Facts for Living in France

[letrangere]

Those of you that read LF magazine, what did you think of the little supplement that came with the August edition?  I thought it was excellent and would suggest that Forum Admin posts it somewhere on the Forum.  Questions included:-

1.  Language Skills:  "...Bearing in mind that it takes a long time to reach the high level of fluency needed to work in France; do not expect to pick up the language just by living there."

2.  Social Customs:  "The French are far more formal than might be imagined;..."

3.  Employment Prospects:  "Work is not easy to find in rural areas and evel less so in towns and cities, particularly without fluent French."

And so it goes until, an invaluable bite size guide to the all important basics.  Well done.

M

[Miki]

HI M,

And just how much of the info came from these very forums I wonder

I haven't read it by the way but by your examples, it could only have come from someone with a fair knowledge of living and working in France or...................

[letrangere]

"And just how much of the info came from these very forums I wonder "

I had similar wonderings myself, Miki.  Here are a few more:

19 Buying property:  "French property values tend to increase in line with inflation, which means you need to own for at least three years to recoup purchasing costs."

27 Running a car:  "The cost of running a car (insurance, taxes, petrol, servicing, etc) in France is very high compared to the UK."  Is that true?  It's been yonks see we ran a car in England.

49  Cost of living:  "The cost of living in France will depend on personal circumstances and lifestyle."  (Now where have we read that before?)  "However, it should not be underestimated; social security contributions, income tax and other indirect charges make French taxes some of the highest in the EU."  

M

 

[Graham & Brenda]

Car costs? Haven't needed mine serviced yet but insurance and diesel are cheaper and no road tax. So why do they think it's more expensive?

Puzzled,

Graham

[Joh]

Wow, you have the August issue already?

Us, just being mere mortals on the mailing list are still in eager anticipation...

Terry

[letrangere]

Terry, I'm a mere mortal on the mailing list too and my copy comes a very circuitous route as it's posted to my company's London office address before being DHLd to me overseas when the kind secretary there has time.  M

[Quillan]

Don't ypu mean Septembers? I got mine about a week ago and no we don't get special delivery as we are moderators.

[RayB]

[quote]Car costs? Haven't needed mine serviced yet but insurance and diesel are cheaper and no road tax. So why do they think it's more expensive? Puzzled, Graham[/quote]

**So why do they think it's more expensive?**

It is less expensive by far here than in the UK. I have ALL of our property, including a £2500 electric mobility scooter, is fully insured for less that the car insurance cost in the UK and that was with a clean record. Tires cost about the same and fuel is considerably cheaper. 'Service' for your car is a rip-off in the UK. I have always kept track of what should be done and when and simply tell the garage what I want done. You can save a lot of money that way.

Another way to save money is never use a car dealership! Try to find a local, independent garage and develop a working relationship. If that isn't possible, get 3 written quotes from chain auto repair places and then take the lowest quote to the highest priced place and they will honor your lowest price. Works like a charm.

[Fantine<br><br><br><br>Susie]

[quote]Car costs? Haven't needed mine serviced yet but insurance and diesel are cheaper and no road tax. So why do they think it's more expensive? Puzzled, Graham[/quote]

Possibly because France is that much bigger and you have to travel further afield just to get around to basic services/visiting?

[letrangere]

Fantine makes a really good point.  Double checked and the booklet came with the August edition featuring Normandy on the cover.  M