bobin Posted February 4, 2005 Share Posted February 4, 2005 This might have been asked many times before but I would like to know where all the Brits are moving to in France & have the French accepted you!! I was going to Spain but we have had second thoughts has we need to return frequently back to the UK so France would be an Ideal location only thing is I know nothing about France so will be coming for a short break in the next couple of months and just wanted to look around areas where British are already living Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
letrangere Posted February 5, 2005 Share Posted February 5, 2005 I know nothing about France Have you ever been to France? M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joh Posted February 6, 2005 Share Posted February 6, 2005 Re: where is the best place to live in France.With no access to the internet and well away from this lot....Peace onto all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Autismuk Posted February 7, 2005 Share Posted February 7, 2005 [quote]This might have been asked many times before but I would like to know where all the Brits are moving to in France & have the French accepted you!! Where are all the Brits ?Well, all over the place Seriously, there are British everywhere (Franche-Comte maybe ?)One would think historically, Brittany & Normandy and the Dordogne. Growth areas would seem to be the Languedoc & Charente. (this is purely OTOMH), and coming up, the Limousin/Correze bits of Central France.The French will generally accept you if you don't whinge endlessly about the food, the frogs ..... you get the message. The French will accept you if you behave acceptably :-)If you have no idea, then it's a bit of a daft question. Do you like the city or the country ? Do you like the sea or the mountains ? Do you like lots of people or privacy and quiet ? Do you want to work or retire ? Do you want easy access to the UK - by plane or by car ? Do you like outdoor activities, walking, climbing, or are you a bit of a home bird ?It is as daft as "where's the best place to live in the UK ?". Some people like Kensington, some like the Isle of Skye.At the risk of sounding silly, read some books. There are umpteen which will give you some idea of what the various bits of France are like - browing round a big bookstore should give you plenty of first examples. Then maybe do a bit of a "grand tour" of the areas you like the sound of, ideally off season so you know what it's like at its worst.As a wild guess, you talk about wanting to return to the UK, but presumably don't want to fly (umpteen UK-Spain flights), so you may want to look at the Northern "strip", Brittany, Normandy and Picardy ?If you want nice weather what about Morbihan or the Loire - or Charente if you think that's not too far to drive - Sarthe maybe will offer good access to the Channel when they finish the A28 ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llantony Posted February 9, 2005 Share Posted February 9, 2005 [quote]This might have been asked many times before but I would like to know where all the Brits are moving to in France & have the French accepted you!! I find this a bit depressing! I can understand people wanting to live in France because they really like that country, especially if they speak French. You say you know nothing about France - which suggests you have no interest in it!To choose a country because it's nearest England is a bit sad! Why not find somewhere in the UK or Eire? Sorry that sounds a bit grumpy. I love France and it's always depressing to meet people who only went there because houses are cheaper.If you want to know about France there are thousands of books, websites etc to help you choose an area, no-one can do it for you.Anyway, good luck if you decide to make the move, France has got a lot going for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayB Posted February 9, 2005 Share Posted February 9, 2005 [quote]Re: where is the best place to live in France. With no access to the internet and well away from this lot.... Peace onto all.[/quote]Well, certainly a number of them anyway! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furry Knickers Posted February 10, 2005 Share Posted February 10, 2005 The best place to live in France is without doubt and any fear of contraception, Calvados!The cows are so lovely and cuddly with those big come to bed eyes and wonderful temprament, I adore them.The farmers too are so cuddly and have the most wonderful come to bed eyes and their massive tractors really do something to me in a sort of manner that I can't describe on here.The grass is like nowhere else in Europe, I can highly recommend it! And those ever so pretty wooden houses are like little houses made of wood.I can go on and on about Calvados, but I am off for a bit of bat hunting, I love bats, I love balls too!Chuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
le val charente Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 Here in the Charente/Charente Maritime, if you like having easy access to rivers, the coast, and if you plan to fly back to the UK, we are surrounded by 5 airports! 4 Ryanair, and Bordeaux, served by BA, Flybe, Bmibaby and Air France (I think!) Also we are reachable from the Channel ports - (5 hours from St Malo or about 7.5 from Calais).Prices are still not too bad either and there are enough Brits around to make you feel at home in the early stages...Not forgetting the beautiful unspoilt scenery, rich Roman and medieval history, varied wildlife and the mild winters, of course!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
La Sansonniere Posted February 15, 2005 Share Posted February 15, 2005 [quote]Here in the Charente/Charente Maritime, if you like having easy access to rivers, the coast, and if you plan to fly back to the UK, we are surrounded by 5 airports! 4 Ryanair, and Bordeaux, served by...[/quote]I'm not surprised that prices aren't too bad if you have 5 airports nearby !!!Only Joking.. I have friends in that part of france and its lovely. personally I find Normandy a great first choice. I enjoy the same beautiful rolling hills as Northern England and the same temperate climate. it gets as hot as it needs to in the summer. prices are still very decent and a decent spot of land usually accompanies your house. Close enough to the UK by Ferry.like other posters have stated, It depend what you want. To the original poster, i would say the question should really have been"Where's the best place to go on holiday in France?"Its too big a place to generalise, even about each region. take a month out and see a few parts of the country. you'll find somewhere you love sure enoughLee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sprogster Posted February 16, 2005 Share Posted February 16, 2005 What ever you do, when you have found an area you like, ensure you visit there in winter and summer! As you can get a very different perspective.It never ceases to amaze me that many people think that when you are south of the Channel, the weather is some form of tropical paradise!One of the biggest disappointments I pick up from expats in France, is that the weather does not meet their expectations.I have a home on the coast in VAR and compared to the Channel Islands, where I work, it's bl***y cold in winter! Although sunnier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evianers Posted February 16, 2005 Share Posted February 16, 2005 Evian-les-Bains - no doubt about it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
letrangere Posted February 16, 2005 Share Posted February 16, 2005 Sprogster, this is uncanny, for the second time today I find you have taken the words out of my mouth! To the poster, all I can add is don't just visit in winter, rent for at least 2/3 months to get a good feel for the area.M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CFrost Posted February 16, 2005 Share Posted February 16, 2005 HiI agree with everyone's advice, you do need to make a few visits to different areas. We have been going to france for the last eight years around the Languedoc region and originally looked for property there, but we checked out the west coast and yes, you've guessed, we have just purchased in the charente maritime!!! so visiting the different regions at different times of the year is the best advice! Good luck and I hope you find what you are looking for Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turnip Posted February 20, 2005 Share Posted February 20, 2005 I note you recommend renting before buying but where could one find low cost long term rental for the Charante area? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
letrangere Posted February 21, 2005 Share Posted February 21, 2005 Many immobiliers handle long term lets. Why not go to lespagesjaunes.fr (I think it's fr. and not .com), find list of immobiliers in town your interested and see what they have available. Word and mouth is another good route but less feasible if you're still in the UK. M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evianers Posted February 21, 2005 Share Posted February 21, 2005 My sister in law has a very lovely house for long-term rent in the Charente-Maritime area. Many people have availed themselves of the opportunity before buying. Contact[email protected] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wibblywobbly Posted February 21, 2005 Share Posted February 21, 2005 Well we have all been there at some point (thinking about it I mean, not France!).If you haven't been around the place then you should be aware that the climate, scenery and landscape differs vastly depending on where you are heading.Climate wise, anywhere south of the Cherbourg peninsula gets very very hot in summer. How hot you want it depends on how far south you go.Scenery wise, The north is almost identical to southern England. They were joined in the distant past so this isn't surprising. It is temperate, it does rain! The mid France area suits me down to the ground, though the mid summer temperatures can be too much and the mid winter ones quite invigorating!Landscape? NW = Flattish, NW Hillyish, Mid = Flattish, South = Hills and mountains.Roads are excellent everywhere, stay away from cities and traffic jams are a thing of the past.Me? I have a place near Chateaubriant, 180 miles south of Cherbourg. It means that I can get there in 4 hours from Cherbourg and that means that weekends are a practical reality. Don't think that taking up residence in an English enclave is a good idea. Think about what happens in the UK when foreign nationals form their own communities and culture and you will see what I mean. The French love the English who love the French. Remember that much and it will go a long, long way!CheersRob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lane Posted February 22, 2005 Share Posted February 22, 2005 [quote]Well, certainly a number of them anyway![/quote]why did you reply to bobin,it was totaly unhelpful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard-R Posted February 22, 2005 Share Posted February 22, 2005 I'm always suprised and amused that people ( British) are taken aback at how cold it gets in the centre ( not the Dept) of Francein the winter. The best place to live in France in will keep to myself lest we start a cricket team and a cream tea shop lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hegs Posted February 22, 2005 Share Posted February 22, 2005 The thing that amazes me is how quickly the climate can change in a short distance, only a few kms, depending on altitude, closeness to the sea and mountains, which side of a the valley, prevailing winds etc.To be a little more sure it's useful to look pretty closely at the vegetation, farming and the shape of the landscape to see what you can expect all year round.Mind you in the 18 months since we moved here we have had the hottest summer, the wettest spring and right now the coldest winter in at least 40 years or so, according to the locals, so who knows what to expect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave&Olive Posted February 22, 2005 Share Posted February 22, 2005 where is the best place to live in France :- my opinion this is one of the most stupid questions ever posted on this forum..how much money have you? do you want to ski? do you want to bathe in sunshine ? do you want ......... the list is endless only you can answer this question so why post it ???? you cut your cloth , dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patf Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 Perhaps Bobin thinks France is like Spain in that there are certain areas where there's no-one but British people, or other foreigners, and the Spaniards don't seem to mind. France is nothing like that and although there are some areas with more British than elsewhere on the whole they are more scattered about. He should read the thread on Brits in France on the NW France forum. From our experience the French don't mind having a few Anglais around as long as they behave themselves, pay up and keep a low profile. Pat. ps Dave - they seem to prefer the Gallois. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lbannister<P><a target=_blank href="http:www.carolynbannister.com">http:www.carolynbannister.com<A><P> Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 Bourbriac Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
letrangere Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 they seem to prefer the Gallois.I'm so pleased you've mentioned this, Pat, for it's so true. My OH always mentions his Welsh roots when introducing himself to the French and it's always very warmly received. M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave&Olive Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 le pays-de-gaul might be off the french christmas card list after next saturday ...........well we can all hope dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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