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We are currently researching areas of France to live in and find the info on the forum helpful. The current climate may dictate when we make the move but we will use this year to visit areas of France and hopefully 2010 make the move we intend selling up altogether. We live in northern England so somewhere with milder winters is a must. Any advice much appreciated.
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[quote user="starline"]We are currently researching areas of France to live in and find the info on the forum helpful. The current climate may dictate when we make the move but we will use this year to visit areas of France and hopefully 2010 make the move we intend selling up altogether. We live in northern England so somewhere with milder winters is a must. Any advice much appreciated.[/quote]

Much of Inland France, particularly at altitude is colder than the UK in Winter.

Try the coastal strip north of Perpignan or over by Biarritz, but both areas are expensive. The Mediterranean side is often very windy, and the Atlantic side wet.

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We had a house in the Gers which was lovely but we found it too wet and foggy (118 rain days a year) we are now buying near Pezenas in the Herault (it has 58 rain days) Norman is right about the wind though towards Bezier and Narbonne it get very windy, the Gard is lovely but again if you go towards Nimes the winds pick up. The other thing to think about is access in winter, there are very few fights from the North of England to the South and South west, Liverpool Carcassonne being one and I think you can do Liverpool Nice, even the south of France can have cold winters so even if you slightly better winters than the North of England you need to head south. Welcome to the forum you find it a massive help when house hunting, we did[:)]
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My advice would be take your time, make lots of visits - especially in winter.  It's easy to get a rosy view in summer when the weather is good and everything is open.  It can look a lot different on a cold miserable day, outside the tourist season when lots of places shut up for the winter.  Also consider renting before you buy. 

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You weren't in Gironde in 1985 or 87; down to -15° at night. You wouldn't have dined outside then!

We spent 3 weeks without water in '85; everything was frozen and the water came back through the ceilings after the thaw! We then discovered the waterpipes were buried 30 cms deep as "winters aren't very cold here" so had to start digging to put them another 30cms down!

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The measureof milder is interesting. Pyrenees Orientales can have its exceedingly cold patches (and longer spells of very cold nights) but lots of bright days. Whereas England does long grey wet spells.

 

We bought our place having viewed it when snow was falling in Prades and other villages.  We have visited in February and had a roller coaster week - Sat night on terrace at midnight. Sunday visiting St Martin de Canigou in t-shirts. Monday snowed in (well not quite but the ski-slopes were too windy so we stayed in) rest of the week skiing or snowballing etc.

 

Good luck

 

John

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[quote]Much of Inland France, particularly at altitude is colder than the UK in Winter.[/quote]

Yes but it seems less cold - I think it is a combination of the much longer days* (and therefore substantially more sunshine) and a comparative lack of humidity - above all it's much less grey down here (except in many of the river valleys which can be horribly depressing - damp and foggy). We're at 500-600 metres on the South side of a hill, which is excellent; admittedly, we wouldn't want to be much higher (above 900m it gets really cold) and absolutely not on the North side of a hill where the sun may not be seen for several months.

* the OP doesn't say how far North but, for example, today's hours of daylight:

Newcastle - 7h 21m

Luton (N of London!!) - 7h 58m

Toulouse - 9h 2m

so that's well in excess of an hour and a half of extra daylight (or an hour vis-a-vis "Southerners"), which is worth a lot during the winter (the hours are the other way round during the summer but who needs midnight sun in the summer?).

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As suggested, by the other posters, it is very important you visit your preferred areas of France in all seasons, as many Brits especially those from North England have totally over optimistic expectations as the the Winter weather in France as indeed Jersey! If milder Winters were my most important criteria for moving, I am not sure France would be on the list of countries I would consider.  
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I live in the Charente Maritime in the countryside, inland in a small village but 35 minutes from the sea. Within 40 minutes of Bordeaux and an hour from La Rochelle, which is the second sunniest part of France. Winter can be cold as winters are in the UK but the temperature drops within a 20 minute drive away from me towards the Gironde as I am in a micro climate where I am. I can walk out the door in February and the air changes literally overnight from cold to warm, usually its cold from the end of October/ Nov to end of Feb/ March, the sunshine and warmth are pretty much guarunteed for the best part of the year then, at least 8 months. However, as much as I enjoy the weather I had to return to the UK for work and am looking now to buy a flat in London or maybe outside and have to sell my house to raise a deposit, as I am not of retirement age yet so have no pension to live on. My plans of a business didnt work out but its been a big lesson and journey of discovery. I plan to go back at a later date godwilling. Deciding the best place to advertise and sell my home is where im at...can anyone recommend a good agent SW or UK?
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Why would Pip want to advertise his house in Corsica? 

Unless I've misunderstood, he's trying to sell it and buy a flat in London [8-)]

EDIT, that'll teach me not to read the whole thread, I see now that you were aiming at the OP, not Pip.

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I was replying to th OP who is looking for part of France with mild winters. Sorry for the confusion.

As for recommending an estate agent in France ... I have limited (but recent) experience having bought and/or sold 6 times in the last 5 years here .... no I can't think of an estate agent I would recommend. Sorry. Again.

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  • 4 weeks later...
Thankyou all for the info, will read the web sites as suggested. We live 15mls north of Newcastle in the beautiful northumberland countryside and only about 5 miles from the coast. I suppose we are looking for similar surroundings but with less rain and a bit more sunshine. We did consider Spain but felt France may give us more security in the housing market and as motorhomers we have travelled and intend to keep on travelling around areas of France both in Summer and Winter to give us an insight into French life.   
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Hello starline - I come from about 15 miles north of Newcastle too, but right on the beautiful Northumberland coast. I do miss it [:(]

This is just to ask you to be realistic about the winter weather in France. We've just had a horrendous tempest which has done a lot of damage. Also it gets much colder here than it does on the Northumberland coast. We've had a lot of rain lately and the ground is very wet and muddy. I suppose we do get more sunshine here though, as today.

On balance, for me, I would choose Northumberland. Fancy a swap?

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[quote user="Ian"]How about the cote d'azur or (coastal) Corsica.
[/quote]

 

Sorry Ian

I know you are trying to sell the dream, but frankly if the OP takes you at your word (s)he is going to be likely disappointed.

 

To start with most of PACA is mountains and currently under a blanket of snow as most  years.  Bouche du Rhone (Depatement 13) is notorious for the Mistral - a very cold strong and persistent northerly wind which blows straight down the Rhone valley and out into the Med.  I have pictures of Marseille this winter (exceptional I know) with the salt water harbour beginning to freeze and snowboarding and skiing down the streets of the city centre.

 

So that kinda leaves Nice.

 

 

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Not True Andy !!!

"To start with most of PACA is mountains and currently under a blanket of snow as most  years."

Have lived in the Vaucluse for the past 6 years and it is only the second time we have had snow. The snow lasted for less than a week, at the moment the temperatutre is 15 degrees.

"Bouche du Rhone (Depatement 13) is notorious for the Mistral - a very cold strong and persistent northerly wind which blows straight down the Rhone valley and out into the Med."

Sure the Mistral blows throughout western Provence not just in B.du R., this past winter we have had very little and it certainly doesn't deter people from living here, the house prices being some of the highest in France which continue to hold their value............even in Le Crunch. In the summer months, as the thunder storms build, the Mistral is our air conditioning system, it blows away all the clouds and humidity and provides weeks of exceptional warm/hot dry weather.

"but frankly if the OP takes you at your word (s)he is going to be likely disappointed". I don't think so........well certainly not on the points you have made !

Regards

Wilko

PS Just reread your post, and Ian suggested the Cote d'Azur to which there is a great deal more than Nice and..........it doesn't have the Mistral, though that is an udue worry.

 

 

 

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We are leaving for Portugal end of March, then hope to travel round the Gascony area for ideas before returning home. We visited Corsica last year the locals not as friendly as in France. We have snow and its bitterley cold at the moment, however the rest of the country is in a state of panic because of weather running out of grit/salt for roads. We never seem to cope when we get  a bit of snow but there again do we just like to moan!
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[quote user="starline"]We never seem to cope when we get  a bit of snow but there again do we just like to moan![/quote]

In that respect, please don't expect it to be any different in France!  The French, too, like a drama and a catastrophe to moan about and are useless at dealing with anything out of the ordinary.  [:D]

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Far from "selling the dream" I figured I was helping the OP who searches for a warm French winter retreat.

Arguably European France doesn't really posses one - maybe head for Guadalupe or Martinique.

But to the best of my knowledge the cote d'azur and Corsica come closest to ticking that box (along with coastal Roussillon which had already been suggested)

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[quote user="Ian"]Arguably European France doesn't really possess one - maybe head for Guadalupe or Martinique.

[/quote]

If you mean doesn't possess any region with a "nice" climate all year round, I'd go along with that, Ian.   Not sure I'd fancy Guadaloupe or Martinique either, mind.  [:)]

Cue people arguing for their various regions' climates/microclimates.  Or see previous threads on subject and copy the same over.  [8-|]

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We live in Deux Sevres dept 79 and we chose here as in our research prior to moving to France it was stated that it was in a micro climate. I must admit that we did not get the dreadful storms that further south had a couple of weeks ago, we had rain and wind but nothing compared with the tales I have heard from some folk further south. Three days of sunny weather here and not too cold now although we had a few days early January when it was eight below freezing. Winter in France is winter, the same as in England but even here the summers are hot ( sometimes too hot for me ) We are in a rural area but only just over one hour from La Rochelle which is a stunning place, Cognac is only an hour away, Royan slightly further and all airports to go to UK are within a decent driving distance La Rochelle and Limoges being the closest. I agree with others, visit many areas before deciding as it is not just the weather as other things must meet your needs as well.
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