Evian vs Thonon-les-Bains

[Amby]

My husband and I are considering moving to France at some stage in our future. We would like to be near Lac Leman. Two towns that look possible are Evian and Thonon. It's been quite difficult to find much detailed info on either of these places and therefore to decide which may suit us best!

We are a young couple but my husband is early-retired due to a lifelong medical condition. So finding somewhere near work is not a requirement. Also we have no children so being near a school is not necessary. We intend to have dogs, so a dog-friendly place is essential!

We don't want to be remote, just a bit of peace and quiet.

If anyone has any information at all about either of these places, or experience of living there, it would be much appreciated.

[Evianers]

 

 

 

 

We have had a property in Evian for the last 10 years. What would you like to know

[Amby]

Thank you for your reply.

It would be useful to know about the safety aspect/crime level in that particular area. Do you feel you can walk around safely at night or is it about the same as in Britain, in that you need to exercise caution?

What is the predominant style of property in Evian - is it the lovely Alpine chalets, or is there a mixture of all different types?

What are the laws there on being allowed to protect yourself/family from an attacker? If for example someone should break into your house in the middle of the night, what action can you legally take? (I hope it doesn't sound like a strange question, it's just that if we don't gain the basic right to protect ourselves and loved ones then we would need to rethink if France is right for us)

If this isn't too personal a question, what attracted you to Evian?

[Missy]

[quote]We have had a property in Evian for the last 10 years. What would you like to know[/quote]

Hello Evianers

Have you been to Morzine on your let's-wander-around-the-place days ?

There used to be a hotel called Le Dahu... Does it still exist?... I used to work there many summers and moons ago and had a most fabulous time around there, Avoriaz, Thonon, Evian etc... even took the ferry to Lausanne from Evian one day but thought the Swiss are far too tidy and organised for my liking... and not very humourous!...

So long ago!

[Alexis]

I asked my husband if you were allowed to shoot people who enter your house uninvited and he said no.

You are not allowed to lay traps either.  If they accidentally kill or injure someone, you are in big trouble.

You still might be better protected here with nice strong shutters or with the bars on the windows.  I imagine us foreigners think of these are deterrants but the French burglar is probably used to them.  The Outlaws have everywhere locked up automatically from a central switch.  Before this, burglars got in through the garage during the day whilst my FIL was in his study.

He never heard a thing.

[Missy]

[quote]Thank you for your reply. It would be useful to know about the safety aspect/crime level in that particular area. Do you feel you can walk around safely at night or is it about the same as in Britain...[/quote]

Amby

You seem to me a tad worried (won't use the big word starting with P!)

about safety...

Evian is probably the most safest place you can imagine!.

People go there to take the waters! What is dangerous in that!! ??? They are all tucked up in bed by 10 so the streets are yours at night...

You may get the odd petty crime but nothing on the scale of what you would encounter in a very large city such as London or Paris or New York which from your writing seems to be what you have in mind....

If you want safety then Evian is your place.

As to architecture ... In the town I can't remember seeing 'chocolate box' swiss chalets. More the type of town architecture which is all over France.

Thonon is quite nice and Morzine is really nice too and as safe as you possibly want. Though you are going up and away from the lake if it's the lake that attracts you.

[Evianers]

Morning everyone

Yes, we have been to Morzine, as well as most of the super, clean little alpine villages - wonderful not only in winter if one is a skier but also in the summer for mountain walks.

We have slowly and surely learned that nowhere is actually paradise: Switzerland used to be just that 30-35 years ago [if you shut your eyes and ears to interfering neighbours and petty restrictions all over the option] but this too has changed drastically. That's progress, nothing remains static.

So we tend to agree that Evian and even Thonon are clean, safe, attractive places, albeit it rather on the expensive side. Evian of course has the most spectacular views of both the lake and the mountains - but don't tell anyone else! Having lived all over the world on three continents, we are very, very fussy about many aspects and Evian just about fulfilled all of the criteria - or as one tends to say nowadays, ticked all the right boxes.

Just taken out Assurance Vie in readiness for our final move there end 2006. Can't wait.

Have a good day.

[Amby]

[quote]I asked my husband if you were allowed to shoot people who enter your house uninvited and he said no. You are not allowed to lay traps either. If they accidentally kill or injure someone, you are in...[/quote]

Oh darn! So criminals are a protected species in France too, eh?

Thank you for answering my question though! It sounds like it's a case of the onus being on us [the homeowner] to lock ourselves safely away in a fortress-like manner!

missyesbut, you can use the 'p' word if you like! 

Deep down though, surely we all want the same thing - just the simple right to feel safe?

Evian does sound really nice and is certainly high on our list right now. Obviously we will visit there at some stage and have an explore. I've also tried to find out as much as I can from books/the net, but there are certain things books won't tell you - that's where this forum comes in very useful!

Thanks!

[Teamedup]

Amby there are very cheap flights in to Geneva from all over the UK. And more in the winter season. Why don't you go and look and maybe seeing the places in autumn and winter will show you what it is like for a good part of the year.

Crime is everywhere. I don't know whether there is less around Thonon or Evian as it is quite affulent around there.

[Joh]

Alexis wrote

"I asked my husband if you were allowed to shoot people who enter your house uninvited and he said no."

So you have to invite them in before you can shoot them ?

Answer to criminals. large dog or tape recording of same on a loop.

Terry

[Jon 1]

Amby,

You are allowed to carry electric stun guns, knives, pepper spray and Mace, even outside your home in France.  I think you are also permitted a non automatic shotgun without a licence, but I could be wrong in this latter point.  I honestly think you will be considerably safer in your chosen location than most places in the UK.  However, I believe that you should always take precautions and have contingencies wherever you are in the world.  You can always fight your corner with the law, should the need arise.  A dead victim cannot!! 

Jon

[Amby]

Thank you to all who replied, both on and off list. It has helped us to build up an initial picture of Evian and we will of course follow it up with a visit there in the near future.

My husband has had the idea that we could drive there! There is a great website where you type in your starting point and destination and it works out a fully detailed route! It said it was around 11 hours I think so we would do it with an overnight stop. (With all the relevant insurance and breakdown cover of course!)

I hope there are plenty of restroom stops on French motorways!

[Teamedup]

Easyjet is opening even more routes into Geneva too.

 

Re driving down, depends where you are starting from really. We like to cross late afternoon to Calais and drive down to Reims and stop there, well at Tinqueux just as you get to Reims. We always fill up at Carrefour at Tinqueux too as it is a lot cheaper than filling up on the autoroute. Then it is a very comfortable drive which would take us about five to six hours to get to Geneva from Reims. We always stop every two hours and stretch our legs etc. Yes there are lots of Aire on the motorways, many with just parking, picnic places and loos and plenty of others that offer catering and sometimes hotels too.

Don't forget your E111's then.

[Evianers]

Of course, we drive down from Belgium, not from the UK but on the peages there are many Aires with green spaces and picnic tables. The loos in the smaller ones are [for the ladies, excuse this gents] the splash your feet variety - but then it saves on cleaners. Don't wear long trousers of a light colour!

[Teamedup]

Which way do you drive down Evianers. I realise that you could go via Germany and save on toll charges. We always try and manage to get onto that stretch of the autoroute from Liege to Bastogne, just south of Liege and just north of Bastogne is one of the most beautiful drives I know of, I love it. We have yet to holiday there, but we will.

[Evianers]

How we wish we could see the names of all the kind and friendly people who write on the forum, but since our computer has been 'upgraded' we can no longer see the names of subscribers - very frustrating. But whoever you are, thank you for your interest. We drive Antwerp-Bruxelles-Namur-Luxembourg-Thionville-Metz-Strasbourg-Colmar-Basel-Lausanne. But because there are major roadworks between Namur and Metz at the moment, we decided next Saturday we will drive via Charleroi-Reims. Makes a change and who knows, maybe the aires even have non-splash-your-feet loos on this route!

Have a good Friday.

[Teamedup]

TeamedUp here, it was me who asked which route you took. We have often used the route you mentioned, until we discovered that very beautiful part of Wallonie and always use that way now even though it means a detour.  Unless we would be covering it at night and wouldn't see it then we chose the quickest.

I would imagine that going via Reims might be the quickest for you really.

[Kayjay<P> <P><P>"Passer sa vie à lutter contre la connerie est le meilleur procédé pour mourir dépuisement."<P>]

Just to set the record straight, the gun regulations in France are as follows - there are, inevitably in France, a whole raft of categories, but the salient points are:

No licence orother documentation required to buy or own:

• coshes, daggers, bayonets, crossbows
• starting pistols
• CO2/airguns up to 10 joules (this equates to roughly 7.5 ft/lbs, ie lower than the UK limit)
• black powder handguns and rifles (not exceeding .75 calibre!!), which are "Copies fidèles" of ancient arms

Have to produce identity card or passport to purchase, but no licence required (although they should be registered with the police after purchase):

• Competition or "hobby" rifles (non-military in appearance) - .22 calibre
• Compressed air/gas guns above 10 joules
• Weapons of self-defense firing non-metallic projectiles (tear-gas, rubber bullets etc)

With a hunting permit or shooting licence (both easy, but not cheap, to get):

• single- or double-barrelled shotguns, repeater or semi-auto
• hunting rifles, whether single-shot, repeater or semi-auto

For the rest you need an APAD (firearms certificate), issued not more than 90 days previously, from the Prefecture:

• military rifles and handguns, semi- or fully-automatic
• small- and large-calibre handguns
• shotguns - pump-action, repeaters over 10 shots, semi-auto above 3 shots
• shotgun canes

In all cases you must be over 18.

A curious mix of bed-fellows in some cases!