living abroad-France

Though we love to vacation in France the topic has come up recently about living abroad part or full time in retirement. Any general words of wisdom regarding making a home in France? (language concerns, budget, preferable locations/regions to live,etc.) Anyone presently living there will help by noting their observations or experiences. We would prefer a warmer clime, not mountainous, not in a city but open to living near one, not too isolated but tend toward a quiet lifestyle. If someone has answered questions like this before apologies but this is the first on this forum.

Thank you ahead of time.

|||

first thing you should look into is the visa situation, unless of course you have EU citizenship somewhere. I dont know what hoops you have to go through to permanently live there.

|||

here%26#39;s a fairly recent thread about buying an apartment. it also has lots of info from folks about getting the proper visa/paperwork.

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187147-i14-k36824…

|||

Living for months on end in France is very different from enjoying a vacation. If you appreciate and enjoy nearly every aspect of the language, culture, history and people, you will also deal with long-stay visas, healthcare, transfering funds and family far away.

Being able to travel back and forth frequently is my ideal, whichever country I live in. A lot of interesting ideas about this were brought up around six weeks ago.

|||

I would highly recommend that you try it for a year first. Do a house swap, rent a place, what ever it takes to see if the reality is what you had imagined.

Sounds like you%26#39;d be happiest in the south. Perhaps near Aix, Marseille, or Nice (Intl) airport.

Cultural adjustments, paperwork and entertaining house guests will keep you very busy that first year.

|||

.... recommend that you try it for a year first. Do a house swap, rent a place, what ever it takes to see if the reality is what you had imagined.

Practical info and thank you to all for suggestions.

|||

.... recommend that you try it for a year first. Do a house swap, rent a place, what ever it takes to see if the reality is what you had imagined.

That really is great advice! When I was working in France I met an American couple that decided to sell everything they owned and retire in France. And after about a year, they were ready to go back to the States. So, make a slow transition rather then jumping all in!