Moving to pyrenees orientales/perpignan
Jan 30th 2017, 8:28 pm
#16
Austin. TX.
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 5,930
Re: Moving to pyrenees orientales/perpignan
Hi, just joined group as I saw this and wanted to volunteer a response. Having lived in Vernet les Bains for a few years and then moving to St Cyprien on the coast, I thought I'd share. Firstly, winter in the Pyrenees can be quite brutal, certainly way colder than in UK. Secondly, as we travelled around, we found ourselves very often hopping the border to Spain, generally milder and cheaper for,well, just about everything. The French know it and most border-town residents shop there. Transport, your own, probably a must. Vernet? Too remote. Forget about the history of Brits taking the waters etc. That's been and gone. St Cyprien? Ok if you love the coast but too touristy in warmer months, like a cemetery in cold months and always more expensive - tourist trap. In hind site :- I would buy (or rent) in northern Spain and border hop for visits. Of course there are some lovely places to see but you could save money on day to day expenses living in Spain. Spain:- always milder, always cheaper, easier to communicate too. Good luck.
+1 for border towns..
My slice of heaven would Vielha just on the spanish side of the Pyrenees and right next door to Baqueira-Beret :-)
Feb 28th 2017, 3:32 pm
#17
Just Joined
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 4
Re: Moving to pyrenees orientales/perpignan
Hi, just joined group as I saw this and wanted to volunteer a response. Having lived in Vernet les Bains for a few years and then moving to St Cyprien on the coast, I thought I'd share. Firstly, winter in the Pyrenees can be quite brutal, certainly way colder than in UK. Secondly, as we travelled around, we found ourselves very often hopping the border to Spain, generally milder and cheaper for,well, just about everything. The French know it and most border-town residents shop there. Transport, your own, probably a must. Vernet? Too remote. Forget about the history of Brits taking the waters etc. That's been and gone. St Cyprien? Ok if you love the coast but too touristy in warmer months, like a cemetery in cold months and always more expensive - tourist trap. In hind site :- I would buy (or rent) in northern Spain and border hop for visits. Of course there are some lovely places to see but you could save money on day to day expenses living in Spain. Spain:- always milder, always cheaper, easier to communicate too. Good luck.
