iandalton1

We are considering moving to France with our two children and we are curious to know of any family friendly towns/villages near Montpellier. I'd also be interested in hearing just how difficult it is finding work (Accounts) if your french is below par.

Any suggestions welcome.

dmu

I live in the Hérault, about 1 1/2 hrs from Montpellier. Unfortunately I'm going away tomorrow for a few days and haven't got time to reply. Will post later if no one has replied by then, at least concerning the MTP area. I'm sure other BEs elsewhere in France will comment on the difficulty in finding work, which is a national problem.

dmu

Quick post before I leave to suggest going on www.montpellier.fr and www.montpellier-agglo.com for info on the town and surrounding communes. Click on "Communauté d'Agglomération" on the latter site, then "31 communes", and you can access each commune around MTP. I haven't checked, but they may tell you about activities for children.

elaines

We live in the Aude, near Narbonne, but would like to move to be nearer to Montpellier.

One of the nicest villages just outside of Montpellier that we have discovered in Maugio - it is a thriving village with absolutely all amenities for families, including a college (secondary school), skate park, sports facilities including swimming pool. The good thing about it as well is that it's only a 10 minute drive to Montpellier - one of the most appealing cities in France.

With regard to work - that's always going to be difficult if you don't speak French. My husband is a qualified accountant in the UK (his qualifications don't count in France by the way) and cannot find appropriate work here although his French is better than he thinks it is. We, in the end, have set up our own internet-based property advertising business (an English site) and even we require those who could potentially work for us to be English/French speakers - not that easy to come by.

The trouble with learning the language is that you need to be immersed in it to "hear" it and to communicate effectively and you won't be able to do that until you live here, so telling you to learn French before you come is not very useful. Yes, you can learn some basic French but it wouldn't be enough to land yourself a job with a French accountancy company I'm afraid. We've been here six years (3 kids now 14, 12 and 9) and we still struggle to deal with phone calls and the tax office etc. The kids now help us out as they are fluent (took about 18 months for that to happen).

Whatever your decision, just be prepared that unless you can support yourselves financially without having to be employed, you could well be in for a bumpy ride.

Good luck.

ElaineS

dmu

I've driven through Mauguio and it seems a good place to live, but a 10 minutes' drive away from MTP is a bit optimistic in normal traffic! You must also count the time wasted trying to find a central car park with a space free. So a village or small town with a tram- or buslink would be advisable for when you want to go into MTP. Click on "Transports' on the second website that I've already mentioned, to see the tram and bus network.
I imagine the best thing to do is to come down for a holiday to look around and get the general feel, but the problem of earning your living is the first thing to settle. Bonne chance!

iandalton1

All replies have been very much appreciated. We are planning to have a trip over in September and see a few areas and will take all advice on board - certainly sounds like finding work will be a struggle. Good food for thought.
Thanks

Roon

How did your trip go?

I live a few minutes from Mauguio and when I first visited it, like you as research for areas to live, I found it very charming. A big Spanish community has influenced the village and seems a bit different from other villages around here.

If it is still on your hitlist check that the new TGV line isn't running through your garden. Property prices in Mauguio dropped for a while because of the new TGV line running straight past it and really bad flooding a few years ago. Maybe the train has been re routed. I do not know.

I bought a 70's house in Castries which is a really nice village just a few miles north of Mauguio. It's on a hill with a chateau dominating the town. The chateau is being renovated now and the knock on effect is that most of the town is protected so that the view from the chateau goes unchanged. Well that's the theory. There are certainly a lot fewer lotisements around Castries.

Very few houses for sale here and has been the case for years.

I moved here with the family 6 years ago and have no regrets but it was not easy. I spent 2 years looking for a new career and found it and now have set up my own business painting and decorating.

Good luck with the hunting. If I can be of further guidance in Herault let me know.

iandalton1

Thank you for your comments - very kind of you to take the time. To be honest we've had a number of people telling us how difficult it is to find work as a foreign worker. This has led to us thinking carefully about making the move and whether the time is right with the markets as they are.

I have a feeling it may take some time before we have the courage to make the move! Thanks again for the advice which I will keep in mind.

Take care

Ian