LadyBell

@Cyrian - thanks I'm going to check that out now. Would love to join a local group.

@Jebbles-thanks for all the info! Asking about location to get more details on transport. We know we'd like to be close to the kids school, but I'm not sure about living in the city. I've heard it can be very lively and crowded. I like the peace and quiet of the suburbs and country but would still like to be near a good boulangerie. We will do more looking around once we arrive. Is traffic bad in the Centre (mind you I'm from Los Angeles so my idea of traffic may be different hehehehe!)

@EurooTrash and All Reading this thread - I have hear back from the Embassy in Washington D.C. and they have confirmed that we are okay to apply for our tourist visa while working remotely.

From the Embassy
"You are allowed to work remotely for a US company, that pays you into a US bank account, in USD, if you are not working for any French clients."

We're all very excited and can't wait to start our adventure. I'll continue to stay on these boards. But want to thank everyone for their comments and help!

Tweedpipe

As you stated, please stay on these boards - especially this French forum. So many newbies after arrival rapidly disappear without trace, leaving us wondering months/years later whether their dream worked out or ended in nightmares. I trust for you it will be the former as you appear to be doing the necessary research prior to the move. Good luck!

cyrian

@ LadyBell
Tours is nothing like LA.
Driving from St Avertin to Tours centre is slow single file.
Parking is insufficient whereas the local bus services are generally good and the tramway (which doesn't serve St Avertin is every 5-7 minutes at peak times. There are park and ride facilities in several locations.
Unlike the USA, public transport is used by everyone. I haven't used public transport in LA but I have used the BART in San Francisco.
HTH

petitefrancaise

my brief look around the internet suggests that the authorities basically turn a blind eye to a "visitor" to France working remotely for a non-french company, geting paid into a bank account outside France, provided you can demonstrate sufficient resources to live on when you enter France. A few places mention the 1 year limit. I'm guessing it's impossible to police effectively.

EuroTrash

Yes - that's good to know because Brits might be in this position soon

Jebbles

Hi @LadyBell

Sorry for the belated response, I hadn't seen the reply. If you want to look at the transport network type filbleu Tours into google and you'll find the bus/tram network information and there is a map so you can see where the different routes go. Depending on where you are in the communes you'll find that the transport is not the same. This won't help for the summer but there is a new tram line being opened in 2024 which will go to the Trousseau hospital if you decide to stay longer term. Buses are fairly frequent during the day but do stop quite early (I've got about half 10 in my head, but this will of course depend on where you are going to). The tram system is excellent and continues later, though we don't actually live close to one yet (looking forward to the new one opening!). There is a good taxi system which is always an option for an evening out if you don't want to take the car.

To give an idea for travel time by car, it takes us about 15-20 minutes to get into the town centre by car from where we live in Chambray. Free parking isn't particularly easy in the centre as a lot of people do use their cars, but as well as on-street parking (can be hard to find places in the evening once it's free), there are a couple of free car parks near the river and there are also large pay to stay car parks too. I have no experience of the USA system but my opinion on cars likely differs from Cyrian's as we moved here from Paris where nobody uses cars if they can help it so I was actually surprised by how little traffic there was here and the frequency with which my colleagues took their cars! People tended to complain if a traffic jam lasted about 5-10 minutes (of stop/start, not stationary) and it's only as you get into the city that you start getting held up :-D

As far as the question of city centre or suburbs - we have two good boulangeries a few minutes walk from our house so it's not because you live out of the city centre that you won't have access. Each commune will generally have its own little town centre with stuff like a boulangerie etc. Google would again be your friend in this case as you can check this out, though I seem to recall having heard about at least one good boulangerie in St Avertin. I've got a colleague who lives in the 2 lions district and they don't have any there though there is a shopping centre! The more complicated part regarding the city centre is if you want to be central then you'll mostly be looking at flats and I'm not sure how well placed the houses would be compared to the actual city bit. Budget will obviously not be the same either. Just a friendly word of warning that there is a lot of new build going on in the les fontaines area which is, to my knowledge, at risk of flooding! I think it's more flats though so I'm not sure that it fits with what you were looking at.

LadyBell

@Cyrian, thanks for the public details. So it sounds like parents & children ride the bus everywhere! It would be nice not to have to drive, I don't mind it but I'm getting a bit tired of commuting. I think it will come down to the school we decide on for the kids. We both worked from home so we want to live close to the school we are looking at Notre Dame La Riche, Marmoutier and St Etienne. I am not a personal fan of public transport, have commuted via Bart in SF previously and hated, in LA only commuted as public transit is a sad joke (though I'v heard they'll be making improvements in preparation for the olympics in 2028)

@Jebbles, thank you so much for the details. I tend to find that traffic is a very subjective term, depending on what you're used to, so we'll learn more as we get there but I gather we won't find it too bad. Good to know about the taxis for nights out, I'm sure my husband and I will want to get out for some alone time it'll be nice knowing we can grab one after hours. I'm going to continue checking on google for amenities in different areas and try and narrow it down to a few neighborhoods if I can. Although I suspect nothing convinces a person like seeing it for oneself.

Thanks!

cyrian

if you decide on Notre Dame La Riche then you would be better living on the north side of the Loire.
If you decide on Marmoutier then it would be best served by car although there is a good bus service.
Perhaps look at Rochecorbon.
For St. Etienne then St Avertin would be best.
I am not a great fan of french taxis. I used to use them frequently until they let me down leaving me with a 40 minute walk.
In my experience, a taxi service can almost disappear on public holidays ( of which there are many) - this has happened twice to me in France.
I also find them expensive compared to the UK.
The bus service and tramway are good and you will be happy using them.
It costs around €1.40 for 1 hour of travel (including connections) i.e. If you change from bus to tram then it is still one journey.
The buses stop around 8.30 - 9.00 at night but the tram continues until after midnight.
Notre Dame La Riche is a few blocks from "Les Halles" - the superb indoor market next to the "Old Town" and is served by several bus routes.
Have a look at Google street view. you can look at the old town if you search for "Place Plumereau".
HTH

Chatter Static

Sundays Saturdays and Mondays can be an issue round here and if you go too far they charge you for their return with a empty car and if it's after 7pm double the price. Around here all the taxi firms are medical taxi's as well which allows them to be very picky with normal taxi work.

If you want a night out a hotel room is cheaper than a taxi around here.

Sukahutan

Don't mean to hijack this thread but wanted to say thanks for all the good info on here. I currently live in Les Deux Sevres with my 14 year old son who is struggling somewhat with school and being a teenager - we live very rural, he has type 1 diabetes too just to make life interesting! I have decided that we shall move to Tours later this year, straight after his brevet and we favour Chambray, we are both keen fishermen and the lake is beautiful! I have just started looking for a lycée, somewhere to rent and then work, which at the moment, all seems a daunting task but I know that getting to a town where my boy can grow and be with other teenagers will do him the world of good. So, grateful of any advice.

Tweedpipe

Welcome to the forum!
You may wish to open a new subject on this same French forum entitled simply, 'Moving to Tours - Info required' or similar . I feel you will get wider coverage and hopefully more advise tailored to your precise situation.
Good luck.

cyrian

Hi Sukahutan,
Have a look at this site:
Schools in Tours
Check out bus and tram routes for access to shops and schools.
HTH

Sukahutan

Hi Tweedpipe,
Thanks for the welcome, I shall; start a new thread.

LadyBell

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to give you an update on our Visa situation, as I promised to stay on these boards.

We went for our in person appointment with VFS Global in San Francisco (the 3rd party service being used in the US to process Visas instead of going to the consulate). It took much longer than we expected and was not pleasant (to keep it short).

We just received our year long Vistor Visas in the mail AND have also been exempted from needing to check in at the OFII upon our arrival. I had never heard of such an exemption in my research but I feel very relieved that we've received this given all the crazy things I've read can happen there. Our visas are valid from July 2019 to July 2020 we plan to renew during Q1 of next year, we are all very excited and looking forward to whats to come.

A refresher on our situation: US family of 5 (2 parents + 3 young children) moving from US to Tours, both parents work from home for US tech companies and will live and work in France for US companies while there on Vistor Visa. Kids will attend a local private school and we will hire a nanny for our youngest. At this point we do not have an apartment but have AirBnB rented for first 3 months. We'll be looking for a rental as soon as we get there.

Thanks!

cyrian

Congratulations on the visa and best of luck for the move.
I will send you a PM