seajay2uk

Hello everyone I would like to ask for advice please.My husband has been suffering with Bronchial problems for years now and it is getting worse as he gets older.Our doctor has told him that it is our weather here in Scotand and he is worse during Frost. The doctor has now asked him to consider moving now to a warmer climate.He is in good health until the frost comes.We would like to find out about France where is the warmest places in winter what about the Health care etc.I am 56 Hubby 59 so we need to know these things.Also house prices are they good compared to UK.Any other factors we have to consider that you ca think off.We are in a position that we can make a move as all our family have grown and Hubby is now retired.
Cathy

Ka Ora!

These days here there is no guarantee of good warmer weather all year around, This year and last year people were skiing on the beach near Perpignan. Also funny enough my dad lives nr Malaga in Spain and the kids got to make Snow men this year.

seajay2uk

Ka Ora thank you and yes you are right.We did watch recently a football match in Spain and it was snowing there so I hear what you are saying.

I do think we need to consider that in the South of France it may be even slightly better than our harsh Scottish weather.

This is not going to an easy choice and there are other places we could choose but Hubby has decided he would like France.He knows so many people who have been and love it although they do not live there they were on holiday.

Once we find out some information and places that may be suitable we will then go for a long holiday in that area and see if we feel it is the right place for us to be. We also thought of long winter lets but my husband would rather just move especially if it is going to improve his quality of life.
Cathy

Blackladder

Hi Seajay2UK, welcome to the forum,

If your husband's problem is not related to humidity rather than cold, the south west of France could be a good idea. It hardly ever gets as hot as the Mediterranean side (although July/August can get pretty hot), mainly due to the breezes from the Bay of Biscay, and in winter it certainly never gets as cold as the UK (exceptionally there is snow in Charente, hardly ever in Charente Maritime). House prices are more favourable than most other parts of France, as long as you stay away from the larger cities like Bordeaux, or the touristy areas like Cognac. How's your French by the way, it is important. KaOra is a mine of information, and the rest of us can try and pass on tips and answer your questions.
Blackie

seajay2uk

Thank you and I will be pleased for any information.We were told that his coughing is due to the drop in temperature as the air pressure changes and also the humidity but we know as soon as the cold damp weather comes it starts.

We know also there is so much to think about and we have now duscussed this with our family who are all for us going where we decide and know we have their support.As for French we have none but would be getting a private tutor to help us with the language.I would not want to go to France with no French as I would like the people we meet to know we are trying very hard to learn their language .Do you know of any good software that would also help we were thinking of Rosatta Stone.
Cathy

Blackladder

Hi again,

One that has been given very good reviews here is Michel Thomas's French Course (available from Amazon).
Blackie

seajay2uk

Thank you I will have a look at it.
Cathy

dennerlymum

Having lived in scotland (stirling and glasgow) for several years and now living in the south west of france, I aml pretty qualified to answer this...
So in very general terms you will find the weather in the SW of France warmer and generally drier than in Scotland. Winters in particular will be MUCH shorter; but when winter does arrive it can be at least as cold as parts of scotland. In certain areas to it can be quite damp; so you will need to do your research.

House prices vary enormously from town to town and region to region; so we cannot easily generalise; certainly the bargains of yesteryear are more difficult to find, but it is still generally a bit cheaper here than in the uk

Health careis generally excellent here ; you should be able to access a carte vitale for 2 initial years based on NI contributions in the uk; after that I am noit sure.

Hope this is some help; as others have mentioned, Ka Ora is a mine of info too.

cyrian

Hi Cathy
London and northern France are consistently about 5deg warmer than central Scotland. The south of France can be warmer again. Many areas are drier than Scotland i.e. you dont tend to get the days and days of rain that we get. My experience is that winter is shorter in France and you get seasons rather than the weather that you get in west Scotland.
How is your husband's condition in very hot weather of say 30 ++ degrees?
People with breathing problems can suffer in the very hot summers that are possible in the south.
If you leave the UK then you strictly speaking run out of NHS cover fairly soon - search this site - there have been threads about this. You will be covered by the E101?? health card but I dont think that that includes GPs and certainly not medicines. You will not be covered by the french health service [see dennerlymum reply] until I think that you are 65 and they don't make it easy to get the Carte Vitale. You may have to purchase top-up medical insurance as do the french. Again search this forum for previous posts.
The exchange rate £ vs euro make houses more expensive but the market is depressed. Otherwise you may get a reduced price on properties from Brits who have given up and are returning home.
Try a holiday first and see how it goes.

Good luck

Cyrian

seajay2uk

Cyrian and dennerlymum thank you so much for taking the time to help.All advice is great for us and we know we wil have to come to France for a holiday first to see what areas would be best.I think it will have to be in the South for us so we will have to now look at locations.
Cathy

snoopycat

What dennerlymum said. We moved from SW Ireland to the Languedoc 2 years ago as my non smoking husband began to cough in October and it carried on leading to a constant chest infection, which lasted until April, emergency doctor scenario etc. The moulds in the damp atmosphere were causing it.

he hasn't coughed since (well not like that anyway)l.o.l. and another long standing health problem which he had has been sorted here. The healthcare is second to none.

we are in Béziers, which has good transport links to just about everywhere and house prices are still reasonable.

snoopy

e.t.a. what cyrian said about top up medical insurance is good advice.

seajay2uk

Well this is good news!! I am pleased to hear he has stopped coughing it sounds like the same thing my husband takes it is so awful for them.
Many thanks for writing that was very kind of you.
Cathy

Nibbler

Hi,
I live in the south of france and i have been very surprised by the extreme fluctuation in the weather.
In the summer it can reach 45 degrees plus then in winter it can reach minus 7 degrees..
the wind is bad also makes things even worse...
For the langauge this may sound stupid but it has helped me learn french...
......french childrens books and DVDs there great because its simple to follow and cuts out all the adult rubbish that makes learning french hard, i have a good job now and enjoy oui oui,tro tro,and petite ours brun with my son

seajay2uk

Thank you for your information we appreciate it a .Yes we now know that we are not going to have warm winters in France and have a lot to think about before deciding what we do.Ryan air are strating up a service from Prestwick to Carcassonne in March so we are thinking of flying over in May and hiring a car to have a look around some parts of France this at least will be a start.
Cathy

Roger O

Hi We live near Carcassonne and there are many Scots living around here, especially in the Montagnes Noires ("Black Mountains") area.

Winters are cold but quite dry (humiditywise!) and the summers are warm to hot - but definitely not stiffling as they would be for some near the Med.

Best of all, properties there are really reasonable. You are in an area of small country villages tucked away in forest and prairie, fairly high (about 400-600 meters on average) but within 15-20 minutes' drive of the city (well, about 50,000 inhabitants, so not huge!) - with practically all shopping facilities.
Toulouse with its multiple facilities is about an hour up the motorway.

Days out on/near the coast (about 40 minutes from the motorway entrance) can be gorgeous in May/June and September/October combined with shopping visits to Narbonne. Visits to the Cathare castles are a must, as is a ride on one of the barges on the Canal du Midi which runs right through the town with a small harbour.

Ryanair serves the small Carcassonne airport including flights from/to Glasgow (Prestwick) as you've already seen..
http://www.ryanair.com/en/cheap-flig...ssonne-france/

Here is a couple of links on Carcassonne if you haven't seen them already..
http://www.francethisway.com/places/carcassonne.php
http://www.carcassonne-tourisme.com/...geIntroVisiter

If you are coming on a "prospecting trip" and need further information, please don't hesitate to send me a PM (Private Message).

I would also be happy to take you around (if you are interested) - just for the pleasure of showing the region and to chat!

By the way, as I look out of my window right now - sunny blue sky, fluffy clouds and temperature about 12°C up to 15°C in the sun - so it's not all cold in winter - there are warm breaks!!