Hello All,

I am wondering if there are members here who are living in, or have lived in Martinique and / or Guadeloupe.

Best wishes

I spend as much time in Martinique as possible. I think I can field most any questions or hopefully provide some insites you haven't thought of yet. I know much less about Guadeloupe but have been there twice.

First Martinique is a great place. It's just not for everyone. I can see it especially hard for Americans. I am one but love it anyway. It is not a - got to have it now, urban planning, I'm in a hurry - kind of place. It ain't New York or Miami, and so much the better!

Positives

Laid back, easy going
If you are a Brit (or any EU) you can come and go as you please and even start a business
No real poverty - it's France and everyone eats regularly. There's always more EU money if needed.
Roads are European quality unlike the former British islands
Medical Care is first class considering the population (they probably don't do heart transplants there but the population is only 400,000)
Your probably have some EU cooperation on health coverage to pay for it
Daily flights back to Paris with A340's, 747's or larger
If you get home sick, take the ferry boat to St Lucia or Dominica to see other Brits, have a pint or stock up on some British foods (don't expect everything from home but St Lucia is a haven for Expats but without the health care system, the roads and add in the poverty)
I see no reason you can't bring your car and the rest of your possesions with you. It's the same as moving to France because it is France

Negatives

Cost of Living is high. Nothing is cheap except Rum and stuff you're not supposed to smoke

Don't expect them to speak the Queen's English in Martinique or English at all (you can build up a group of English speakers there but everything is in French and most people will not even try to communicate in English)

Don't expect a British expat community, they live in St Lucia or Dominica, etc which do not have the living standard that Martinique enjoys

It's HOT and HUMID but again that's the Caribbean

I met some Brits touring the islands. They mentioned one particular town and commented that is looked very 3rd world. The locals are not much on painting things, and mildew grows on everything so pretty much everything looks well moldy. I don't say that as a turn off but a warning. If you are looking for Disneyworld with beaches then you came to the wrong place. The natural beauty is great, it's a very beautiful island. The buildings and houses tough are very casual, open and airey, structurally sound (usually reinfored concrete everywhere), French colonial, but they take casual to the extreme. It's not poverty exactly. It's more of a "it's hot and humid" and "I'm not even going to think about painting or fixing anything".

Summary

It is France with all that comes with it (except cold weather)
It is the EU you have all your rights as in Paris
If relaxing 3 hours lunchs, the French, the French language, cheese, union strikes, a holiday about every 2 weeks and a 35 hour work week stress you then don't stay

VERY IMPORTANT for expats. If act as if you are better than the locals don't expect any respect or cooperation. If you smile, try to speak French (any helps) and don't turn your nose up at things, life will be much easier and you will make lot's of friends. You will find those whose native language really is English who've come here for a better life, locals who want to practice their English, and a lot of people who don't care where you are from as long as you see them as equals. If you hang out where the locals hang out, laugh at yourself, and do what the locals do you will find people who speak English.

Marti,

Many thanks for that information

Double Post.......http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=518555

Have I made a mistake, or offended you Ka Ora?

you need to seriously insult him before that happens!

Hmmmm....well, I can see that my post was in two places, but for a solid reason, or so I thought....

One was in the 'France' section, because I thought that it would be full of French people, or British Ex Pats with knowledge and the other was in the 'Caribbean' section - since Martinique and Guadeloupe are French Islands in that part of the world and I thought that French people and British Ex Pats, might live there also? I did not assume that either group would read both French and Caribbean threads / posts...phew...tired now

Hmmm...I have reported in another thread a possible cure for arthritis...I was considering sharing it with the wider forum, but, I am not so sure now

don't worry - he's just looking for a mod's job
competition for Rugbymatt

Naw im sitting waiting for some bits to turn up from Apple so im bored but anyroad a double post is not Carbon Effective as it doubles up on server load and router/switch load between you and the hosting server lots of extra electrons add up.

And as matt says it wil take a shed load more than that to offend me no bits of 2x4 around the head, Im not not so keen on that sort of thing.

If he keeps making smells like that I'll take him to the vet.

Bad dog! Get back in your box!

I said "be quiet!" Now go lie down! Stupid animal.

A forum more suited to YOUR level can be found here http://britishexpats.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=67

Like it,

Yeh these Trolls are getting clever these days.