denzilwashy

Hi. We have made the dicision to move to France. I know it sounds mad, but I was hoping to find an area that has a few British people living there. To take such a big step, it would make life easier to have people to relate to. We are a young family, and I would like our children to feel involved.

Does anybody live in such an area, or know of a suitable area for a yung british family?

I'm really looking forward to hearing form you. Thankyou. Demx

Ka Ora!

Welcome to the Forum, Well for an area without many Brit's personally I would suggest Île du Diable and French Guiana lovely part of the world and there is always work at the CSG.

Joking aside finding somewhere in France without many Brit's will be a challenge to say the least, As there is always a trend to move to places without fellow countrymen and not many of those are places are to be had any more. That being said France can still be a fun and enjoyable place to live even with English folk in the same commune.

denzilwashy

Thankyou so much for replying. I hope I didnt word it wrong, but I wanted somewhere that has got brits. It seems silly to want to move abroad and then want people from Britain living there but it would make life a bit easier, and its the weather, surroundings and better way of life and attitudes (like the rest of the ex-pats) that we are looking for, along with learning new cultures and meeting locals people. Hope I havent confused anyone. Haha. x

Tweedpipe

I read this as the OP preferring to find an area that does have British people living there, as opposed to an area that has few British people.

If that should be the case then places like Brittany, the Dordogne, and the Cote D'azur immediately come to mind, but there are of course others.

If you are unfamiliar with France, it's wise to make one or more extended touring holidays to get a reasonable flavour for the country, as the scenery and climate is so variable.
Oh, and brush up on your French, as the inability to get-by well in French is frequently the cause of deep remorse with new settlers after the first year or two.

Bonne chance.





hoping to find an area that has a few British people living there

Novocastrian

That's how I read it too.^^^

Another tip is to consider areas that have easy access to/from the UK, e.g. via channel ports or low price air carriers. These tend to attract clusters of Brits.

dmu

Hi,
another factor to take into account is the work market, with a high unemployment rate in France, some regions much higher than others. You must make sure of a decent income to bring your children up, far from UK family and friends.
As recommended, come over for holidays in various regions like the ones mentioned above, plus Normandie and Nord-Picardie, before you make your final decision.
And we can give you advice on bureaucracy, childcare, schooling, social security and all things French when you've decided!

Ka Ora!

Good point.....

Annetje

Which part of France are you talking about ??? Its a biiiig place ...

cyrian

Depends on what you are looking for.
Hotter weather?
Skiing?
Access to the sea?
Easy access home - even by car?
Rural living?
In or near a larger town?

Why don't you choose a few possible areas after you run through your own checklist and then find out about the other things you are looking for - like a brit community.

You should really search through the forum looking for other threads like employment; healthcare; schooling etc. Most of the answers have already been discussed.

We visited first as tourists then having chosen a possible area we re-visited as possible residents to look at things like infrastructure; transport etc that were relevant to us before we came to a decision.

Good luck with your search.

denzilwashy

Brilliant. Thankyou very much!! Yeah, we're giving ourselves at least a year to do our research as it looks like lack of it is what causes it to go wrong. We have just bought some books and C.Ds to learn the language. We want to do it properly. Again...thanks for your help. Very appreciated! xxx

denzilwashy

Thankyou so much for your reply. Great ideas. Thankyou!! xxx

denzilwashy

Hi. Thankyou very much. I really appreciate all your ideas. xxx

denzilwashy

I really appreciate that! Thankyou. We're so greatful for any help. xxx

denzilwashy

Haha!! Indeed it is. We have to decide on this, so doing loads of research! xxx

pepsisue

Hi
In 2004 we took the plunge and moved to the Lot, we rented for 4 months then bought a house over the border, in the Tarn & Garonne. The best move ever. We often visit the bastide hill top village of Lauzerte which has a 10 multi-nationals in a club. They mix very well. They have events on all the time. The schools are very well thought of and the night life in the summer months are very special. We live in a hamlet with our french neighbors, but everywhere is changing as it is very mixed the nearer you get to Spain. If you want some more info, just ask, and i will help in any way i can.