Living in France
Living in France and Calling Lille Home
Published on 24 November 2007
With the opening of the revamped Eurostar offering fast transport between London and Lille in France, many would be expatriates and retirees are turning their attention to this northern French city. As interest grows in buying and letting in the north of France, the wonders of Lille are appealing to many and living in France and calling Lille home is becoming a reality for more Brits.
Read on if you are interested in exploring Lille and its many draws. Whilst the real estate market here isn’t necessarily as cheap as in other French regions, the geographical location of this city and its proximity to the UK and Belgium make it quite alluring. The new Eurostar connection makes travel between Lille and London take less than 90 minutes, with costs that are quite favourable as well. This is paving the way for expats to move whilst still enjoying easy, affordable access for necessary business or family related trips back to the UK.
Living in France and Dealing with Healthcare
Published on 23 October 2007
British retirees who buy a home in the French countryside or even in its larger towns or bigger cities have recently found themselves having to worry more about healthcare than they did in the past. The French government is cracking down on economically inactive expatriates who are below pension age, according to the Daily Telegraph.
In this article, we’ll look a little more closely at what France is doing in regard to expat healthcare. We’ll also explore what to expect when living in France and dealing with healthcare issues on a day to day basis such as going to the doctor or finding a hospital in this popular relocation spot.
Living in France and Getting Married
Published on 11 October 2007
Is it your lifelong dream to pack up and move to the picturesque, rolling countryside of France? Do you maybe hope to someday fall in love with someone you meet in France and have a Parisian landscape as the backdrop for your wedding perhaps?
If so, you’ll need to know a few basics about living in France and getting married as an expatriate resident or citizen.
Feeling At Home when Living in France
Published on 04 October 2007
If you dream of upping sticks and moving to the French countryside you’re going to find that you are not alone. The number of Britons and other expatriates who have chosen to make this move is on the rise. With a beautiful landscape, charming villages and a relatively inexpensive property market, it is little wonder. Still, many Britons who make the move to France feel a bit isolated at first.
This article is about feeling at home when living in France because there are things you can do to help make the transition from living in the UK to receiving your post in France a bit easier. There are a few key tips that can ease the strain and these include: -
Living in France? Learn French!
Published on 25 September 2007
If you’re one of the thousands of British citizens who are considering a move to France despite the fact you’ll no longer get free healthcare if you’re an early retiree, you’ll find plenty of fellow countrymen already happily living there.
Making a new life in France is not as difficult as many would-be expatriates think in fact - still, there are some basic cultural considerations to take into account when living in France and one of the biggest is the language barrier! Living in France? Then learn French…
Living in France and Shopping in Paris
Published on 18 September 2007
Do you long to live among the sights, sounds and incredible attractions of Paris? Does the hustle and bustle of this fascinating and huge city call to you and make the idea of living in France seem like the only option for you? If so, you’re going to find many other expatriates from countries all over the world who are living the same dream as you. Paris just has that irresistible lure. And just like all of the international expats who have arrived before you, at some point you will have to come down from ‘cloud nine’ and learn to navigate around massive metropolis to find the more important things in life – namely groceries!
Okay, we admit this doesn’t sound as glamorous as it could, but it’s a simple fact of life. Living in France and shopping in Paris maybe conjures up ideas of boutique hopping or buying up designer labels but to live in Paris, you’ll have to learn to shop like the Parisians – all in all that’s quite a tasty undertaking though…
Living in France in the French Countryside
Published on 08 September 2007
Picture the rolling hills, the quaint villages, the vineyards and the olive groves of France – as you can see in your mind’s eye, the visual appeal of the French countryside is hard to match. Now, if you have your heart set on moving to France and living in France in the French countryside on a full-time basis, you’re certainly not alone.
According to the Delegation for Territorial Development and Regional Action, the draw of France’s countryside has been on the rise for quite some time. It seems that more and more city dwellers are making their way to the country and the smaller towns and villages found outside the most populated regions of France. This is because there is no denying the appeal of the type of lifestyle available in France’s rural interior.
Living in France: the Pros and Cons!
Published on 05 September 2007
So, the summer holidays are over, the kids are back at school and while the likes of the ShelterOffshore team are still basking in balmy Mediterranean sunshine (sorry to rub it in) you’re maybe stuck back at the office with autumn a very obvious reality in the front of your mind. So let me guess, you’re thinking that maybe the Great British winter isn’t something you really want to have to get through and that maybe you should up sticks and move abroad?
Well, one of the most popular overseas destinations for Brits seeking a new nation to call home is of course France…if you’re contemplating living in France here’s a list of pros and cons to wade through to see whether you could embrace the French way of life and make a break for the sun before winter sets in!
Reasons to Retire in France
Published on 07 July 2007
Whether you’re a million miles from retirement but are mulling over your options already, or you’ve worked on beyond your retirement years and now want a rest, or you’re retiring any day now or have decided to take early retirement, I’m pretty sure you have one key objective in your mind - and that is to achieve a quality of life in retirement that you really deserve…an affordable, sustainable and excellent quality of life.
Then our advice for you today is retire to France for quality of life because France has the climate, the cuisine, the affordability, ambience and culture that draws thousands of new retirees annually. In this article we’ll look at the main reasons to retire in France so that if you’re looking for the perfect retirement retreat, you can quickly see that France ticks all the boxes!
Advice for Parents Moving to France with Children
Published on 09 May 2007
Depending on the age your child is at when you decide you want to move to France you’ll be greeted with one of a fairly set number of responses that range from quiet indifference to perceived apathy or from outright rage to silent hatred.
Basically it’s unlikely to be pretty unless your child is still a babe in arms - but it is a feat that you can achieve and as you well know, (and your child will in time come to realise), moving to France is an opportunity that could enhance and positively shape all your lives. In this article we want to dish out two pieces of advice for parents moving to France with children because we know it’s not going to be easy and you need all the support you can get!