Surviving Culture Shock When Retiring to France

Now that the President of France Nicolas Sarkozy has thanked Great Britain for helping his nation when it was on its knees during the Second World War and received a very favourable reception in the UK as a result, it seems that French and British relations are on an excellent footing and that there’s never been a better time to retire to France!

Reasons to retire across the Channel include the fact that the standard of living in France is high, the cost of living can be more affordable than the UK, the French real estate market is generally more affordable as well, and the way of life in France is so conducive to a relaxed retirement.  But there are some key differences between France and Britain that any would-be expat should bear in mind if they want to make the transition abroad a smooth and successful one.  In this article we’ll look at surviving culture shock when retiring to France!

First things first – let’s talk about alcohol!  The French and British attitude to the stuff does seem to be world’s apart.  Where Brits may binge drink beer and spirits at the weekend, the French will calmly consume wine with every meal and even the occasional beer, but drunken behaviour is less acceptable in France and also less frequent as the French drink little and often and also in moderation!  So be prepared to change your drinking patterns – whilst alcohol is wholly acceptable, bold drunkenness is not in France!

The French are proud of their nation and happy to boast about it – it is considered bad form to criticise one’s home country and this is a real key difference between French and British.  We Brits are self-deprecating, we don’t tend to boast about how wonderful we are and how amazing our nation is – quite the contrary, we are more likely to poke fun at ourselves, our politicians and certainly the state of our nation.  The French find this behaviour odd to say the least, and they will also take great offence if you decide to talk down your new adopted nation – i.e., France!  So be careful what you say!

When addressing people verbally you must ensure that you use the correct title in France.  Whereas in UK we prefer to be less formal, calling people ‘mate’ and ‘love’ for example, in France you need to err on the formal side always.  For example always use Madame, Mademoiselle or Monsieur with or without someone’s surname.  You can even use these titles when addressing a professional – so Monsieur le Docteur for example.

Finally, France is bureaucratic – accept it, you won’t change it!  Also accept that the French rebel against the levels of bureaucracy gone mad whenever they can get away with it.  Which is why you will experience some incredibly crazy driving and a nation where you can quite often bribe people with envelopes full of cash!  But don’t try flouting the laws yourself – it’s not really worth it!

Retirement in France can be incredibly relaxing and rewarding if you embrace the cultural differences and learn how to live in France alongside the French!  And this shouldn’t be too difficult, after all, if you’re retiring to live in France you must already enjoy the way of life and the people, so a transition shouldn’t be too difficult!