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As a resident, or traveler to France, you can rest assured that you are coming to a safe place. There is no right to bear arms in France, and acquiring a gun as an individual is a long and complicated process, with few ever seeing a firearm. While you can feel safe from violent crime, the country is, of course, not crime free. There is little need to be concerned...
When thinking of a spot to live in France, it’s tempting to consider the fabled coastline of the Côte d'Azur or the romantic towns and villages of the southern region of Provence. Others might be drawn to the cities of Montpellier, Toulouse, or Perpignan, with their abundance of sunny terraces and joie de vivre attitude.
Whether you imagine yourself in a cozy village tucked away in the vineyards of Provence, or in a sleek, ultra-modern apartment steps away from the legendary Champs-Élysées, France offers lifestyle options for every taste and budget. While utilities tend to be cheaper in France (the country has one of the lowest electricity rates in Western Europe)...
Even though I’ve been living in Toulon, on France’s southern coast, for 12 years—and love everything about it here—there are times when I crave an English-speaking expat hit. With this in mind, I reached out to a friend, Susana, with the idea of visiting her in the village of Cotignac, where expats are as plentiful as the rosé vineyards that surround this corner...
The trickiest thing when deciding where to live in France is to figure out where has the qualities you’re looking for. Some people are looking for wild, rocky shores, steeped in old customs and traditions…others cannot resist the allure of beautiful hill towns and lavender fields. The good news is France has it all.
Even after 12 years spent living in France, I’m still thrilled to wake up every morning in this beautiful country. Here's a list of some of the things that I find absolutely fabulous about living here. Of course, the list keeps growing every year, and I hope to feel as excited as I do in the next 12 years to come:
In the town of Saint-Remy-de-Provence, Keith and Val discovered rich cuisine, sun-splashed farmers’ markets, and a certain quality of light illuminating the fabled Alpilles (“little Alps”) mountain range at sunset.
The list of enticing places to move in France seems never-ending. How to make sense of it all? Which area will you be best suited to, and when and where can you start looking for real estate? Here are a few tips to help you get started on making the move to la belle France.
From striking natural landscapes like the Massif Central and the Pyrenees Mountain ranges (which, combined, cover around 54% of the region), to the pink-flamingo and wild-horse territory of the Camargue wetlands, Occitanie offers another version of southern France.
"Some months, the mussels are as fat as steaks,” chuckled Willy, my gracious waiter in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, southern France. With a wiry crop of salt-and-pepper hair and jaunty set of wire-rimmed glasses, he had the energy of someone half his age… and a passion for French cuisine that was infectious.