Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Lately, I have been thinking a lot (and dreaming) about France. I have pretty much tried living in various locations in the U.S....the northeast, the south, the northwest and south central regions...but I have not felt that "magic" living in any of these places that I felt when I lived and worked near Paris a few decades ago. I visited Paris and Strasbourg a couple of years ago during my last assignment in Germany and I got that same old feeling once again! It's not that I haven't tried other countries...have been to Spain, Austria, Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Netherlands, Belgium, etc, etc; but not the same that I felt in France. Perhaps, I should heed her calling.
If I were to make a choice, I would prefer the southern region...Bordeux, Biarritz...or Perpignan on the Meditarrenean side. Out in the country would be better...but within a day's travel to a medium or large city. I am retired...and me and my wife have managed to live comfortably with my pension at various locations in th U.S., we have excellent health & dental insurance that covers us worldwide. We both have lived throughout the U.S. and around the world so we know pretty much what to expect. I can still speak fairly decent French...and several other languages (European and Asian). My wife speaks Spanish....so living in the southern end of France close to the border with Spain would be ideal where most folks speak both French and Spanish (been there).
Appreciate anyone who would like to share your experience living in France. Look forward to hear from you. Thanks.
To retire in France the south-west region is maybe the best. You have the mountains, the sea and the pastures close. People are open and nice. The weather is fine. You and your wife speak French and Spanish. I mean.. I can hardly see any reason you wouldn't like it.
As long as you have enough money to live correctly and you can prove it to the French government, you won't have much trouble to get a long-term visa.
Quote:
within a day's travel to a medium or large city
It takes 7-8h to travel from Perpignan to Paris. It's not like in the US, you'll never be more than a day's travel to any large city. Toulouse in the south-west is quite big, more than a million inhabitants and with a decent economy (home base of Airbus btw).
I have had similar dreams, and I subsequently looked at real estate in the SW part of France. You can get some pretty good deals in the Languedoc region...that is, if you are looking to buy.
Good luck!
Merci a tous pour votre response and your encouragement. I have no doubt I will love it in France (n'import quel region)..so what's next is simply take a vacation n'est ce pas? I'm working on it...but first learn as much as I can from people who live in the region I am considering visiting...the south-west. I have only been to the southern part once...Biarritz, on the way to Lourdes on a pilgrimage. Anyone familiar with Biarritz? How about the small town of St. Jean de Luz...just south of Biarritz..closest to the Spanish border. I need to find out...if anyone out there knows...(please chime in) the requirements for one like me and my wife, both U.S. citizen, to reside in France. If income is a main consideration, my pension (after taxes) comes to about the equivalent of EUROs 3,000/par mois. I know, having been to Paris, this income would probably be barely enough...if at all. So perhaps later, I may be able to secure a job teaching English (ESL) (as I did when I was in Korea, Thailand..and most recently, in the state of Washington, USA). This is just a possibility. Je n'ai besoin de l'emploi. My concern for now is knowing if my wife and I can manage comfortably on my pension in southwest France. Again...appreciate all those who chimed in with good information and encouragement.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
