Where to live in France | Finding the perfect location

Dreaming of, planning, or in the process of organising a move to France? When it comes to where to live in France, here’s what you should consider – from someone who’s been there, done that and worn the t-shirt! And if you want to know more, come and join us at The French Property Show in October and get expert advice to help you make your dreams of the good life in France come true – well even give you free tickets – just pick The Good Life France ticket option!

Location, location, location

Yes, we all know it but sometimes we’re ruled by our heart’s desires and not our sensible brain. Hands up if you’ve ever been to France on holiday, fallen in love with the town or village or area where you’re staying and spent more time looking in the estate agent windows than you did at the market. It’s normal. And there’s nothing wrong with that, I can’t say much as I bought my house in France after just 30 minutes in a town I’d never been to and knew nothing about.

It has worked out perfectly for me, but I wouldn’t recommend that as the best way to go about choosing where to live in France. There are plenty of English-speaking estate agents selling property in France. They know their area, they have local knowledge, and can work with you to help you choose the perfect location that has all you want. Read on…

The weather

Most people move to the south of France, south of Paris that is – Normandy, Brittany, Charente-Maritime, Dordogne, French Riviera – they’re all very popular. But you need to think about whether the weather is right for you when it gets very hot. The north may have more rain but it’s also more mellow and excellent gardening weather! And consider the weather at different times of the year, will the lovely sunny seaside resort in southwest France be as much in November?

What’s it like year-round?

Try and spend more than a week or two in the place you’re considering. And try to spend time there in the season that is most likely to be your least favourite. If it’s somewhere touristy that gets thousands of visitors filling the restaurants, the parking spaces and the streets – will you be happy with that? If it’s somewhere isolated and miles from the shops, when it’s winter, will you still be happy to be there.

How far is transport if you need it?

If you need to go back ‘home’ for family, work or other reasons, think about how far you’ll be from an airport, ferry, railway. If you’re running a gite or B&B, think about your guests’ transport needs too.

Working in France – the internet

France has become increasingly popular with younger people and families, especially with remote working opportunities. Though generally speaking the internet and mobile phone service is good in France. There’s been a big push for super-fast fibre optic rollout across France – and if you’re reliant on the internet, check that you have a good service.

Not having mobile phone coverage can be a real problem. First, it’s a backup if your internet does go down, but more importantly, it’s very hard to do banking or buying things online if you can’t get a mobile phone signal. I have lost count of the times I had to run up a hill outside my house to get a signal to accept a code. Or my other half would have to jump in the car, drive a mile to get a signal and then phone me with it. Not fun. And we’re fine now, thanks for asking – we have an excellent mayor who fought for mobile phone coverage for our little village in the middle of nowhere.

Facilities

Everyone has different priorities for their facilities wish list. Do you want/need to be near a hospital or doctor’s surgery? Do you need to be near schools for the kids? Some country villages offer a bus service to school – but what about after school, will you be driving them everywhere because there’s no other transport available. If you don’t drive, think about the distance to the shops and other facilities and how you will get there without a car.

There’s lots to consider when moving to France – come and meet experts in all aspects of moving to France – estate agents, finance, visas and more, at The French Property Show: October 19-20/2024

Find details and get your free ticket here: thefrenchpropertyshow

Janine Marsh is the author of several internationally best-selling books about France. Her latest book How to be French – a celebration of the French lifestyle and art de vivre, is out now – a look at the French way of life. Find all books on her website janinemarsh.com.