French Life-expat France

I received the following question as a comment on an earlier post, but it’s too big a question for a ‘comment response’ (and not an easy question in any case) so I thought I’d give it a post all to itself…the question was:

“I came across your site while searching out how to live in France. I have had a dream to live there for 6 months to learn the language and experience a different lifestyle, perhaps more enjoyable!

Could you give me some insight on how and where to look up best places to live that are not expensive. What can be expected of the French as a newcomer?”

The idea of living in France for 6 months is a good one. Perhaps we should all do that rather than just sell-up all we own, leap in head first, and worry about the consequences later. I think a lot of tears would be spared!

To learn the French language very well in 6 months is, to say the least, a challenge. If that is the primary goal, I think the best idea would be either to take a one month ‘immersion course’ on arrival (they are available in most large cities), or to live in an environment where you are continuously exposed to French being spoken - sort of like an au-pair without the babies.

I am pretty sure that some of the immersion courses can arrange these ‘house stays’ - so you live with the family of the teacher for a few weeks or months.

If understanding the culture of France is the primary goal, then it is still the French language that will be the decider - it will be difficult to appreciate the culture without knowing the language first.

However, it is certainly possible to simply rent a property for six months, and get a reasonable idea for what it is like to live in France, without all this intensive language training! The act of going to the cafes, shopping in the supermarkets, buying your daily bread in the boulangerie and so on are all key elements of the French lifestyle and handled in a different way to other countries. Mostly, with more chat and less rushing about.

The ‘best places to live that aren’t expensive’? Well, it depends if you want the excitement of Paris and the cities or the rural charm of much of the rest ofFrance; mountains or beautiful countryside etc.

Outside the cities you can visit most regions quite easily for little cost - find a few gites that look acceptable, and then email the owner asking their best price for a 6-month let out of season. Most gites stand empty October-March, and I am pretty sure that many owners will offer a great price for a stay during that period.

You might not get a suntan but your stay will be cheap!

French owned gites will tend to be cheaper and more basic, but French owners are less inclined to offer a reduction, I think. It is pretty much a national trait in France that once a price has been set it isn’t changed - despite common-sense suggesting it should be. A French owned gite is more likely to expose you to French being spoken regularly, especially if it is a ’small gite on a farm’ type arrangement, or a gite that is part of the owners own property.

As for the last part of the question - ‘what can be expected of France as a newcomer’ - that depends on you! Get yourself out in the community, say bonjour to everyone as you enter a shop, make sure you find time to stop and chat with your neighbours, smile a lot and shake hands a lot…and all should be well. After that, well I’m afraid you’ll just have to find out for yourself, but there’s nothing much to be nervous about.

But remember, six months sounds a long time to you, but to families who have lived in the region for generations you will certainly still be the new arrival even after six months. To really become part of the community you’re looking at 5, 10, 20 years…