[Closed] Anyone live in France or the Alps?

buying somewhere in cham with 'no work' will be interesting... or are you fabulously wealthy?

Dave

no
find work first.met some english builders there,who was busy

My mum lives in france, so does my best mate. I asked him about it recently as I fancy living over there... his advice was as follows.

Money: House prices seem cheaper, wages are lower as is cost of living. A lot of UK people sell UK house, live off profits for a few years then suffer severe drop in living standard when money runs out.

Work: You need to speak french. You will learn well i you work over there, but you need to speak to a conversational standard first, unless you work specifically with or for english people (he started out selling houses to english people out there). The french on the whole speak excellent english, but would you hire a frenchman just because you spoke french?

Education: Great, so long as you get them in young, older kids will suffer not just with language but with pace and level of work. School is much more full on than UK.

Beuarocracy: Nightmare. Hard to spell too.

People: French are nicer than people think generally. Lots of "english enclaves". Mostly older people, can get a bit dull and cliquey in the ex pat groups. Much more family orientated, very traditonal family units, people help each other out a lot more I find.

I'd like to move there, amybe for a year or 6 months, unfortunately my trade would require fluent french to be of any value, so I'd be looking at lesser paid work, more of a long holiday with a job, and at 30 with wife and kid in tow, thats not really practical for me. If you can do it, do, its much nicer than England at the moment (IMO)

Beuarocracy: Nightmare. Hard to spell too.

:-))

Beuarocracy: Nightmare. Hard to spell too.

yeah you're right though 😉
bureaucratie 😉

yeah definitely need to learn the language better.

nae worries I still can't say thesis correctly 😉

I have worked about 3 years in France including 2 years in Paris and 1 year in the Alps. If you don't speak the language it can be tough as the French are quite shy with strangers, which is mistaken for snottiness. However once you've mastered conversational French it can be a delight because the French are good at chatting; they have a correctness and a charm that can be a real joy - it just depends on how you approach them. In fact, although they won't admit it they love the British, they envy us for many aspects of British life not least our royalty and an English accent makes French women go damp in the gusset area.

I live in Brittany and have been here for the past five years.

First thing is it's much easier to set yourself up and find work etc than all the forums etc make you believe, so long as you make an effort. As for the [s]Beuarocracy[/s] [s]buerocracy[/s] paperwork I don't find it anyworse than the UK and all the french I've encountered have gone out of their way to help me. Renting can be tricky as you need a French Guarantor or go through an oraganisation call Locapass.

Pay can me much less (especially for trades) but living costs are lower (except for second hand cars which are extortionate).

Do it.

Yeop do it, my Eldest daughter lives in Chamonix has done for a couple of years.
You wont be able to buy a property unless you are faboulously wealthy, but further down the valley its cheaper and quieter with a free [residents] train through the valley.
been many times and its a superb place for an outdoors type as everything is so easily accessable, but the cost of living there is high so budget for that.

Yes, I do, live in France work in Geneva. It's a great place but the cost of living is higher than in the UK. People are friendly and life is good, you will never run out of things to do or places to go to.
At least I haven't yet and skiing every weekend is a definite bonus.
Learning french is essential to feeling settled and makes day to day life easier.

go for it, but don't forget [s]your friends[/s] [s]acquaintances[/s] [s]internet weirdos[/s] [s]random people you haven't spoken to[/s] me when [s]they[/s] I come to [s]visit[/s] sponge free accommodation off you.

Dave

Go for it. How bad can it be, I see very little downside for you.

French women go damp in the gusset area.

Holy thread resurrection Batman!

Whereabouts are you jujusasa?
We're out in the sticks, 5km south of the airport, 'sur les collines et bien perdu on peut dire.'

si hill does

I've been thinking of this too. Feel a bit old to do a season really. The software I use fora living is global so I can work anywhere theoretically... its just making it happen...

Its really not that difficult to do if you have a few quid saved up for an accommodation deposit. If you go somewhere like Chamonix the place is reasonably busy with a decent community all year round.

Is Gusset anywhere near any good skiing and how does the dampness affect the snow?