Don't Move to France Until You Watch This | 16+ Years of Experience

Things are a little more tricky for a brown guy like me, but I believe the more you practcei the better you get at french

French people are social enough but maybe not to people with limited french proficiency, they are usually very shy around me

Thank you…yes I have always wanted to experience France, Ive visited as a tourist and i was very sad when i left, the thing that is stopping me from moving right now is ensuring i have enough savings as its super scary not being proficient in the language, my entry would be via study, but its going to happen ive never been more sure of anything else, thank you for all your effort in putting together videos, im sure it would be a lot if work for you and your husband

thank you Suzi from Melbourne Australia 🇦🇺

Thank you for the video! When we lived in Mons, Belgium from 2001-2005, we were the only Americans in our neighborhood as well as work. However, we found ourselves surrounded by German, Italian, Polish, Dutch, Chechen, Turkish, Egyptian, etc., etc., expats and transplants and of course, Belgian locals who knew a little to a lot of English. We threw Halloween parties and they invited us to family dinners and weddings. In between getting lost on the road and ordering the wrong thing on a menu, we learned to sing to German heavy metal and our two toddlers began to respond to their preschool teachers in French. This is of course before the iPhone and GPS. Now empty-nesters, and having enjoyed some long vacations to Portugal, we are so ready to get back to Europe it hurts :)

I read their article last week and my thoughts are that maybe it's because they're older (74/75) like me (69) and the move is just too much for them at this time in their lives and they've found reasons to justify their return. I visited Lisbon, Portugal exactly 5 years ago, loved it, returned and began the D7 Visa process. By March, 2020 I was awaiting my visa and had an April 1 ticket to Lisbon. Then the pandemic hit and everything shut down. Now, 5 years later, the world's changed, I've changed, and such a move now seems a lot more overwhelming. Since the Portugal NHR tax advantage ended, I've been considering an exploratory trip to the Var region of France, so we'll see. Doing 90/180 days travel may be the answer for me.

Good video - fair suggestions. I have a similar experience to you and I think it’s good to encourage people by saying the first years are the hardest. At the same time - I would stress that moving is soooo different than visiting that it won’t be right for everyone even if they love it. One piece of advice to add - celebrate the wins. I used to celebrate every year I was in France, every step - a visa renewal, getting a drivers license. They maybe don’t feel like milestones in America but they are true accomplishments in France in a foreign language. Patting yourself on the back can help get you through the hard times.

Thanks for the video. We are leaving the USA in January and are excited to start our new journey but also want to be sure to learn from others.

Your video has so much information and encouragement! I truly appreciate knowing what to expect so I can get prepared. Merci!

I had already read the article in question prior to this, and saw so many problems with how they expected things to be, and what they found. Even in the 3 weeks I spent in Brittany, I found the local market to be amazing, the boulangeries were great, and even the supermarket produce was not bad. The closest place was one of those small local store, and yes, the produce there was not great. We are still in the planning stages here, and will have several more scouting trips, but even so, I could see the problems with the way they went about their move and trying to settle in.

Hi! Thank you for your videos! We are planning on moving to France in 2 years, once our son is done with college. Your videos are great to watch :-)

You’ve hit some good points that are concerns I’ve been pondering. I think the biggest hurdle will be learning the language and fitting in. But I also think that with time, practice and patience, it’ll work out.

I also think the location and feel of the community matters when finding a good fit.

We’ve traveled to France many times, staying months at a time. We have family friends in Provence . I’ve noticed that some areas are more accepting of foreigners than others and we plan on finding an area like this to settle.

I have a question for you off topic here:

I have severe Spring allergies to tree pollen (oak, sycamore, walnut, olive, ash) and wonder how long the Spring allergy season is in your area?

Does it rain a lot in Spring to help wash pollen away?

And what are the main pollens in Spring for various regions? (If you know?)

Can you do a video on these questions by chance?

Ty!😊

Is it poss for you to slow down your speech? You talk very very fast and I couldn't keep up.

Great video. I’ve been married to a French guy for 40 years & although we live in the US, we’ve always visited 🇫🇷 frequently. My language level is intermediate. I had already read that article & what struck me was the vegetables, first of all. My SIL lives in a village which has a small daily market & they carry basic, seasonal veggies year-round. They have a weekly, much larger market. Even regular supermarkets such as Monoprix have good veggies. I think they just didn’t know where to go or look.
There’s another couple on YT who moved to France who said in videos that it’s possible to live in France without speaking French & that absolutely mystified me. Yes, as a tourist ( but even then I’d think it must be difficult) but it’s impossible to integrate into a society happily without speaking the language. They eventually moved back to Florida.
Like you, I am fortunate in that I have a ready-made social group there. We are looking at buying a place in 🇫🇷 & are exploring that. Even with my familiarity with the culture and language, I know it will be difficult. Some people are in love with the romanticized notion of France, rather than the reality.
I think you made excellent suggestions about how to integrate.

lol! I like your story! 😂
I live in Central Coast California (inland) and the allergy season for tree pollen is sometimes 4-5 months long! So I can’t go outside for that long…then the incredible heat comes for another 4 months… so 6-8 months of being stuck inside - yuck.

So anything you can tell me even your experience and durations of the tree pollen and months would be super helpful! Ty!!😊

Unfortunately this couple did not take into SERIOUS consideration the importance of speaking the language and most of all, understanding the culture of France and Southern France. You can't just "wing it".

Honestly, there is this culture of people moving to other countries without learning the language. I'm sorry, but it's just foolish. I can say that because I lived in Paris and Lisbon at different points in my life and though you can get by it's just flat out disrespectful to the culture and you just aren't able to live in the way that you should. To everyone reading, please, if you are thinking of willfully moving to another country, learn the language.

Hey Suzy , thanks for your video and view points to counter Joanna’s video!! My wife and I saw her video and arrived at same conclusion… people have different tolerance levels for even the most mundane challenges. My wife and I will be there by April of this coming year and look forward to the challenges of our first year. We travel full time already so this will add s bit more complexity, but for us, it’s part of the great adventure. We are thankful for your videos and videos from others like Baguette Bound for plowing the way for others and encouraging us through the various steps. Again, thanks!!

What a pleasure to stumble across your videos. I’m a Canadian living in Dijon for ten years. I love how you have described our lovely little city in your other video. Both my partner (French) and I found ourselves here by chance, but we love living and raising our daughter here. I work near the Auditorium, and hope our paths will cross one of these days.

As a former US Army linguist (speak/read/write in Spanish, French, and Indonesian—and currently studying Italian and Catalan), one should know, at least, the basics of the dominant language of the country you choose to live in….salutations, numbers, ordering food, telling time, etc…

Any time I think of an everyday phrase, I try to work it out in French. Sometimes I am fine, sometimes I need to use my translator app. But my dogs are benefitting - I think. Instead of breakfast or dinner, now it's "Les chiens, c'est l'heure du ...diner" or ...petit-dejeuner". Also: "allon faire une promenade!" 😄😄

Some great advice. It does take effort but nothing worthwhile was gained without effort. I’d begin to learn Italian approximately 30 years ago in 2001 I bought a place in Tuscany. In 2004 I began to spend 2 to 3 months a year in Tuscany. I continued my language study using Rosetta Stone,pimsler, occasional tutors, and babel. My language lab was the bar centrale. Talking to the people in town was great. You have to be willing to expose your ignorance, but your head will not be chopped off. At this point, I can get along in most practical and social situations. My language is not good enough for practicing psychotherapy as I was a psychologist in my career when people consulted me for psychological help I went into town and got a book in the Italian bookstore that might be helpful for them.

This thing about French bureaucracy is so funny: whilst it is true, the remark comes from people who’ve never been confronted with their local bureaucracy as a foreigner.
I can attest that dealing with US, Greek or Australian bureaucracy is equally maddening.

Recently moved to Nice! One of the things I’m doing (not always easy) but letting go of the need for immediate resolution. Patience needs to be had, and when I run into an issue, I remind myself to pause and remember that I’m in France, and what I’m dealing with is not unique on either expats living here or French citizens themselves.

Thank you for the good advice, and for countering the CNN article very well! Especially the "Sad-looking produce", has to be the most ridiculous untrue criticism I have ever heard about France.

Looks like the CNN couple did not make any effort! No fresh produce? Come on..

Thanks so much for your very informative video(s). I’ve been planning to move to France over the last year — want to make sure the economics work for me of course. Been looking at South of France. But Dijon looks like a beautiful place. Is Dijon more of a family location as I would be coming to France solo?

I have been studying French for 7 months now. Determined to move there by the end of next year and no later than march of the following. I am absorbing the language like a sponge because I know that it's a must. I am determined to change the current course of my existence.

WHERE did you find the social worker who helped you??

France so romantic

We are thinking of moving to France for 1 year, maybe 2026-2027, as an adventure. Daughter would be in 1st grade (she's already in a French immersion pre-K) and my wife and I are A2 now and plan to achieve B1 by then. No idea which city we'd go to, we have no connections there. Thinking we'll find a furnished apartment that is walking distance to a primary school, maybe skip having a car completely depending on the neighborhood. Hearing that the first year is so hard is discouraging though ... is this a bad plan?

Please ... NO MORE IMMIGRANTS!!! Get your "best democracy in the world' problems sorted in your country of origin!
We are welcoming people who are TRULY in hardship in their countries where the horizon spells "no future".

Learn to speak. Not an option.

can we get along without a vehicle in Dijon also we would like to learn more about your town my Wife and I are leaving the US and hope to retire in France

Where is the park you filmed in? It is so pretty!

tons of french people like to speak english with our french accent but keep it secret :o

Thank you for all your positive and very helpful comments. Ed and Joanna were always so negative, pessimistic and not that bright.

Thanks for watching! 😊 Are you thinking about moving to France? Are you struggling with any of the same things mentioned in this video?