Hello from Michelle--I'm a 70 year old American woman, retired, living near Paris. I'm quite cold here and would like to live elsewhere in France where there's more sun. Only other requirements: a 1 bedroom apartment on the ground floor or hi-rise with elevator in a city with good public transport or in a town where they have those cute cars with no license needed. Au secours!
Narbonne or Montpellier. Lovely climate, reasonable house prices / rents, good transport network, and those "cute cars".
yes I second that, Narbonne or Montpellier. I'm about 40 mins from either in a small wine village - we had 20+ degrees today and lovely sunshine. The wind is sometimes stronger towards Narbonne but when I chat to people here who are local and wish to relocate for retirement they say Narbonne or Montpellier where there are Theatre, good restaurants and beaches in walking distance.
Yep, Monpellier, Perpignan or Narbonne (although the latter two are far more affected by the tramontane which is freezing in winter) or if you've got the budget, go the other way - Marseille round to Nice, Cannes, Menton (about the mildest winters you'll get anywhere) but a different area, mindset and lifestyle to Languedoc-Roussillon especially once you get to the côte d'azur ;-)
Even in the Languedoc it can be minus 11 in February.
Yes indeed it was glorious in the languedoc yesterday, this morning I've out in my sheepskin coat! So yes stick close to the coastal plain for better temperatures but there is no avoiding the wind. From the meteo every night Biarritz strikes me as the best all rounder - but I have no personal experience of living there
Martinique! I love in Sainte Lucie in the winter..30 degrees with a constant breeze...perfect. Good flights from,Paris direct to Fort de France!!
Montpellier Montpellier. Montpellier
What are the "cute cars"?
Another bad aspect of Ile de France and Paris is the high air pollution.
I recently spent a week in the Black Forest and I haven't slept so well compared to IDF.
Not in Nimes. 326 days of sun. South facing terrace a must. Out of winter wind it feels like 25c. In winter wind it's like -5c. The famous Mistral.
Forgot to say MONTPELLIER! !!
Culture, vibrant, best hospitals in France and a 4 line tram system that even goes to the beach.
I've lived in nearby Nimes for 14 years but if I knew what I know now it would be Montpellier. I know everywhere others have suggested. Montpellier spanks them all.
About anywhere south of France is great!
and colder but it's all relative, wet cold in Paris is far worse than dry cold in the south ;-)
Southern Spain.
The only place thats permanently hot is the Sun! Or central Australia. But then, you can't enjoy a cold pastis sat on the edge of the sea in central Australia. As someone said previously, anywhere in the S of France is pretty good, all things considered. Languedoc has the advantage in that its easier on the pocket than the cote d'azur - and there is very little of that "my yacht is bigger than your yacht" mentality. Yes, it can get very cold for a few weeks in winter, but it's a different kind of cold. Here, when I want to have a BBQ the day after tomorrow at 15.00 hrs, I can be pretty confident what the weather is going to be like - I don't need to pack a pair of long johns and a balaclava. If it gets really bad, one can easily escape to warmer climes further south into Spain - and sit it out until the sun comes back. Languedoc is FAB. Highly recommend it.
I would go for Narbonne or Montpelier, if you wanted a larger city. I really like Narbonne and as Andrew says, it's all relative, weather wise. On the Isle of Man, we rarely get frost because of the Gulf Stream, but it was the damp, wet, grey weather, albeit mild, that made us buy a place in the Aude (amongst other things). Cold,crisp yet sunny I can cope with, warm, wet and grey, not so much!!!
I don't think I stressed how good the hospitals are. Montpellier is the Oxbridge of medical studies in France. They have 7 big hospitals in one long road and others. 3 specialists from 3 nearby hospitals converged to save my life in 2012. All the latest gear including the da Vinci robot thing. Hospital 90% full of patients from Narbone, Biaritz and all over the south. People travelling hours to visit.
I got a rare infection with a 90% death rate. 9 weeks and 23 operations later I'm sure my proximity to Montpellier saved my life.
Something to think about when choosing location. I was fit and healthy 47 yo ex fireman.
MONTPELLIER
Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion, Mayotte...
If you're wind-averse, that whole Languedoc coast can be a problem. You'll have to go for bastide-type villages or sheltered valleys rather than coast or wide views!
Why not Bordeaux, you did not say permanently sunny, but I think it does quite well over a whole year. It has a very active American community, it is well connected for transport links back to Paris if you so desired and is small enough to not get lost in but big enough to have a bit of culture. Trams and buses which are being extended all the time. International airport. University city so lively when you want it, excellent restaurants not to mention easy access to some excellent Chateaus full of fine wine....The list is endless. Have fun searching.