I am looking to get a subscription to a magazine, ideally a paper version, but online could be an option too.
In the past I had French Property News which was very good. but now that we have bought our property maybe not the best one to get again. * Note we have a holiday home in France, so not full time.
I currently have an online sub to The Connexion, but have read somewhere that it is not necessarily always accurate. What I like is it tells you changes that affect second home owners, info about property taxes etc, info about travel, 180/90 day rules and all that sort of stuff.
So my question - what is the best mag/sub that would help me best re the above kind of info.
I do take a peek at online-Connexion from time to time…
Sometimes, I have found that the headline for an article can be misleading… and one needs to read the article indepth, to stop panicking…
If Connexion suits you, why not stick with it…
and if you have particular questions… come to us on the forum… there’s nearly always someone who has had similar experiences… and can help…
In some cases, we’ll discuss a subject thoroughly… then a day or two later, notice it is being mirrored in Connexion… so I reckon they peek at us sometimes, too…
France Insider is much more professional than the Connexion. More expensive I believe (no idea what the Connexion costs but can’t imagine it’s much - they certainly don’t pay for proper journalists,)
Or to go a bit wider you can get a paper/online subscription to a weekly magazine - huge number depending in your interests, such as Marianne or L’Obs for current affairs.
Or if you are in the South West this one might be worth a look?
I’m not aware of any. The target audience would be fairly small, and probably already reading FPN!
I agree with your caution about the Connexion, but forewarned is forearmed and, as @Stella says, you can always check here before going into full mode.
The Local is quite good, but doesn’t cover the same subjects as the Connexion. It’s online only, though.
Funnily enough just received an email from France Insider asking if I’d like an online sub…!
This is only €20 a year which is a lot less than the Connexion.
Any good?
Thanks again for all replies to date.
Anne
Whether or not you choose to pay for English Language magazines on France, I would suggest you follow the News online in French… it’ll keep the language/translation skills from hibernating and give you firsthand info re the articles you’ll find in the mags…
We’ve got a morning routine going now… OH reads Sud Ouest online outloud, translating it to me as best he can…
when he falters, we discuss possibilities and he can use the translate tool, but it’s really helping his French understanding and building his confidence.
Plus, he knows what is currently happening in our world…
and it helps me too… always something new to learn/discover. French journalists can use a wide variety of words/phrases which I’ve never heard of…
I use Duolingo, and also I try to immerse myself in French conversation/context as much as possible.
Watching French tv is also a GREAT way to get familiar with turns of phrase as well as current topics and so on.
If I know a bit of the situation ahead of time, via reading about French news in English, then I pick up a bit more of what’s being discussed/announced when I watch/hear it in French.
Each to their own… we don’t have TV… and I prefer to follow French News first, then note what perhaps UK or anyone else is saying about France (albeit online…)
I subscribed to Sudouest for French news online. But I found that I didn’t read it all that often. Instead, I like to pick up the Charente Libre in print form, when I’m having a coffee. I buy it at the local boulangerie or tabac. I think you can subscribe to it online as well.
I’ve lived here for four years, and try to dedicate time every day (some days not at all, some days lots) to reading the news about France; sometimes, reading the news online in English, about France, is all I end up doing. But on my best days I’ve read an article or two in TheLocal.fr, and then scanned a French online news site, and read an article or two.
But actually, reading Charente Libre at a cafe is where I read more of the content than at any other time. Somehow, sitting in a French cafe, reading a French newspaper for a few minutes, really gets me to read the news and all the smaller bits about local life.
I read some research on how well one absorbs the written word when one reads online, versus in print. The research results showed that one gets distracted too easily when reading online and one doesn’t absorb or stick with it as much.
So if possible, I’d recommend reading a local French newspaper in print (as opposed to online), while sitting somewhere enjoying the local ambience and drinking a beverage of choice
For a couple of years, before moving to France, I used to buy Paris Match regularly.
as you say, sitting quietly and wandering through the pages… very relaxing and informative… and fun trying to figure it out…
