Hello everyone. Hope you’re doing well and surviving Covid and France at the same time. This is Jain. I had the opportunity to study in Paris for one year (2021) as a Masters in Management student. Absolutely loved it, even after all the language and cultural barriers.
Now, I have been offered a CDI in France. The job is based in Brieres which is approximately 1 hour away from Paris by RER C. I’ll be moving to Paris or nearby suburbs in April from India. I have a few questions and would really appreciate if you could help me out with that.
-
As a student in 2021, I lived in 6 different Airbnbs all across Paris (Pantin, 2nd, 19th, Saint-Ouen etc.) but now I’ll surely be looking for a sort of permanent apartment. Could you suggest some good locations and websites where I can look for an apartment (Studio or Colocation)? As my job is based in Brieres, I have still not decided whether I want to live in Paris (5th, 6th, 13th, 14th, basically near RER C which runs from Notre Dame to Etampes) or in the southern suburbs . Surely I wouldn’t want to be too far away from Paris. Being a young graduate, I’d like to experience Parisian life. But at the same time I am not ready to live in a 12m2 studio.
-
Do you think it makes sense to purchase a used car and commute from Paris to Brieres. I talked to some of the people working there and almost everyone of them uses a car to commute instead of RER and bus. If yes, what’s the best place to look for a used car?
-
I speak basic French (hardly A1) for now but surely I will be learning and aiming to achieve B1/2 level by the end of this year. Are you aware, as full time employees, do we get any French classes from the government or if you could suggest any French classes?
-
Finally, just some dos and don’ts based on your experience of living in France or moving from anywhere across the world to France.
Thank you so much. Looking forward to a healthy discussion.