We originally chose the Tarn-et-Garonne for the closeness to Toulouse airport and, VERY important, the weather. This last winter we seem to have been in a microclimate, snow and ice everywhere, but we were always JUST outside the "zone d'alerte". So rather pleased. But being honest, it was the house that attracted us to the area, which we didn't know before and we have been lucky that it has worked out for us as we didn't do any long research and only looked at five properties. Le coup du coeur!
@Greg Harvey: how Gard looks like for people who have to work for living? Does the area offer something or it's better choose to live near big town?
Cheers
We've been in the Gers (32) since 1988, bringing our young children to begin a new adventure and change of lifestyle. Venturing further and further south for our camping holidays in France, once we arrived in the Gers, we fell in love with the peaceful rolling countryside, panoramic view of the Pyrenees and the under-population. We bought a ruin with enough land to work toward becoming self-sufficient. We've done all the work ourselves and little by little transformed the ruin into our family home and the grounds into an organic, ecological homestead, all the while working to financially support ourselves. The children now live elsewhere but love returning home and helping with any work in progress. I wouldn't compare our area to anywhere else in France, but it's been perfect for us, and our dream realised.
We lived in Isere thirty years ago but it's a bit too chilly for us now. We're in the Var and would recommend it highly.
Funny I just realised I have had a senior moment! Forgot completely I had done this before. Apologies all round for repetition!
We are 20kms north of Pau in the Bearn and out of the main tourist areas. Wonderful and quiet our home is on the edge of a valley amongst farms. We have great views of the Pyrenees and are an hour and a half to the Atlantic beaches and Bordeaux and two hours to Toulouse.
It was the wrong location for running a gite and B/B business but we have more and more bookings mainly from the French and Spanish. It is the right location for our original plan which was to run painting and other creative courses. It's become progressively colder in the winter over the last nine years and cooler summers.
There are only a few English people about but we have several very good French friends who have been very welcoming and helpful. We love the lifestyle with the emphasis on families-we get large family groups renting the gite or/and the house and sometimes we have no idea how many people are here!
Just wanted to say I agree with the other Angela. We lived in the Dordogne, near Sarlat, for 7 years and found it beautiful. The hamlet we were in only had one other English family, and the rest had been established there for generations. Everyone was very welcoming. I found the English people I knew to be a more or less representative sample of the English people I come across in the UK. Some were rich, some poor, some snobby, some friendly. There were an infinite number of walks which included man made as well as natural beauty. It was very difficult to get around in the summer, as the tourists caused a lot of traffic jams, but they were there for a reason! There were long warm springs, hot summers and enough rain to grow veg and keep the country side looking lush most of the year. If we go back, I would probably look for somewhere a little further away from Sarlat which is a tad touristy,too busy in the summer, and in which the locals do sometimes tire of the English.
Isn't it great to listen (read) these posts? So many happy people living here, great stuff. I first bought a flat -45m2! In Pantin,when it was to my mind 'real Paris' even though being just on the wrong side of the Peripherique, it didn't count. Did the whole baguette and wine and bohemian bit, with all the Left Bank bits,Shakespeare et al. Never made a cracker, but had two unforgettable years doing it.
Then after a few years in various countries came back and bought our first country house in the Lot, Frayssinet-le-Gelat. The village wasn't over-friendly but the area was and is beautiful (46 & 24). Again after further stints elsewhere and using the Lot house as a base for 8 years, sold and moved to most easterly part of Burgundy (Jura started just past our gate). Quite nice, and good for visits to other places and towns, but neither of us really felt 'settled' there. Again people were OK, but that's all. I agree that Lyon is a bit special. We could have lived there I think.
Decided it was too cold about 12 months ago and felt the urge for the Lot, but it was too expensive for us. Discovered almost by chance the South Correze (19). Our village is not very pretty, in fact it seems very run down. But it has secrets! It sits on a ridge 400m high. Our old house is hidden and when we were visiting we were less than enthusiastic, then we walked into the garden and this is what we saw:
....and this is only looking in one direction. We 'stole' the house on price, and had some left over from the previous sale on a smaller property. I even have a completely separate studio where I can work on the books and my wife has as much of her own space she can handle. We even have a flat in the loft for family stays.
The biggest difference is/are the people. Here they are just wonderful, and I can't say more than that.
Plus we have discovered we have 6 of the Most Beautiful Villages in France with 30 minutes drive - partly Sth Correze, partly North Lot. The one in the picture is Curemont which is 5kms away.
Like others this'll do me until I fall off my twig!
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We are also in the Auvergne ( nr Issoire in the Puy de Dome) & love it for all the same reasons Nick mentions below. We looked at many areas before we chose to live here & have never regretted the choice we made. I think like Nick that the only drawback is getting back to the UK to see family. It is annoying to have a good airport at Clermont Ferrand which really is under used. 
We holidayed in different regions for 6 years before we concentrated on the Auvergne and then house hunted hundreds on the net until we came across a dozen short-listed houses. We arrived and checked out all 12 across the Auvergne and weren't keen on any; however we particularly liked the Cantal department and focussed our attentions on its beautiful valleys and villages. We have been here for 6 years and its lovely. We come from Noth Yorkshire and we've found the gentle pace of life, the lovely countryside and the friendly people to be similar. The bonuses were: lower house prices, very central in France, excellent cheap golf course nearby, skiing nearby and few Brits which has made us learn the language and adapt the French way of life. The only major draw-backs have been: proximity to major airport (2 hours drive), and the long winters; but neither of these have been deal-breakers - we have never regretted choosing Cantal.
We live n the stunning Hautes Pyrenees. The locals are very friendly and we are fully ensconced into the village and village life. We are 2 hours from Biarritz and 3hr from Beziers and 2hr from Bordeaux . Hardly any cars on the roads and some wonderful viewing points of almost the whole range of the Pyrenees and gorgeous countryside all around. 
When I was looking to move to France after living in London/Essex, I closed my eyes, stuck a pin in a magazine map of France and it came close to Rodez in Aveyron. So after a bit of searching, I found my little cottage and have spent the last six years having it renovated so we can use as a holiday home. It wasn't my original intention to do this but I started seeing my now husband just before I bought it and stayed here in Wales with him and had 2 children in the process. I love traveling down to the house - we drive from just west of Cardiff and manage to stay for about a month a year and Paris is only 5 hours drive away. Aveyron is a lovely place with so much history and has really good access to the Lot, the Tarn and the rest of the southern coast. My brother lives in Barcelona so its really only 4 hours drive to there too! My neighbours, who are all French, are so wonderful and will help with anything - they even check that I've closed the house down for winter and give me a quick call at Christmas. I only wish the internet connection was a bit better. There is a lido in the village which is open between July and September and my children love it as they are learning to swim. Aveyron really is a great place.
The Lot is beautiful - as long as you don't need work. Stunning stone houses (the colour of the stone here is hard to beat), no traffic lights, magnificent landscapes, clear days all between the beautiful Dordogne and Lot rivers. A little cold in winter, but perfect the rest of the time and winter isn't that long. & endless walking and award-winning chocolate box villages.
Loving it here in the Minervois. Been here permanently for 14 years and 10 years of holidays before. 600 m altitude so have just had too much snow but the power held and the satellite dish didnât fill up so no real complaints. And in summer when it is scorching on the plain we stay comfortable!
For Suzy - Uzès seems to have quite a strong community of artists. Not being an artist I know nothing of the network, but there are quite a few private galleries. Also St Quentin La Potterie is close by, where they do what it says on the tin - lots of craftspeople making lovely things out of clay! One of our friends in the area is a potter with a shop in St Quentin. To be honest, I don't think I have any useful contacts in that scene, but I can ask around regarding groups/clubs/collectives and see if anything comes up...
Then there's also the Foster-designed CarrĂŠ d'Art in NĂŽmes, just half an hour away in the car - I believe NĂŽmes is a bit of a centre for artists, photographers, art historians, etc. - again, I know little about this not being an artist myself, just know of the centre, the sorts of things that go on there, have seen a few exhibitions there, etc.
It was an ad for a château which sat top right, next to your post. Seemed apt. Bit grander than chez Higginson but I think I prefer your place.
Suzy, if there's one activity that is alive and well in all parts of France it's 'art'. Notably in the South-East and South-West - the weather must have something to do with it?
Re leaving Paris, my wife is Parisienne and has never regretted the move, and is hopefully soon to be joined here by her twin sister (also solus, also interested in art and sculpture) so do not despair. Plus you meet up with more people, quicker in the country than in the cities.
Really nice to read all about your corners of France, what a fabulous place. Not sure which photo you mean Terry so, here's one of chez nous!
I'd like to thank you too James for putting up this discussion.I live in close suburbs of Paris its a lovely place however I'm thinking of passing the last chapter of my life somewhere else, but where? After reading all the discussions recently on SFN about hunting,troubles with neighbours,edf and internet connection I began to think I should stay put. So reading all these posts has been very helpful and encouraging.Especially yours Greg as I thought about Uzès. But its such a long way from Paris.......
I'm an artist so I would like to meet fellow artists,whats the art scene like in Uzès or anywhere else for that matter ? And I'm alone, so stepping out into the unknown is quite scary.
James, I take it the photo is Chateau Higginson as it will look when you've finished knocking holes in walls?