Would you advise someone to move to France?

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Thanks Jane, we've come to accept the situation now, it's just rather sad for the kids. They see my Dad and step-mother once or twice a year which is nice for everyone concerned. My mum lives in teh south and my sister is up in Yorkshire and she never really makes an effort to go and see her grandchildren up there either so it isn't really a case of being abroad, in fact she can get out to Rodez in the same time and for the same price as going up to yorkshire! Sorry far too much info - I'll be boring everyone! families eh !

Hope you're not too cold up there in Burgundy, we're struggling at -8°C down here in the Aveyron with a biting cold wind making it feel much colder :-O

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I don't know what to say Andrew, except I know that it is very hurtful when all the effort is one way.

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My Mum is in the same situation, she hasn't seen her grandchildren (my kids) for 2 and a half years now - rather a saw point though as she manages to leave the dog to go off elsewhere...!

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We try and see as many friends as possible when we visit UK, and many of them would love to come out to Burgundy and see us, but they are tied by very elderly dogs, which they are not planning to replace, just because it ties them!

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"Gloucester" please Barbara! Have a good trip and enjoy ;-)

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FRIDAY morning ...snow is inevitable this weekend.

We spent yesterday with a couple who have moved here to S W France less than 2 weeks

ago. They purchased a hoiday home less than 2 years ago and then decided to pesrsue happiness...sell the big house just outside London and live a life of doing nothing much. Known them for years but was recently

united with their friendship via a very special client.

Nice property...A water mill just outside the Town of Penne des Angelles...probably spelt it

wrong...SORRY.

They come financially prepared...I feel and they have the opportunity to prepare a gite. She

an accounatnt and he an enginier so what can go wrong?

Well propably missing their children who had passes their teenhood and still lived at home

with mum and dad.Pottering around in summer is great but they will need to prepare for

the winter hibernation period which seems to go hand in hand with country living in

France.

Your OLD friends are always your nearest and dearest and you cherish them. We have been

lucky enough to have really close friends who moved here from London before we did. She is

French.

Friendship is mighty important and I feel that is why we are all on here getting to know eath other

and broadening that circle.

yes we are friends with our neighb ours and enjoy some social occassions.

In March we are taking a mini break and then to London to hold court with several

sets of friends who will venture from liverpool, Glouster, Bristol , Berks and Essex

to meet, eat, drink and chat. I have to say that this will bring great pleasure just to

see people who visit us once a year and spend time together enjoying thoughts of a brigh

future for the world.

For me moving away was to conclude my passage in the catering and leisure industry and

to enjoy what I love about France. No one can really be fully prepared for the paperwork and

confussion, the little niggerly things like not being able to walk up the road to Tescos for a

sunday newspaper. We all know that the world is in a very grumpy state and we are going to have to face

it that if the smile factor comes back it may take a long, long time.

Ruth Lawson has echoed my thoughts....or perhaps I am stealing hers

We are becoming less and less comfortable and less and less conetced.

SO THE ART of survival is maintaining a conection.

We are conected just now with SFN.

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We moved over last March, having planned for at least two years before that. We were still unprepared for the bureaucracy, such as re-registering a French car (was registered in another departement), so I would suggest that you point your friend in the direction of some of the discussions here on the obstacles that could be encountered. I agree with all those who emphasise the point of being able to speak French. It is not enough to drag your school French out and be able to order a meal in a restaurant.

I received a lot of very helpful advice when I started this discussion last September. http://www.survivefrance.com/forum/topics/what-to-do-when-you-move-permanently-to-franxw Might be worth a read for your friend. Wish him the best, whatever he decides.

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I suggest that speaking french is a must. If you don't speak French, you will not be able to work, and you wont be able to wade through the piles of admin. Make sure you understand where you will be getting the money needed to live from. Make sure you make friends with the neighbours

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1/ If it's to work and it seems to be, then think again.

2/ Make sure you have a very good nest egg. It's not as cheap as it used to be.

3/ Do move with the intention of getting "involved"

4/ If there is a partner involved, make sure you both want to move and you are both willing to give up whatever you have in the UK (from experience)

5/ If it's for a better climate, choose very carefully, -10°C here this morning in Figeac and I can assure you that is not rare in winters in the Lot.

6/ Sorry about the bullet points, I'm a Project Manager.

Good luck whatever you decide.

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To be honest Alexander I don't know him that well. For instance I have no idea as to his level of French. That's kind of why I suggested to him that we throw it open to you lovely people and see what you came up with. For starters, I think the points about language and making friends may well be stuff that he hasn't considered. He will be reading this and digesting!

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We don't know "what all that" is, so it is impossible to give any advice. As has been said, does this person speak french to enable them to try and overcome the bureaucracy that they will, inevitably, encounter. Also, it is far more difficult to make friends if you do not speak the language and if you are only going to have english speaking friends, is that "all that" over again?

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Is the person young or old, family, financial commitments? Does he really mean he will do anything to earn a living - most people don't? Along with Jeanette and Alexanders comments, that's a good start. Personally I believe you can do anything if you really want to but that doesn't apply to everyone.

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Does the person speak French, not a smattering for holidays but for everyday life. the work situation is not at all good for French people so why would they employ a non native (ask Emily for her opinion on that!). What sort of work are they going to be looking for? As far as I'm aware, you can't just turn up and claim benefits, you need to be in the system and that's not easy getting in either, job seekers allowance can, I believe still be claimed from the UK on the pretext that you're here looking for work but that needs to be checked and has probably changed. I'd say that if the move has been well researched and a source of income found then yes why not but if it's a leap in the dark just to scape something it'll probably end up being "out of the frying pan into the fire" and the fire could well be far bigger and hotter than one could imagine!

mais bonne chance quand même !