½ûÂþÌìÌÃ

@AidaSchoen

Hi, Aix Les Bain is a great town, a little bourgeoise , magical and charming so a good choice in my view..I have only spent a day or two during weekend visits and when just travelling around but I liked the feel.  I met an Irish lady who runs an English School there and she seemed to love it!

It is not a Summer Resort and it is a little on the expensive side, but I am surprised it is not one of the top French towns to live in for those wanting a bit of everything.

I lived in Lyon for many years but I would not recommend it unless you really want to live in a City with good transport/connections. Most people speak about Annecy, which is also a little expensive but a good option and bigger. I prefer Aix Les Bains.

Most English expats also look at the region of Dordogne. For what you want (4 seasons, nature etc) it is an option. Good luck

No matter where you go in France, most important is that you speak really really good French. Especially if you want to go to posher places like Aix-les-Bains where the RN is dominant, you should make sure that you speak propper fluent French. If you want art, culture and good connections, you must stay in a bigger city like Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Limoges, etc. France has a lot of villages that have nothing big to offer and are pretty racist, only big cities have good connections, culture, choices, etc. and are as well more open to foreigners. I lived in different parts in France for many years and I do speak fluent French, but not perfectly because I still have an accent a bit when I speak. In France they make a lot of fun about the English and American communities who come to France, don't know the politics, the system and the language (which is absolutely understandable), but they are quite tough with critics even if you speak fluently French they don't accept you fully. I would not recommend to go to places where the RN is dominant and if you donn't speak good French and you want art, good connections etc. I would go to a bigger city...

Yeh this is a good point. You are definetly in THEIR country, THEIR language, THEIR rules under THEIR terms. So, you need to do the adapting not the other way round!  All countries have an adaption process, but yeh, France, is a toughy, especially without perfect French. Having said that, there are also regionally based prejudices...e.g. People from Marseilles generally dislike Parisians. In Lyon, there was a clear divide and dislike between some Arab and 'white' French communities. France (perhaps apart from Paris) is not a succesful multi culturally coherent society. So, if you want to be welcomed, accepted, even appreciated by the general population and 'systems' in France...oh boy, good luck.!. BUT, France is a beautiful, diverse country and as long as you are here to enjoy the food, beauty, culture and the variety of landscapes without the need to feel 'part of the furniture' then it is a decent, reasonably priced choice with a good social security system. I think you need to selectively socialize as there are some real exceptions (perhaps less so in small villages and obscure towns). The best French, in my experience, are those that have spent real time in other countries and speak 2 or 3 languages.

In general, I believe in the 'mutual tolerance' approach. I'm not perfect, neither are 'they'.

@AidaSchoen Look into Bellac there a English expats here and eco friendly.

Hi,

We are also looking to move to aix-les-bains, but in 2026.

My family is French so I speak fluently, but my husband and kids don’t speak much…I guess they will pick it up quite quickly once we move.

My main concern has also been the people and being accepted as a lot of my family can be quite judgemental and opinionated. But my mum recently pointed out that there will always be people that we do gel with even if it’s not everybody!

We’re looking to live somewhere that is connected with the outdoors and we can spend lots of time in natural waters and hiking/skiing in the mountains and this region seems gorgeous!

How are your plans going for moving in August? Are you moving with children or just you and your husband?