Help - Where in France for retired parents

[OuEnFranceSVP]

Hi everyone, my parents are retiring in France but they don't know where, can anyone help? Language skills and visas are no problem, it's just the location. Budget up to 800k but ideally less. Not a ridiculously high COL area like Nice. Apologies for posting in AIBU for traffic, I know France fairly well but am at a loss here.

-Easy enough transport links to the UK and Paris (for healthcare reasons).

-Weather not too hot: this might be a tough one. 25 degrees is just about their limit. However they don't like grey weather which is why they're not moving to the UK.

-Not in a big city, they like quiet, clean air and green space.

-A community of English speaking expats would be good, or at least a place that welcomes outsiders (I know actual French people who having moved to communities in the South and found them very insular so want to avoid this).

Maybe Evian, Normandie, the Dordogne, bordeaux, or Limoges? They would want a smaller town around these I imagine. Any ideas gratefully received!

Sadly, l have voted YABU, not to sound nasty but to be realistic. You have given a few lines of basic information, but nobody on here has sufficient information or knows enough about your parents to give a constructive reply.

Sorry, l don’t mean to be unhelpful.

Bergerac and some of the small towns to the south have an expat community- emmet for example. But it can get hot in the summer.

If 25C is their limit, then I think you would have to consider northern half of France, perhaps Brittany or Normandy.

I was in the south in May away from the Cote d'Azur and it got above that.

They need to be realistic about learning the language. I live in spain. Yes you can get by in tourist resorts in restaurants etc but when you are at the doctor or need to visit the council offices etc you need the language

Not Bordeaux. It’s currently mid 30s and has been every time I’ve gone over in the summer. Considering it can get above 25 in the south of England that probably rules out most of France bar the north.

OP says language skills are not an issue

Brittany is lovely. They could look somewhere not too far from Nantes and then they'd have a big city nearby for emergencies.

I've been in Bordeaux and up to La Rochelle and it can get over 40. It can also be really shit in the summer. We used to have mobile homes down there.I think you would need to stick to Normandy / Brittany, although if weather is a driver it's regularly the same as south of England.

Brittany or Normandy should be lovely. There are plenty of other English-speaking immigrants in these areas, but it depends on the specific community.

So they can speak French but still would prefer to live in some Little England situation? France seems to be the Spain for the wealthier English, if they cannot fully immerse themselves then it seems pointless and unfair to the locals. If they will still need to access healthcare in the UK, I’d suggest stay here and holiday in France.

You’re not going to get anywhere as temperate as 25 degrees without grey skies.

I agree with Brittany.

Why do they want to retire to France, is it the weather or are they Francophiles?

Aix

This is unfair. What OP actually said was:
A community of English speaking expats would be good, or at least a place that welcomes outsiders (I know actual French people who having moved to communities in the South and found them very insular so want to avoid this)

I've lived in two other countries and have mixed well with locals but it's also nice to feel welcome!

It’s really not unfair when France is known for what I put in my post - English immigrants making their own communities because they want the French scenery and weather but not the people. The op themselves described some French people as insular - though it’s not clear if they mean expats in the south of the UK or in France itself.

My in laws live near Bergerac and it's everything you are looking for EXCEPT it gets ridiculously hot (40+) in summer

But if they can find the right house/village location with trees and air con it might be ok?

Interesting responses, perhaps I should have stayed away from AIBU but wasn't expecting this post to be controversial

A few points:

They are English speakers but not English. One has French as a first language and the other speaks it conversationally. They would not enjoy being around a "little England"/Benidorm type crowd.

Because they are my parents, I want them to have a nice social life. As mentioned in my OP, I know French people born in France who have moved to other communities in France and have not been accepted. The south of France is well know for this. I'm hoping to avoid it if possible.

Pick a place, rent for a year, then either move on or buy if it suits their criteria.

We can all throw out this place and that, but until you actually live there for a bit no one will be right. Work out the weather patterns, look for the nearest big town/city with good medical facilities and an airport/good transport links, sign up to a website for expats abroad and get information/advice. This is one, but there are many. Information about moving to and living in France - Expat.com

I reckon I am of a similar age to the OP's parents. I moved to France a few years ago, on my own. Apart from family I know no Brits and I have been enormously welcomed into the community in my small town. (Population c.8,0000).

What has been to greatest help to integration has been a national organisation called Acceuil des villes francaises. Where I live has a very active branch & I have made many friends through doing activities and some volunteering.

https://avf.asso.fr/

I don't want to give any more information on an open forum & I slightly suspect the OP may be a journalist fishing! (Sorry if you aren't).

Definitely Brittany. We were in Le Mans this summer which is not much south of Rennes latitude wise and it was mid 30s.

There is an expat community near Dinard but since the airport closed it is smaller. However I know English people with good french who have integrated beautifully into Breton villages. North coast but not too far west. Summers are lovely and the sea is great. Or near Nantes as others have said, but not too far south.

There are good trains Rennes to Paris.

I've been accused of a lot of things but never a journalist!

I changed my name in case I wanted to show them this thread and there are some posts I've made that I wouldn't want parents to see

Also I don't think many media outlets would be interested in publishing an article about cold places to live in France

I have sent you a PM.

I have become very cautious about lareg open forums of late! Sorry.

It’s a good idea putting feelers out for recommendations OP but it seems a bit odd for them to consider moving to France without even a vague idea where. Why specifically France? If they’re after sunshine but not blistering temperatures would they consider eg Northern Portugal?

Are they in France at the moment? What is their reason for wanting to retire to France specifically but not having an area in mind?

University towns and places with large scientific facilities can be great places to live with a fluid, multinational population, which could suit depending on their health and energy levels.

Even in this country, you'd need to look at having air conditioning in at least one room (pref bedroom and living area) to be able to rest and recuperate from the heat. Would that plus access to lake/sea/mountains be enough for them or does the air temp need to be that low?

If they really need outside sir temps of 25 they might better aiming at Scandinavia or Scotland because climate is increasingly fucked.