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!

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

This really dings my bell. U.K. not good enough to live in, except we want to be close enough to come home for the free health care 😡

They are moving to France for language and visa reasons, and proximity to the UK. They are also familiar with the country.

@Likewhatever I have actually been telling them about that area, I spent some time in the national park on the Portugal/Spain border and thought it would be perfect for them! COL so much lower too. Sigh.

In terms of easy access to the UK - it depends on where in the UK as they close many flight routes for the winter.

In terms of the maximum heat, if 25 degrees C is the hottest they want to go, Limoges region usually is 40 degrees C for 4 months of the year. This year has been exceptionally cool and wet.

In terms of Little England - our village in Haute Vienne is 60% British owned homes, but we have a thriving local community cafe which is populated by French/British/Other cultures and it has French and English music on twice a week. So you could call us Little England on paper apart from it is far from Little England types, most of us/them are doing veg growing/gardening/art/crafts type stuff and have had an array of different backgrounds and jobs across the board. Many are introverted and want their space. The main Little England trait is many of the Expats play in bands and we can often hear 'I would walk 500 miles' ringing across the village at 10:30 pm on a Friday night. Maybe Little Scotland would be a better stereotype?

Once they are in France there is no way someone would go back to the UK for healthcare!

They are not English. They have never accessed the UK health system and have no plans to do so.

There is some specialised care that they could only get in Paris, not elsewhere in France.

They want proximity to the UK to visit family there.

What do they want to do in their retirement? What are their hobbies and interests? How active are they?

It's the temperature that they want which makes it difficult. Could they spend the hottest months in the UK visiting family?

I'd also look quite carefully at how they'd get around if unable to drive. My parents are in nearly the perfect place but will be stuffed when they finally have to give up driving. In laws are similar. France has better public transport than UK but they want rural so make sure they aren't stranding themselves

They're not English? Why do they want to live near English people? Where are they from originally?

Well, if it was me I'd choose a place in south Brittany because I love that part of France. Not sure how that helps you. What you want from living in any country full time isn't the same as what you want for a holiday

Is your French speaking parent French? If so I'd head for their place of origin.

I think you'd be much better off on a French website tbh.

If they have so little knowledge of France that they can't decide themselves then quite honestly they shouldn't live there. There's so much more to living abroad than the weather!

They are old and have lived their lives in cold climates. Hot weather could be deadly. I'm trying to avoid that.

Normandy ticks all the boxes and is easier for UK access than Brittany. Loads of expats in the Cotentin south of Cherbourg. Be aware that everyday healthcare can be hard to access in much of rural and small-town France.

Normandy ticks all the boxes and is easier for UK access than Brittany. Loads of expats in the Cotentin south of Cherbourg. Be aware that everyday healthcare can be hard to access in much of rural and small-town France.

If they can't work this out for themselves, they are probably making a mistake going to live there permanently.

If they are famuae with France as you say I would have thought they would have some preferences?

Have they thought of the practicalities?

For example:

• Do they have an EU passport? (Brexit...).
• Will they need to get private health insurance?
• What happens when/if they need care as they become frail?

There is a lot of bureaucracy in France. A lot more than in the UK.

There are also some nice places in the UK they could explore as alternative. Maybe somewhere by the sea.

I completely agree and they should avoid exposing themselves to dangerous heat. It rules out a lot of France because most of it is likely to be too hot in the summer. Which is why we are all asking why they have chosen France over the country where they live now (I can see that visas mean you can't pick and choose countries lightly otherwise id suggest looking at Ireland or Scandinavia)

If it is primarily to be near the Paris medical care then they should live as close as they can to Paris, because deliberately giving yourself a commute the length of France is silly.

800k to house two retired people is a hefty budget. If it were me, I'd spend it all on being fabulously central in a superb city such as Paris or London. Or else spend half the money on a more rural place and the rest on making it work for them (eg aircon, pool, taxi fund)

There was a thread on here a while ago called something like "I blame escape to the country" about people whose elderly parents had moved somewhere really unsuitable and the problems it causes.

@OuEnFranceSVP I would have this thread moved to Chat so you can cut down on the needlessly snarky and close minded responses. So many narrow thinkers in the replies.

Have you never tried to help a family member ? Is research not the way to learn about something ?

Apologies for not knowing every inch of France but the parts of we are familiar with are not suitable because they're big cities with high COL or industrial-type places that no one wants to retire in.

There are also some nice places in the UK they could explore as alternative. Maybe somewhere by the sea.

It really isn’t the same. British winters by the sea are bleak.

I can recommend both Tours and Poitiers hospitals for healthcare and ease of access to Paris, but it can get very hot in both.

Don't want to say more on an open forum, but happy to answer PMs.

I think you have been given a hard time (& by me too, wondering if you are a journo!).

I think that you are going to struggle with temperatures in France, apart from Brittany and even there you will have days above 25C.

I would re-post in Living Overseas, if I were you. A much calmer place than AIBU!

Clearly talking about south of France.

Just because some Brits stick to other Brits not all do.

Eymet - lovely town, close to airports, plenty of expats but may be too hot in the summer.