Moving to Charente area

[Costacoffeeplease]

Any advice for areas to look at/avoid?

My friend has a European passport and already lives in Europe. However she is thinking of moving and considering the Charente area of france.

Does anyone have any advice. She’s late 50s, single, no children to consider, not planning on working, and will be a cash buyer.

Bump

La Rochelle is beautiful, DH’s two aunts live there. There are both widowed and seem to have a great social life, choir, bookclub etc. although I don’t know how easy it would be for a newcomer. I assume your friend speaks at least some French if she is thinking of moving?

Yes she speaks good French

I think La Rochelle would be good then, there are some really pretty villages around like Fouras on the coast but on her own somewhere bigger with more going on would be better. I love that part of the world.

The Charente countryside is lovely but very very sleepy outside the main towns. What level of liveliness does she want?

If she wants a town, I agree La Rochelle is lovely, but it’s quite cramped (the old town) and does get very touristy. I visited Rochefort last year and thought it would be a really nice place to live. If she wants a smaller town then Saintes, Surgeres or St Jean d’Angely could be options to look at - all nice towns.

Thank you I’ll pass that on. She doesn’t want to be too remote but nowhere too busy/touristy either

We have a holiday home about half an hour from LR. The tourist / beach towns shut down completley in the off season.

Royan and Fouras could be worth a look. LR is lovely but a nightmare in summer, and it gets really bloody hot.