Top 10 Best Places To Live in France (Expats, Retirees, Digital Nomads)
France is the biggest country in the European Union. With so many places to choose from, where should you live? Find out the Top 10 best places to live in France. Plus, which city was voted #1 by French citizens! Want to learn a new language? Get 50% off lifetime access to 25 languages with Rosetta Stone partners.rosettastone.com/tra...
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00:00 - Intro
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25:58 Why Not Paris?
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👱🏻♀️ About: Kristin Wilson is the author of Digital Nomads For Dummies, the host of Badass Digital Nomads Podcast, and known as Traveling with Kristin on KZhead. She's traveled to more than 60 countries and has been helping people move overseas since 2005.
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Salut! I wonder how the healthcare in France compares with healthcare in Italy? Specifically Multiple Schlerosis care and treatment. Or is Switzerland better than both countries? Thank you! Merci!
@@DeanRamserChoose a place with maximum Sun exposure. Supplement with 10,000 units daily vitamin D3. Eliminate all seed /vegtable oils. Eliminate ultra processed /refined foods. If you use Google to find epidemiological maps showing the incident of MS around the world, there is none 15° above nor 15° below the equator.
N'1: the prononciation of RENNES is "RENN" (not "Renée"). Liked the video. 👍
I’m french, living near Paris. This vidéo is exact, but i prefer la Rochelle, on the Atlantic coast, Angers, in the West, or Versailles, near Paris. And if you love the sea, the little city of la Baule, with à splendid beach of nine kilometers ! In Marseille, Nice and Montpellier, there is a big problèmes of security, with drugs trafics.. Welcome in France, US citizens 😊 ! We remember june 6 1944, in Normandie ! ❤
I love Biarritz! I have been to Lyon, Rennes, Biarritz, Marseille, Nice, Straßburg, Paris and several other places in France. France is always worth to visit.
It's always a pleasure to explore its diverse beauty of France. Thanks for sharing @irmelieija 🇫🇷✨
Did she pronounce Strasbourg the german way ???? C'est une déclaration de guerre ça ☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️
France leads the world in the top 3 most visited countries of the World...the other two are Spain and Italy..
Strasbourg ! 😡😡😡
As a retiree...the health protection is #1. The south of France is beautiful and reasonably inexpensive. Great vid!
Glad you liked, it Carol! France is a great destination for high quality healthcare.
I think its' gonna be the new "Portugal."
Nope, too expensive! But, you are correct that the healthcare is exceptional!! I have had exceptional healthcare in Portugal as well, but as with both countries it takes patience and research...Slow, but it eventually works!
Dordogne sounds wonderful. I have visited Provence, Lyon, Montpelier, Orleans, Dijon, Auxerre, Beaune, Epernay, Troyes and Reims in the past. I could imagine living in Dijon or Beaune as well.
Biarritz has one of the highest real estate prices in all of France, more than most areas of Paris. Around 8000 euros per square meter!
Yes I mentioned the high prices! Pros and cons ;)
I know Perpignan often gets a bad rap, but I really think it's under-rated. It's fairly affordable, and seems to offer a good deal for retirees. Royan and Saintes (both in Charente Maritime) also seems like interesting bets.
I like how you structured this video; it is very comprehensive with pros/cons, costs and places to live nearby. Keep it coming!
Thank you so much for the feedback! I'm glad you found the video helpful. 😊👍 I'll definitely keep creating content like this.
Merci beaucoup Kristine d’avoir partager ces belles villes de la France. À bientôt
The "real" France nowadays indeed is outside Paris. In fact, as a porivincial Frenchman I feel "foreign" in Paris.
Paris is always the magnet for young French from provinces, that makes Paris the biggest cosmopolitan of France..unfortunately, migrants from outside Europe also flock to Paris for jobs, so evidently, French from provinces will be lost in Paris...
Of course with the Provincials making up 50% of the Parisian population you feel lost. What is the real France then if that's not the place the most representative of its population?
@@rock3timesThere are few migrants in Paris and even fewer who expect getting a job there. There are only 15% foreigners in Paris and the majority come from Europe.
@@puccaland The word foreigners in Paris, must also include the large population of african and others who came to France as " travailleurs immigrés" who were there from back of 1960's.. Regardless what, go into the metro in Paris and you will feel lost among "foreigners"...
@@rock3times And your African immigrants who went to France in the 60's are either dead, or had returned to their countries and the bunch of them still in France aren't to be seen in the metro and probably aren't even foreigners for they have never been foreigners in the first place and were born French and probably benefitted from the retroactive citizenship.
YAY! The place to where I"m retiring is not on here. Biarritz seems a great place to pass thru, tho, en route to Iberia.
A city that I discovered recently is Annecy called "la perle des Alpes". Not a big city (population around 120,000) but the landscape is absolutely amazing with the lake and mountains around., not far from Geneva international airport and companies in the outdoor business and tech as well. Flip side is the cost of living.
I spent 2-3 months a year in Lyon for several years and could easily see myself living there. There is so much to see and do, and it's convenient to travel via train or air to other locations. As a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef, the focus on food is a huge plus for me! Montpellier was lovely but a bit too small for my taste. However, I still want to visit Nice because living on the coast is my retirement dream location. Also, I've heard a lot about Annecy and wondered why that city didn't make your list?
Thanks for sharing your experience, Linda! Annecy is also nice but didn't make the top 10. There are so many places to choose from in France! I used a combination of personal experience, research, and statistical data from expat and French citizen surveys and ratings lists.
Annecy is very nice , it is my city. amazing landscape. you will need more money than the average french city though because of its proximity with Switzerland.
I'm in France now on a one year visitor visa. I'm keeping to the South (Antibes and Sainte Maxime). Nice is too expensive like you mentioned. I'm leaving before my visa is up, but an important point for foreigners is that it's exceedingly difficult to obtain a long term lease. That's why I'm not doing the full year as short term housing costs (Airbnb) are too expensive.
Hey@stacie007! Thanks for sharing your experience, and I'm glad you're enjoying your time in France. It's definitely important to consider housing costs, especially with the challenges of obtaining long-term leases. Enjoy the rest of your stay! 😊🏖️
Could you please give examples of what they ask you to pay for what type of housing? By town. It's to have an idea of what they ask to tourists and what they ask to locals. Thanks.
@@puccalandVery Demanding, eh?
@@majortom8047 Just curious.
As usual with your videos, so well organized,, clear and informative. Excellent, many thanks!!
Thank you, Mitch! So happy to read your feedback 😊
Excellent information - thak you so much!
"where the wine flows like . . . wine" . that one got me , Thanks Kristin
😆
Dijon seemed really nice and clean
Stay away from the housing estates, HLMs, in Dijon, they are full of crime.There was a huge battle there between recently arrived Chechnians and the North Africans who were already there. French Channel BFM covered the story.
Dijon is beautiful! I’ve been several times.
Great info. Thanks! Checked a few of my favorites for tennis courts. Yep, they have em.
Thanks for the very informative video!
Glad it was helpful, Chiara!
Send me somewhere in the south of France. Got to love the Mediterranean climate. Nice would be nice.
I hear you! 🙌
Great video as usual, Kristin. I always learn something new.
Thank you so much! I'm glad you found the video helpful David. 😊🎥
Another great video, lots of helpful and up-to-date info. Thanks for sharing.
Glad it was helpful! More countries coming soon :)
Thank you. Very well done.
Thank you kristin for this excellent and informative video. Must have been a lot of work putting it all together. Merci!
My pleasure! These types of videos take a long time to produce but I really enjoy making them. 😊
Very informative overview. Lots of choices for the future. Thanks for all your hard work, you make it look effortless!
Wow! Such a great and informative video. You have invested a lot of effort in producing this video. Thank you and Bravo 🙌 ❤🙏🥂
Thank you so much for your kind words and appreciation! I'm thrilled you found the video informative. Your support means a lot @mohammedsharif2651! 🎉❤️🥂
Thank you for sharing this information. :)
You're welcome! 😊
The video I needed!!! ❤❤❤❤
🇫🇷🥖☕️🍷🙌
Love this video! Dreaming of moving to France. Great info!
Thanks Lindy! I hope it helps you move to France someday!
Wow, that's awesome video. I really appreciate your structured approach, and information about cost of living. Very inspiring!
Thank you, Boris! I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed the format. Stay tuned for more destinations!
Kirsten, thanks for a comprehensive take on France. I have been hoping you would do this. Like the survey form which is new to me. 😎Much appreciated. Willi
My pleasure, Will. Glad it was helpful!
Thank you Kristin! ❤🌿🌻😊
You are so welcome!💛
Hi Kristin, loved the video, great guide with lots of useful information. If you could a similar guide for the Netherlands, that would be awesome!
Great suggestion! NL is one of my favorite countries, so I'll definitely add it to the list.
Love Bordeaux, Toulouse , Toulon and Nice
Me too! I haven't been to Toulon yet, but really loved the other three cities you mentioned.
Don't waste your time in Toulon! I love Nice and Bordeaux is nice to visit. Toulouse is ok, but I prefer provence!!
Thank you.
Miswriting, Switzerland place on Luxembourg on the map. Lyon is the best joke : 3rd city, actually 2nd urban area of France. You’ve been trapped by communal repartition which is purely administrative. 2k Michelin star restaurants, god knows I wish it but it’s the number for the hole France. Dordogne close to Paris by transportation 😂 Ardèche landscape for illustrations (the stone arch is on the commune of Valon Pont d’arc in Ardèche(07). Dordogne of Lot area is far from anything ! It’s just full of old English couples. Bref ! Wikipedia is nice but not too much. Here we have all the common mistake an American can do
I’m lucky to currently have a holiday home in my wife’s hometown in the Dordogne and plans are afoot for us to retire to France in a few years. Would love that to be in Provence or in Bordeaux but both are outside our budget so we are searching in the Lot et Garonne region. Thanks for the informative video.
Very lucky! That's a lovely place to retire. How much did you buy your house for if you don't mind sharing?
@@TravelingwithKristin we will have had it 20 years in December and it still isn’t fully renovated yet (time & money constraints!) but we originally bought it for the equivalent of £30k ! It’s a three storey townhouse in Nontron, le Perigord Vert 20 minutes from the beautiful Brantôme which features in your video.
Kirsten, would like to hear your thoughts on Paris and the left bank. Thanks Willi
Great information!
Glad it was helpful @margaretames6522! 😊
Hi Kristin..Happy to see you. France is everyone's favorite country. It's difficult to select one particular place since all the places are different and so interesting there. It's upto the person which one to select among them. Though I spoilt for choice, I find Dordogne and Rennes interesting.! Valuable informations. And you're looking great in shirt.! 👍
Hi there! Thank you so much for your kind words and for tuning in! I'm glad you found the information valuable. France truly has so much to offer, and it's wonderful to hear about your favorite places. 😊👍
Thanks ❤
My pleasure!
I would like to see all of them!
My favourite show is Chateau DIY. I love watching people from around the world, selling up, and buying a Chateau on the cheap and use for B&B or weddings. It's my dream. Property prices in Australia is a joke.
I’ll check that show out! Thanks for the tip
Ironically, rentals, especially short term ones, are often a factor in rising housing costs.
Thanks for doing this video. I will be visiting France and am currently a member of Alliance Francaise to brush up on the langue. I will be visiting Rennes and Bordeaux, then off to England.
That sounds like an exciting trip Michelle! Enjoy your time in France and safe travels to Rennes, Bordeaux, and England! 🌍✈️
et il y a également ces centaines de villes de moins de 20000 habitants qui ont tout le confort, la tranquilité et le style de vie à la française (marchés, restaurants, jardins, maisons typiques, etc). Votre reportage est très pragmatique et bien structuré, bravo !
Thank you for this fantastic video. I learned a lot from the details you provided from so many French options for a near future solo female retiree. I would love if you made a similar video for Germany and England. I would love to have long term slow travel/ stay in Berlin and London. Thanks again, best wishes.❤❤❤
You're very welcome @DB0702! I'm thrilled to hear that you found the video helpful. Thank you for the suggestion. Best wishes to you too! ❤️❤️❤️
Grate video Kristin !!! sure we want one for Paris please !!!! pretty please !!! 🎀💝💌🥂
Noted! Thanks Shira!
Great video, please do Italy next!
Thanks Shaunas! Italy is high on my list. Coming soon!
Thank you so much, this is very useful! Please make one for Germany :)
Thanks for the suggestion, Maryana! I would love to make a video like this about Germany as well. Stay tuned for more :)
Have you been to Toulon? There is a IL correspondent there. Numbeo notes the COL as similar to Besancon.
All of these communities look quite nice! I still have yet to visit France (I don't count layovers at the airport in Paris), but I would love to visit it someday!
You should definitely visit France, Scott! One of my favorite countries!
Great video! I appreciate the research that went into it. Just curios - did Grenoble come up as a possibility? That's a city (and an area) that interests me, and I wonder how it would fare according to your criteria.
Hi Justin, I don’t recall Grenoble coming up in my research but it could probably make the top 20. It was extremely difficult to narrow this list down to 10 places!
Merci Krissy Biscuits!
Vous êtes les bienvenus!
If were looking to move to France for an extended period time I would pick the Dordogne. Beautiful countryside and picturesque villages plus easy access to Bordeaux. I visited there many years ago and hoped that I would be able to return someday. I’m also a fan of the Bruno Chief of Police series by Martin Walker.
Not sure why you mention Bordeaux is a small town as a cons it is actually quite a large town with lots of arts and culture. It is also very close to the sea with Arcachon one hour by train, Lacanau one hour by car.
Edit: on second watch, there are maps! It was so much info, I guess I zoned, lol. Such a useful and helpful video! I do wish you would have flashed a map up of each city. Still, thank you so much!
Glad you caught the maps on the second watch! 😄 Thanks for the feedback, and I'm thrilled you found the video helpful overall. Your support means a lot @LauraLouLou! 🗺️✨
Thank you, Kristin. I need to get my ducks aligned...🥰 I live in USA and plan to move to France [no idea when]. There is some kind of fear of moving.... I loved your video and thank you for all this useful information 👍🥰👍✨️
Insecurity is high in France
Montpelier is my favorite place in France! Thanks.
Ma ville ✋🏻
Did you go to the beach there? How far from the city was it? Was it nice?
@@Lostouille c'est pres de la mer oui?
@@MJ-wrty exact. Une 20aine de km de la côte Grande Motte /Palavas/ Carnon
@@Lostouille Merci! Qu’est que tu pense de Biarritz et La Côte d’azur
Where I’ve Always Stayed; The CARLTON Intercontinental Hotel, Now Known As CARLTON REGENT, CANNES! Directly Opposite The Beach. I Used To Attend The CANNES FESTIVAL. It’s An Amazing Hotel With Fabulous Views! I’m Always Treated Very Well.
In France, I’ve spent more time in Paris and Dijon, since I know people in these cities, and my nephews were born in Dijon. It’s very nice, but I was in Marseille last June. One of my nephews is in graduate school there. I didn’t go to Nice, but I loved how it was very multicultural. All of the Mediterranean, and coastal cultures are represented. People were very nice, and when they heard my bad French, several people would check on me, to assist. The problem, the air pollution from the cruise ship. I’m not sure if I could deal with that daily, for the whole, hot summer.
@@skygblue6250I only know Marseille and the surrounding area had some issues last June. I don’t know how long it’s been going on. Luckily, there was a bit of rain and a wind shift during my stay. There had been an alert on my weather app before I got there.
Thank you for such an informative video. I would appreciate a video on Paris and what areas you find that are safe, affordable, etc. I keep hearing that even Paris is cheaper to rent a place than in the big cities in the U.S.
Thank you for your feedback @HollyWake-Shinoff! I'm glad you found the video informative. I'll definitely consider making one. Stay tuned for more content! 😊🇫🇷
Now these days, the rents in New York and Los Angeles and San Francisco are making the prices in Paris smelling like roses... Just come back from Paris...
Yes my family lives in strasbourg forever .
How nice!
Paris is now very affordable if you get used to live in expensive cities like New York, Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco.While America is affected by the current inflation, the "used to be" high prices of Paris now become very affordable. One city I like is Bourges, smacked right at the center of hexagonal France. It is a medium city with good infrastructure and costs of living.It is equidistant from the majors mentioned here which located at the periphery of the hexagon . It has the central bullet train station which can zip you to any place in shortest distances. The berry province is one of the cheapest to live in France.
A survey that came out at the end of last year, listed a dozen places in the top 20 that you haven’t mentioned.
Good List, but Réunion deserves a spot =D
I'm planning to move to France in about 3 years, still deciding where. Despite the cost, Paris is top of my list followed by Lyon. Really don't want to be in a place full of American or British expats and prefer a cold climate.... so hard to decide. This video was helpful.
We retired to Antibes. The best place to live on the Cote d'Azur.
Nice, humid. phew!
Hi, Kristin. Very informative. It includes places for all tastes and budgets. Could you add some immigration/residence permit info for those who are non EU citizens looking to move to France? Thanks! Excellent job as usual!
Hi there! Thank you for your feedback and suggestion! Talked about that in my podcast here: www.badassdigitalnomads.com/living-like-a-local-in-france-italy-language-lifestyle-cost-of-living-and-more/ I'm glad you found the video informative overall! 😊🌍
You missed the aveyron, but as I live here, I’m not unhappy about that.
Surprised not to see Nantes in the list
Have you been to Limoges? Poitiers? What about Reims and Amiens, or Beziers and Carcassonne for alternate Mediterranean lifestyle?
PLEASE DO SIMILAR for ITALY.
Besançon final sound is not like English « son », but is like « song » (without final « g »)
Nice informative
Thanks DK! Glad you liked it 😊
Thank you Kris. Miss you my cute friend. Kris now I continue my study with job. I am doing degree of advocate. Kris I droped msg on your whtsapp but I think you are too much busy in your daily routine.
Any idea what Beziers like?
I lived in nice and in summer temps in the 85-93f range are not uncommon...dunno where you get 60-70s F.
It's pronounced REN and the one major factor that would never have it in the top 5 - the British weather.
Kristin your comments about being a digital nomad or working in France are ill informed and will give people false hope that they can easily work as a digital nomad in France which is not the case. Its really difficult to work online for a company that is not based in France. This is because if you are resident and working in France you have to pay social contributions to France. If your American or other foreign employer wants to do that on your behalf, they can but it will be administratively difficult and very expensive for them. So generally unless you are very valuable to them they will not do it. You can pay the social charges yourself via a portage company but again it is very expensive to do and prohibitive to all those who cannot afford to lose up to 40% of their salary. The only option to do online work in France is to set up your own company using a French business structure. Even then you cant expect to be able to work for your former employer on employee like terms, its just not allowed. In the Montpellier section of the video you say this. "If you have a visa to work it may be difficult to find a job in Montpellier" This comment shows you have no understanding of how work visas in France work. You have to have the job offer before you arrive in France to get a work visa, not the other way around. Without it (and a permit from your French employer to accompany the visa application) you won't get a work visa. Further a French employer won't get a permit to employ an American unless he can prove there is nobody in France and Europe that can do the job. Im not suggesting you provide all this detailed information in your videos but you should stop saying things that make it sound like its easy to be a digital nomad in France. You will just disappoint people who thought you knew what you were talking about, not to mention the disappointment they will feel at having their dreams dashed when they actually apply for a visa to reside in France.
Exact! Very useful comment. If you live in France, you will be considered as fiscal resident ( despite being digital nomade working for foreign company) and you will pay taxes in France and they will be huge, really huge. Moreover, finding long term rent as digital nomade will be in 90% incredibly difficult...
I think this video is for retirees on fix income... True, young and aspiring technos will not adapt well in France..
is that near salford ?
😆
Could you recommend an international moving company?
You can check out my relocation site @barbraarchibeque www.orbisrelocation.com/
I'd like to live in Cap d'Agde, which is good, because we've been living here since 1989.🎉+1
Lovely! What do you like the most about it?
@@TravelingwithKristin It has four real natural seasons, exaggerated by the human presence of tourists: There's a very quiet winter, the anticipation of spring, the madness of summer and the return to calm of autumn. When we were young, we looked forward to summer to party, but now we're planning to go to Thailand in our European summer to avoid the crowds. 😀👍 The beach, the sea and the sun are always there 🏖️ 🌊 ☀️. 🇨🇵🇪🇺
I hear the beaches are quite spicy
@@kenrehill8775 It's a small part of the naturist beach that has got your taste buds going, if I get your drift 👍. The sand goes everywhere 🤣.
@@andrewrobinson2565 I was watching a documentary about it the other day
Lyon climate is humid subtropical ?! it's not what i saw there... it's a mistake.
Antibes 😎
Dordogne
What do you think about Pau?
Would you say Bescacon is a place where you need public transportation to reach smaller towns? Where is a good sight for monthly rentals for France?
The cheapest but rural and run down boondocks is called Limousin region..there are 4 provinces with medium cities like Chateauroux, Limoges and Nimes...pick a province and stay away from cities, you will be fine.. I don't mention quality of life though, since you ask the cheapest, of course, you get what you pay for...that truth is universal😊😊😊😊😊
If you do a video about Paris, don’t sleep on the suburbs! When we were initially looking for a place to live here, I saw a map that showed the cost of housing per square meter drops sharply outside the city limits, and that proved to be true - you can get so much more for your money if you’re willing to ride the RER.
Yes living in the suburbs can save a lot of money, while still being close to the center via public transit. 😊
13:09!! 😮😮😮😮 i cannot believe where you placed italy & Switzerland and also Roussillon is defo NOT in Provence
8:16 It's the european parliament in Brussels
Bordeaux
If I was to relocate anywhere else, France would be at the very top of my list. Especially, Sud de France et Cote d'Azur. Le ville de Besancon est breathtakingly belle. Mais tu dois apprendre le français !
Absolutely! France has so much to offer and you're right, learning French would be essential for fully immersing oneself in the experience. Merci beaucoup for sharing your thoughts! 🇫🇷
Indeed learning French is better in France but if you speak English using a slow rythm and prononciation you should be understood
Feghance is good. 🎉
Nice video, but you are pronouncing Rennes incorrectly
So Biaritz is more expensive than Besancon.
Haha, like WAY more expensive.
Lille is missing from the list, it is way better than Besançon
Rennes number 1 ? Strange ranking because Rennes is one of the 10 least safe cities in France (refer crime index)
Youre right
There aren’t 2000 Michelin star restaurants in Lyon…! 😂😂