France Made Simple

I’ve spent over 22 years here and put three kids through the French system . I’ve sent them off to pre-school with spare nappies and slippers and applied for grants for Masters degrees. And made oodles of mistakes along the way! Listen in so you don’t have to make the same ones!

Drawing on my not ever so extensive experience of dating Frenchmen (two to be precise!), I share my personal insight on why this is a great idea! You can decide for yourself whether it is informative or amusing…

We look at the three most common problems faced by English speakers relocating to France and explain how to get around them.

We take a look at just some of the benefits La Manche has to offer visitors and residents alike. If you’re thinking about moving to Normandy or even just visiting, this episode is sure to inspire!

Living in France can be both fabulous and frustrating! And sometimes it seems like half the battle is simply finding the time to get everything done! So here are my (personal) life hacks which will hopefully allow you to free up some time and spend that time doing the stuff that you enjoy doing, rather than the stuff you have to do!

It’s really important to get your social etiquette right in France and this is especially true when it comes to eating and drinking. In this episode I talk you through the do’s and don’ts of apéro hour; what to take, how to behave and when to leave. This is a short episode but it’s something that’s absolutely key to life in France so make sure you give it a listen!

We catch up with long time SF member and podcast fan Nick Ord who tells us why he decided to change career and open a hotel and restaurant in Dinan. And…there’s a special discount for listeners!

If you’re looking to buy a property in France, the viewing process can be daunting. You need to be aware of all the potential problems you might encounter and know the right questions to ask. But never fear, we are here to guide you through the process! This episode is the second part of our “All you need to know” when you’re buying in France. So if you’re buying, or even just at the ‘thinking about it’ stage, give it a listen and feel free tous end us any questions too!

Many of you who want to move to France also need to earn a living, and running a gite or even a gite complex, can be an ideal way to do this. Listen in to the latest episode and find out exactly how to go about this and how to find the perfect property for your rental project!

One of the (many!) things that you need to be prepared for when moving to France is the cultural divide that exists between France and Anglo-Saxon countries. It’s not necessarily a bad thing ; just something to be aware of. In this episode I run through some of the many differences. Please feel free to comment and share your thoughts too!