Re-location within France?

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Emmy
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Re-location within France?

Post by Emmy »

Having set up our holiday business here in South Charente last summer - "standard" gite holidays, but developing specialist sewing holidays and day workshops - we are selling (the house is on the market) and the plan is - was! - to move to a part of Italy which we love, and where we have a holiday home. We are now wondering if our conclusion - that "France isn't quite right for us" - is a bit of a silly conclusion and want to explore/research other parts of France. There are, in fact, many, many things I would miss... I wondered, please, if any of you would be willing - possibly by private message - to share your observations and knowledge of the areas you know best/where you live... We miss the Italian "cafe culture" - the sitting in a bar watching the world go by... The busy streets of old towns, with interesting shops to browse in... For our guests we'd like to re-locate to somewhere where they can do these things, but also where we can take them to interesting cultural sights - a castles, a beautiful garden, an abbey, an art gallery or two... Somewhere lively, with cafes and bistros etc open out of season... We'd prefer not to be much further north of here and are considering: Lot, Dordogne, Tarn, Aude, Tarn et Garonne, Lot et Garonne.... I'd really appreciate any thoughts these - and other - areas, not least as a starting point for my research... Yes, I'm about 2.5 years too late with the research, but let's not go there right now......... :-(
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Moliere
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Post by Moliere »

My twopenn'th - I am only really talking about my locality here - that's Languedoc. In Aude, Narbonne fits your bill pretty well, but here in neighbouring Herault, Pezenas would be perfect, it has everything you ask for.
If your budget allows, Marseillan would work quite well too with the bonus of the sea.
PM me if you'd like to know more.

Bonne chance

Mols
Jumping is just dressage with speed-bumps.
vacancesthezan
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Post by vacancesthezan »

Moliere wrote:My twopenn'th - I am only really talking about my locality here - that's Languedoc. In Aude, Narbonne fits your bill pretty well, but here in neighbouring Herault, Pezenas would be perfect, it has everything you ask for.
If your budget allows, Marseillan would work quite well too with the bonus of the sea.
PM me if you'd like to know more.

Bonne chance

Mols
+1 for Pezenas and/or Marseillan

You havent said about income. This area is fairly well saturated with rental properties (of all shapes and sizes) so could be difficult but not impossible to start from scratch.

Plus house prices here can seem expensive when comparing with central France although still cheaper than Nice.Provence etc
Ecosse
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Post by Ecosse »

We're a lot further north, but I love Haute Savoie and have no regrets about choosing to set up home here. You have to pick your location carefully (isn't that true of anywhere?) - some places are alpine idyll, but there isn't even as much as a boulangerie, let alone a passing tourist in the village, others are really quite urban. Our village is open all year round, has a very friendly, permanent community... as well as a great selection of cafes to sit outside of and watch the world go by. It also has the added bonus that it is very close to both Italy and Switzerland, so day trips to see the ancient towns of Sion (Switzerland) or Aosta (Italy) are easy, as are trips to see the medieval village of Yvoire on the shores of Lake Geneva. On the downside, the most popular parts of the department already have their fair share of holiday accommodation but... it is possible to still find gems.

If you're not keen on the northern Alps, have you considered somewhere like Briancon? We seriously considered it (beautiful fortress town, World Heritage Site and also very close to Italy) but rejected it as, depending on where you choose, it either has only a summer or only a winter market, not both. For us as a family bringing up young kids, this wasn't feasible, but if you have the time to invest in providing specialist sewing holidays, etc. this may be a good location. Briancon also benefits from 300 days' sunshine a year!
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bornintheuk
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Post by bornintheuk »

I am sorry but I dont understand your issues.
If you want the Italian idea then why choose south Charente ?
We have been in France not more than 30 km from you for 25+ yrs and know parts of the locale where you can do the things that you list.
Why move to the Charente if you want Italy ? Bizarre !
What would Plato do ?
Emmy
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Post by Emmy »

Thanks so much for the helpful replies... Aude is an area we've been discussing, so I'll continue to look into it... In fact, we've actually talked about the two places mentioned - Narbonne and Pezenas - so it was really useful that you mentioned them. I hadn't considered Haute Savoie before, and will certainly look into it further because that area may well suit my husband's interest too... It's really good to hear from people who actually live in an area and yes, everyone likes different things.

Bornintheuk... I must admit, I don't quite see the point of your comment "... know parts of the locale where you can do the things that you list" if you then don't tell me where I can find those things... That seems as bizarre to me as my move to France seems to you. We moved to France after I suffered from a rather sudden double bereavement. It was a move we made to fulfil a dream I'd always had, to run sewing holidays. It was not a "retire to Italy" plan, but a set up a sewing holiday centre in France plan. Live and work in France, holiday in Italy... The beautiful Charente has helped me start to feel that life is worth living again. An impossible idea for me two years ago. It's a stunning place and has brought a sense of calm and well-being back into my life... However, that doesn't mean it's right for me or, more importantly, for my business, in the long-term... I am trying, this time, to do what I didn't do before; look into more areas, and with a different mind-set. This time, instead of grappling with a mind fogged by grief, I'm looking at the situation more clearly, and with the benefit of a certain amount of experience. My business is very specialist and I'm hoping to find somewhere a little more suited to it; the Charente is stunning but I have to consider all options. Yes, there are things about Italy we both miss, just like some people miss certain aspects of uk life. Yes, we might move there, just as some people return to the uk. I made quite a few bizarre decisions in 2015, but moving here wasn't one of them. It's the next step forwards which is important, not the past, so if you could please point me in the direction of those things I'm looking for, in the area where we live and which I'm find of, then I'd really appreciate it.
petitbois
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Post by petitbois »

we have been in the Charente now for 14yrs & love it - up till this year our business has been successful. This year is hopefully a one-off disaster year, due to worldwide political upheaval causing huge uncettainty for all & aa reluctance to spend money on things like holidays too far in advance. Personally I would advise you to stay put as politically I hope France is going to be far more stable than Italy now we have someone like Macron in charge. Not sure if you are a UK citizen - if so again with Brexit on the horizon I would advise you to sit tight to see what evolves in 2017 - wandering around Europe does not seem to me to be a very good idea. The Charente is a fabulous region - popular with many north-Europeans as well as the French & UK markets. Maybe start offering day courses to local UK residents - I know a lady nearby who runs patchwork classes & has a huge following. Why not give yourself a 5yr plan to see if it all settles, by then you can have some form of residence permit & be possibly in a better position to change country......
Emmy
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Post by Emmy »

Thanks, petitbois - you make some important points which I hadn't considered. In terms of bookings of etc., we're fairly happy with how that's going to be honest. They might seem poor to someone who has been doing this for longer, but we've nothing to compare it with! We didn't open until last July so are pleased with the bookings we're getting. You're right about the day workshops, too. I've been running workshops here since October and they're proving to be a real success. Thanks so much for taking the time to reply.
franglaise
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Post by franglaise »

What about the Pyrénées Orientales (my neck of the wood). It is a gorgeous area (sea and mountains and stunning scenery) with a culture all of its own (it is French Catalonia). The art scene is vibrant and Spain is just over the border. Basically you get two countries for the price of one ! pm me if you want more infos on the area.
Martha
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Post by Martha »

I think what you are doing sound completely understandable! :)
I agree with what Ecosse says about Haute-Savoie and would just add the obvious caveat that you do need to enjoy winters!

But also I know a surprising amount of people here who have places elsewhere (EG Italy, South of France, Ibiza) and move between the two, renting both places out in their respective high seasons. EG they spend summer in Chamonix, winter in Italy, and the income from the other house supports them.

A friend from here just moved to Cazals to do something quite similar (activity based holidays outside the peak family season) and she is very happy there. It sounds like a similar kind of setup to what you are seeking, lots to offer culturally as well. It sounds to me like a pleasant opportunity to explore France a bit! :) Good luck, I will be interested to hear how you progress.
Chalet la Foret, Chamonix
Emmy
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Post by Emmy »

Apologies, Martha and Franglais...! I read your very helpful responses and then set about further research... Got carried away doing so and completely forgot to thank you! I really appreciate your comments, both of which opened up new ideas for me.
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