Two people, a woman with white hair and a man with brown hair, are walking together on a city street. They are both dressed in black jackets and pants. The woman is walking her small dog, which is wearing a colorful sweater, along the sidewalk. The street is lined with old brick buildings and parked cars.
A busy street scene outside a bakery with people standing and sitting, including a man with a beard and a woman holding a cup. The bakery has a blue facade with baked goods displayed in the window, and signs indicating it is a boulangerie and patisserie named 'Murciano'.

Moving to France, Honestly

We left California for a very old house in the Pyrenees.

This is everything we wish someone had told us first.

People ask us how we did it almost as often as they ask why. The short answer is that we traveled for years, looked seriously at other countries, and kept coming back to France. The longer answer involves consulates, a great deal of paperwork and more patience than we knew we had, and it's all here, from choosing where to live to bringing the dog.

We won't pretend it's easy, because it isn't. But it is possible, and if you're weighing it up yourself, you're in the right place.

If you're just starting out, begin with our immigration guide, then see what daily life actually costs with the cost of living calculator.

Try it before you leap

We're putting together a way for people to live the French life for a few weeks before committing to it. Join the list and you'll hear about it first, along with the occasional letter from here.