As a french i d say: Safety (no shootings, few murders) Health (almost free of charge) Culture (theatre, opera etc... Are cheap) Food (fresh and affordable) Calm (especially in the countryside) Food (Yep, it deserves to be mentionned twice 😅)
Pas de fusillade, mais attaque au couteau pour un regard, ou une clope. Ce n'est certes pas la norme, mais ça arrive, il y a quinze jours, j'ai subi une intimidation physique par un fdp au sein d'un groupe de cinq clampins (et certainement pas des Jean, François, Paul et Pierre), et chaque jour il y a plus d'un millier d'agressions physiques, et plus d'une centaine au couteau. Çà, ce n'est pas la France, dans les années 80, on réglait au pire, les problèmes au poing, en un contre un, les couteaux ne sont pas dans notre culture, ni les attaques en bande, trop souvent mortelles. L'insécurité augmente, parce que nos politiques et les procureurs, les juges nommés par un État volontairement défaillant l'encouragent (la prétendue "indépendance" de la justice est une grosse blague et une grosse insulte, que dire des squats qui voient les voleurs mieux protégés que les propriétaires). En France, les victimes sont de plus en plus considérées comme des coupables, et on trouve toutes les mauvaises raisons possibles pour excuser les bourreaux. L'inversion totale des valeurs s'est aussi vue dans l'ouverture des JO, où de multiples signes sataniques sont visibles, tout en crachant sur les chrétiens. C'est un tout, et ce n'est pas une coïncidence, bien loin de là. Et les "fachos" sont bien entendu ceux qui osent le dire, pas ceux qui font de leur mieux pour que ça arrive et que ça continue. Un moment, ce n'est plus de l'aveuglement, mais de la complicité.
As a french i d say: Safety (no shootings, few murders) I would have agreed 15 years ago.. unfortunately it started to change very much for about 10/15 years.. even the countryside is touched today..
@@HaroldHivart 2023 was 1.5 homicide per 100 000 hab. 1990 was 2.2. Go back to grade school, you clearly missed some maths lessons, espece de droitardé.
We were looking at Panama, Portugal and Spain and had kind of written France off of the list until I stumbled upon your channel. You guys have shown us that France is indeed not as expensive as we initially thought. Thanks, fellow Texans.
Oh good, I'm so glad!! I think in France it all depends on the area you choose and how your life is set-up. Good luck with everything and thanks for watching!
@@SenorJuan2023 Traditional French family eat it with almost everything and every meal, with potatoes, with rice, etc ... Modern "young" families brought back the true meaning of "culinary culture". In the sense they evolve recipes, incorporating foreign tastes and ingredients, have more simple meals. There are less families having 3 course meals or more. More often main dish and dessert. Appéritif and entrées when they receive people and sometimes 5 or full courses to receive families. The most important point is they keep traditional cuisine, and only add variety on their menus with modified recipes, foreign cuisine, etc. 20 years ago, each time I went to friends, it was always and only French cuisine.
As a French I lived a year in NYC, but for many reasons in this video I decided to go back home. Thank you for sharing your experience All people who like and respect our Lifestyle are welcome. I wish you the best.
thanks for your video, I'm french and sometimes I need an aother perspective of my own country to better realise why France is a beautiful country... thanks again
Anywhere you go in the world you'll find something good or bad to say, I'm french and I have a lot to complain about but I saw many places in the world and I know France is maybe the best. Soon you'll be able to speak fluently and enjoy more. Keep living French style, good food, friends, culture etc I wish you all the best.
Just want to add one thing a visa is not renewable it is what you get in your home country and then once here you get a Carte (Titre) se Jour which is then renewed either every year or every several depending upon which type of visa you come over on. We have a few months ago applied for our CDR (Carte de Résidence) which will then give us 10 years before having to renew again. We came over in 2017 and would never go back, we do love it here, not that the US was not wonderful, we just wanted to experience the difference. We also have never had a problem submitting our paperwork, it seems to be hard for some, but if you do like you said, give them what they ask for - all is clear sailing. Bonne Chance!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. My husband and I are thinking of moving to France in 2027. My husband then will be 72 and I have will be 71… we are just now gathering information about what we need to do. I know we need to translate documentation like birth, typic it to the French language. Not sure how to do that step but we’ll figure this out before we take the lunge.
Hi from Switzerland! Found your channel randomly and decided to take a look. In this particular episode, just had to stop when you got to healthcare to share my experience here. I married a swiss 33 years ago, I am originally from Oklahoma, but moved here, also, sight unseen. Before moving I had a kidney transplant so also, have and need medical services. Yes, I still have family in the US and miss them still, but the ONE thing that has kept me (and will keep me here) is the good healthcare I receive! I have been truely blessed with super doctors and all are my „friends“. I am seen directly by them(not a nurse praktioner), they take time to talk to me about my health, but also about my well being, family, vacation, etc. It is soooo nice! I could never return to the US where I would be waiting in an overfull waiting room and then be shuffled in and out. Again, healthcare over family is keeping me here! Continued good luck and joy to you and your family!!
Best part of all is that you are immersed in it. Also, now that you are learning French, the bonus is that learning an additional language would be so much easier. I grew up learning Arabic and French. Because of French, leaning Spanish was much much easier. Good luck
So happy you like my adopted country. I moved to France from the UK 36 years ago and never went back. Married a French lady and now have dual nationality (post-Brexit). As a keen cyclist and hiker there is so much to do in the glorious French countryside. I have seen the comments about Annecy which is indeed nice but quite busy and expensive. We have chosen a somewhat cheaper and more low-key option in Savoie, not Haute-Savoie in a village close to Chambéry. 2 railway stations with TGV's serving Paris in less than 3 hours - Chambéry and Aix-les-Bains. 2 airports 1 hour away - Lyon and Genève. Motorways in every direction and high mountains visible from our house. The area between Montpellier and Toulouse is also pretty nice. I am sure that Italy and Spain offer nice options too - but they do get rather hot in summer. To properly benefit from an extended stay in France learning the language to a reasonable level is pretty much essential but Internet does now offer many tools to complement the real-life practice opportunities. Enjoy to the full your brave lifestyle choice!
@@virginiefayolle7241 Ski stations obviously not and the immediate surrounds of the touristy Lac du Bourget are rather expensive. If one is prepared to travel a bit or live further out then there are reasonably-priced options. The downside is that rush-hour traffic is becoming pretty busy. But Savoie has made good progress in installing high-speed Internet so working from home (for those that can) is increasingly popular. Road infrastructure has not been developed to cope with the growth of University/business hubs such as Technolac. Restaurants aimed at the tourist-trade or high-end customers are good but not cheap but one can still find reasonably-priced meals at lunchtime in "brasseries" aimed at "working people". Public transport is quite limited so, unless you live and stay in one of the larger towns, a car is more or less mandatory.
@@budapestkeletistationvoices Not great. Populist politicians' promises are not worth the paper they are written on. Declining trade with Europe; no significant other trade deals in the pipeline; infrastructure (roads, sewage) in bad shape; National Heath Service still in a parlous state; economy with a large deficit; total immigration way up and a current government that's making a total mess of things. But it's difficult to see a developed nation with good prospects (France, Germany, Hungary, US, Canada...). Maybe AI will save us all.
One thing to know about baguettes, is they freeze really well. I cut mine into thirds, eat the juicy middle and freeze the other two. Then, for breakie, you break out the baguette for toast, yum yum. With some of that gorgeous butter and local jam Jason loves. There is one thing, baguette that's a bit stale gets soft and isn't nearly so good. Toasted baguette is also nice with cheese.
Wow .. excellent video. bonne qualité .. would have made my move from Oregon much easier! Thank you so much for your channel. I know it will help many travelers coming to France. -Daniel (Paris)
Bonjour. You might be the best ambassadors of our country. We can feel you are struggling, with a lot of "joie de vivre". I just joined your channel, officiellement.
You have understood the French way of life. Of course, FRANCE is not focused on efficiency and money making as in the US, but the overall quality of life is better I think. What's the worth of being efficient and making money if you don't enjoy at the same time?
Hello Rina and Jason. I came across your vlog by chance, and I love it. I can relate to the difficulty and challenge of moving to a place where you don't speak the language: I moved the the Netherlands some 20 years ago :) Keep it up! even if sometimes the French language, administration, delivery ... and people, may give you a hard time :)
Thank you so much for laying these items out. I see a lahhht of complaining on FR expat groups about how long everything takes admin-wise, and I can tell those people have not lived in the US either ever or lately or been disabled, because everything they discuss is the same complaints and concerns literally every disabled person in the dozens of chronic illness groups I'm in deals with hourly, and the AI in US is so terrible that every single interaction with a business is traumatic now. So, having at least a human being talking to you as a human being being the reason for slowness, is very welcome. As a communications and process improvement professional, I TOTALLY agree that FR has by far the most transparent, straightforward, clear communications I have ever seen from any government ever, and by far for an immigration scheme. So appreciate you all demystifying these items for everyone!
you are welcome in this beautiful country,! I like the way you talk about it.. I hope to see you one time at Cognac, the city where I was borne, grew up and always live in, We are world citizens ; I like you guys ...
Yes, it was a surprise to us too! There's still a lot of options going from other large French cities near us in the Southwest (Bordeaux, Toulouse) but not as many as we thought there would be without going through Paris. On the upside, there is highspeed rail (2 hours) from Bordeaux to Paris, so it's not so bad to get there for connections. Thanks for watching!
Hearing your experience with diabetic care makes me feel better about a possible move to FR. As a T1 pump user, healthcare has given me the biggest pause. Thank you!
You're welcome! Thanks for watching and commenting! Totally feel what you're saying. I'm not sure if we mentioned it in the video, but Jason is also T1 and uses a pump and a CGM. It was nerve-racking not knowing if it would be difficult to get his supplies. We brought 3 months with us just in case! But it's been really smooth. The most difficult thing has been navigating medical care in French, but we've found his French endocrinologist and the pharmacies to be super helpful. He did have to change CGM makers because Dexcom wasn't on the French plan, but now he's switched and we literally pay ZERO for anything related to his diabetes because it's a long-term chronic illness. The first few months before we were on the French system, we did pay for an order of Dexcom CGMs in cash and it was 65% LESS than we paid in the U.S. Same box.
Very interesting! The visa reason and the health care reason made a lot of sense. To be honest, the thrill of the delicious bread, food, market food, restaurant/cafe experience, mastering a new language, immersing yourselves in a new culture, convenient travel options, all could have been found in places like Spain, Portugal or Italy. In fact, the Bordeaux area is about as remote as you can get if getting to other European capitals is a priority. I think you just had it in your head that France was your place, and it became a self-fulfilling prophecy! Which is fine. I'm delighted to be in France, but would probably choose Portugal if I were to do it all again, just for the winter weather.
Bonjour. I’ve been to France over 30 times usually twice a year and i know it’s cultural, what it has to offer, nice people etc. I’m now retired living in an historic farm house in Cape May. I am returning to France October 32 for 17 days and will be basing in the western Brittany, Loire river valley, Tours and Limoges areas. I have connected with a Leggette agent for that area and will be visiting several houses for possible purchase in the areas of Rochechouar, Saint Mathieu and Les Salles-Lavauguyon as a start. I think you are in the Bordeaux area and there are some options there too. I live alone with my 6 year Frenchie Gigi who won’t be joining me for this trip. Your thoughts are welcome. A bientôt. Josef.
I teavel to the Champagne region a few times a year from the Netherlands (one of the most expensive countries in the EU) and regularly go to restaurants where you can have an excellent three course lunch for €33,-, in the Netherlands that would be around €60 - €70. More and more people speak English as they have discovered (a bit late) that almost all foreigners speak English as a second language and not French.
I'm so happy that you love living in my country, and in my region too (I live in Bordeux) . I find it amazing that you adapted so well givent the cultural and linguistic differences between our 2 countries. I take a real pleasure watching your posts on You Tube and the cool way you analyze your new life here. I wish I knew you in real life! Vous êtes géniaux!
I find your videos very entertaining. Thank you. It would be nice if you upped the specifics a little bit. Instead of just saying we looked at several countries, say: We considered Portugal, Italy, the Netherlands, … I am an American who has lived in Ireland, Québec (Canada), and now Switzerland. Place does make a difference. I am so happy in Switzerland.
Thanks for sharing such valuable information in a clear and concise manner. So glad to hear it seemed pretty easy to make the transition to living longer-term in France from the U.S.
The problem with the train is that you can't get to another city once, you walk outside the city, the advantage of the car, you can discover a new scenery around a bend! There is a magnificent place to see, the Tarn Gorges, it's magnificent! Another trip to France, it's the Canal du Midi, you rent an electric boat, you can stop near a village and do your shopping there!
Please do a video about finances. How were you able to afford to move internationally, do you still work (did you need a work visa,) how do you pay for health insurance, were you bi-lingual when you moved to France, Did you buy or rent, is it more or less expensive to buy/rent in France? Do you maintain a house in the USA? What is your monthly budget like in France vs the USA?
Yes I live in the southeast and luckily have the TGV 10 minutes away on foot and the airport a half hour by car. I chose a big city for these lifestyle reasons….though I would love sometimes to live in the countryside….but in the southeast (Provence) property is so expensive.
TGV in 10 minutes on foot??? Uh-mazing! I love our village lifestyle and wouldn't trade it, but I do wish we could walk to a train station. Any train station! 😂 I jokingly tell Jason what I really want is a little city studio apartment to stay in when we go to the theater, museums, want more of the cafe scene, or to catch the TGV somewhere and THEN come back to our village and the countryside the rest of the time. A girl has to have dreams! 😉 Thanks for your comment and watching!
@@BaguetteBound Bordeaux is a beautiful city. Perhaps you should stop "jokingly" telling Jason about wanting a studio apartment there and say it with more force! 🤣🤣🤣 (Only joking myself!)
quality of food is a every day challenge, in France as elsewhere. But here, many peoples feel engaged in that, even if we haven't the same advice of what is good food/products.
The difference between food in Europe and the USA is that here in Europe chemical or other harmful additives are absolutely forbidden, but in the USA they are approved by the FDA. This differs on the one hand in the taste of the food and on the other hand in healthiness. It makes a difference whether you can buy fresh food at a local market from the producers around the area or in a supermarket where you don't know exactly where it comes from. Healthy food has to taste good and make you happy instead of getting something that you know is not healthy for your body like in the USA.
Well, you didn’t say anything about why to move to France that I already didn’t know, but I really like the way you said it. You come across as straightforward, down-to-earth, and authentic. Thank you! You convinced me to subscribe without even trying to.
As a diabetic, how do you know you’re not getting sugar in the bread there? Curious if bread in France is something completely different than here in the states. I’m not even diabetic, yet due to family history i eat almost no bread at all, and even then homemade only with almost no sugar. Take care!
Sadly, bread does still have carbs in France. Jason manages it carefully with his insulin (as he does with all food, as even vegetables have carbs in them) as part of an overall healthy diet. Something interesting we have heard is those who are sensitive to gluten in the US may have an easier time with European bread because flour grown here is lower in gluten protein, just due to differences in type of wheat and growing conditions. Thanks for watching!
@@BaguetteBound You can also look for more traditional non white breads at the boulangerie. Or ask for a low glycemic index bread. They make lower sugar spikes and reduce stark cravings over the course of the day.
I don;t know how far your are from Toulouse (and you may have thought about this option already) but Toulouse airport is much bigger than Bordeaux's and offer more direct flights options.
Just stumbled on your video by accident! I really enjoy your energy and vibe. Very true about the transport being centered around Paris. We live in Niort (maybe not too far from you?) and part of the appeal was that there's a direct TGV to Paris so we can easily get other places. It's kind of a bummer what a pain it is to get to Bordeaux by train from where we are (no direct trains, long ride), even though it's really not that far. I will also second what you said about health care, in particular with respect to the long-term disease. I have a rare autoimmune disease and I have a specialist in Paris (one of the best in the world). He is maybe the best doctor I've ever had, so thorough, so kind. And the costs are low like you said.
Yes, there is a misconception created by deliberate propaganda in the USA that spreads the idea that you need to pay more to get better doctors here. That if you have a nationalized healthcare like ours, you end up having crappy doctors and crappy hospitals. But i remember how, back in the day, plagued but utter depression since kindergarten, and only having 7 cents remaining on my bank account, i ended up spending 6 months in a luxury private clinic with its massive private park (and several times, too), getting the best doctor around, and paying nothing, despite having no insurance whatsoever. This saved my life, although it took 20 more years for me to finally see the point in saving it. The truth is, no matter how much you pay, no matter how much money you have, everyone is in the same line for the same service. Actually even if you are a foreigner. The only reason why it is not the same in the USA is because americans have been sitting on their thumbs doing nothing for the longest time.
Thank you for all this fantastic information! Question about the baguette and breads in general. I don't have celiacs, however I have an RA type of reaction from eating too much wheat based breads. We have often wondered if it isn't so much the bread but the GMOs or pesticides they use in the US that I am sensitive to. Do you know of anyone that has any similar sensitivity and seen it disappear when eating breads abroad? I do love a good crusty baguette and will suffer swollen fingers for a bit but it would be great not to have a flare up each time.
How did you decide where to settle down in France? I saw your video on 5 things you need from a village but anything on more broadly the part of France you picked (south west)? By the way are you close to the Gers ?
You should talk about fear of moving and getting work. Should you get a job before going? A work visa before moving is a good idea. Temporary work if you extend a vacation? We've let America become boring. I don't care about celebrities or sports at all. But, an enriching life is rewarding. The Europeans understand that life is wonderful and try to create that in their societies.
If you plan to move and travel (for leisure or work) is high in your priorities list, then southwestern France might not be the best option. Unless you plan to go a lot to Portugal/Spain (then it's the best place to be). And while cities like Bordeaux (or Nantes) are important by French standards, their airports have limited direct flights options. You can either get closer to Paris as mentioned in the video. Or Lyon and Marseille (still smaller than Paris, but better connected than other cities). Or, get somewhere close to the border on the southeast/east/northeast, within a range of French AND foreign airports. I usually take flghts/trains out of Geneva which is closer, but Lyon is about an hour drive away. This nicely complements my options (and different country = different flag airlines = different connections). Yop of my mind combos: Lyon/Geneva, Lilles/Bruxelles, Strasbourg/Basel/Stuttgart.
Hi Folks! Found your channel through Tommy @ Traveltirement. I'm Billy, a cook from Nova Scotia, Canada with good French language skills. Does France allow volunteers from other countries to work there, like in a religious capacity where there is no exchange of monies? Great info...I subscribed. Yeahhhh
Welcome Billy! As far as we know, there no restrictions on volunteering. If you're staying longer than 90 days on a Canadian passport, you'll still need a visa like the long stay visitor visa, but its only specific about not "undertaking professional activites" here in France. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the video. Do you find that the taxes in France offset the cost of healthcare costs? Because when I think of American healthcare, I don't just figure in premiums, but the annual deductible as well. So, I'm just wondering if it's basically a wash.
YES! I LOVE paying my French taxes! 😂 It sounds funny, but it's true. I feel like I get so much for them compared to the States and the whole health care system just feels simpler to navigate because exactly what you mentioned - it's not just premiums in the US but also deductibles, co-pays, out-of-pocket maximums, etc. We definitely want to do a video comparing the TOTAL tax burden for a median-income family in each country because I think often people see the total tax rate in France and think it's higher, but don't realize your property tax is crazy low here, you don't have state tax, and your health care costs are included in that number, so out of pocket will be a fraction of the U.S. It's really part of a whole picture.
You've got to look beyond the balance sheet at the whole picture. When everybody gets good health care there will be less days off due to sick leave and a more productive country. Also, it is not good for society as a whole that people die simply because they don't have enough money to afford decent healthcare. By the way, I'm not French!
Healthcare costs are very high in France, but most people in France are delighted that they don't have to contribute an enormous amount to the healthcare system, and are happy for the rich to be soaked to pay for it all. It's one reason why a lot of young French professionals leave France. They are fed up of being punished for their success.
@@duncansmith7562you don't know what you are talking about. Healthcare is not payed buy rich people. Part of the money comes from employees (about 1/3) and part from employers (the other 2/3). Retired people don't pay, students pay a little, and unemployed people don't. And that is all for Healthcare. Of course rich people pay taxes, but not Healthcare (or not an important amount as far as I know)
@@fzkxl9931 i know exactly what i am talking about. read and educate yourself. regarding the employees you talk about: it is the richest of the employees that pay the bulk of the NI taxes (and yes, they are taxes, not contributions, as one is forced to pay them). regarding the employers you talk about: the vast majority of employers are rich, and if the employer is the government, it is income taxes from the rich that fund the government. the students, unemployed and old have health care all paid for by the rich. you know nothing.
What about #7= cost of living ?? In new england, the cost of heat is insane, the cost of electric is highest in the country except Hawaii. Food, gas, phone, internet, taxes( federal, state, real estate), insurances ( home, car, health) is all insane. In comparing costs, i am expecting my expenses to be about half what i am payng here. Cant wait. Have about 15-17 months to fully move. Downsizing and researching what areas i feel might be best for me. I am thinking mainly about climate ( less rain and low summer humidity) and some english speaking expatriots nearby. Thinking brittany, normandy and provence, but provence may be a bit too expensive. Doesnt Nice have an internation airport with flights to the US ??
To immerse yourself in french, switch to a french playlist background music, and you will make a personal connection with the culture French music from 20 to 40 years ago is terrific. Jean Jacques Goldman, France Gall, Balavoine, Mylene Farmer, Michel Berger, Gainsbourg, Johnny Halliday, Michel Polnareff, Zazie, Patricia Kaas, MC Solaar, Francis Cabrel, Celine Dion, Nicoletta are overall solid proven choices. You'll adore some of their songs. Copy paste this list and you'll thank me later.
Nice video. I’m a retired american living the last 26 yrs in Germany. Wanna talk about learning a language!? I worked every day in English, so it took me 5 yrs before I began to feel able to let my personality out some… French food slams German food any day of the week! Lucky you guys!!! Travel… that extra step to take can be a pain, but the payoff is killer! You are only in your 1st year! And also for us Americans, any new quaint place nearby is like crazy cool! You’ll be pinching yourself for yrs to come. Everything closed on Sundays? Took me for ever and sometimes still pisses me off. Private health care of social healthcare in France? Dental in Germany is sort of like having no dental insurance in the USA $$$$ otherwise social healthcare here is dang good. Total hip replacement cost me 300 euros out of my pocket. 2 stents, nearly nothing out of pocket. Are you working for a French firm or self employed? Working for a German company puts one on the social healthcare system automatically. YES… FREASH BREAD IN EUROPE IS AWESOME… BUT HAS TO BE EATEN SAME DAY!!! Good luck guys!!! Welcome to “across the pond”. Oh and what do your friends and family in the USA think about your French adventure!?
@@iparipaitegianiparipaitegi4643 and you can keep old-fashioned country bread on the table for an easy week without any problem! (you just have to cover it of course)
C pas terrible la baguette congelé 😢 Vaut mieux la laisser décongeler doucement et la mettre au four à 120 degrés 3 4 minutes et ? Là ❤@@iparipaitegianiparipaitegi4643
What you forget to tell is some long term and uncurable diseases or affliction have full coverage in the strictest sense (zero copay, zero expense other than basic private insurance plan). Though I can only hope noone would need it as it has a grim meaning.
After eating the simple French food from the convenient shops like Franprix and just any random boulangerie, my family have concluded the US food is poisoning us. That alone makes me want to move.
Italy, Spain and Portugal. In the end our heart was set on France because it was the language we most wanted to learn, the culture we most wanted to live in, it's in a central location for travel, and we knew I qualified for a visa that would allow me to continue to work.
I’m considering Spain but I’m also thinking of France. One thing that France has over Spain is honoring Roth IRA. Spain doesn’t. I also studied French in HS, college and grad school. I want to be where it doesn’t snow. I’ll be in Spain from Jan-March 2024. I may take trip there to check it out.
@@Alex-mp1zb yep, I live in the deep south, 30 minutes drive from Spain, there is a lot of snow in the Pyrennees for most of the winter, the wind can be ferocious and cold, today here, miserable weather, totally wintry. there are many cultural and social reasons for choosing France over Spain, but not weather ones, for most people.
Great vlog again... maybe a random question but: do you think it would reasonable for a vegetarian? From what I know about french cuisine, lots of meat options and apparently delicious and lot of variety.... curious to know what if there are much vegetarian/vegan options on menus etc. thanks and best wishes!
I think it depends a little on where you are. For example I saw more veg/vegan options at cafes when we were in Montpellier near the University, than I notice in Bordeaux. And in the countryside you can look for the things that are traditionally french vegetarian like ratatouille, omelets, salads, and some savory crepes. There is a lot of pizza weirdly enough, which has veg options. Paris you can find lots I bet if you're expanding the search beyond traditionnel French. But in the countryside it's definitely a little more challenging to fi mnd creative vegetarian cuisine at restaurants. I have noticed a lot of really nice restaurants offer a vegetarian option with their multi course chef's menus, you'd just have to check ahead. On the other hand, if you're cooking at home, the produce here is incredible! I've seen meat substitute products, nut milks, etc in larger grocery stores. And of course you can always pop into a boulangerie and grab a baguette in an emergency...they're everywhere! 😂 Thanks for watching!
Non ! C'est chiant de devoir toujours passer par Paris pour aller de province à province. Le mois dernier, je devais faire l'aller-retour Angers / Toulouse en train, et évidemment, j'ai du passer par Paris ! Ça m'a pris 7heures aussi bien pour l'aller que pour le retour, en TGV en plus, et ça coutait super cher. Ça met moins de temps en voiture, donc si on veut vraiment encourager les Français à choisir le train plutôt que la voiture pour des raisons écologiques, il faut vraiment rendre le train plus pratique...
@@mfcq4987 Lol et vous allez la payer comment votre route Toulouse Angers surtout que les Angevins ne font rien pour tourner leur ville en hub majeur ? Vous croyez que les lignes de train sortent de terre gratuitement ? Cela n'a rien à voir avec l'Etat mais demande un investissement local déjà. Le jour où les Toulousains et les Angevins feront le nécessaire pour supporter le coût d'une ligne directe, ils auront leur ligne directe. Des villes plus petites ont fait cet effort, même des villages. Déjà même pas foutus de financer leurs propres RERs. Cette route Toulouse Paris Angers est la plus logique qui soit vu la situation et ne met pas tant de temps en plus que s'il y avait une ligne directe. Un Paris Angers c'est 1h30 et un Paris Toulouse c'est 4h30 soit 6h avec le temps de la correspondance cela met 7h ou 7h30 contre 6h30 en voiture s'il n'y a pas d'embouteillages. Tout le monde ne veut pas passer 6h30 dans une voiture et préfère le comfort du train et la pause de la correspondance. Les billets commencent à 40 euros, en général sont à 60~65 euros. C'est combien le péage, l'essence et le coût de l'usure de la voiture ? Les Français sont très incités à utiliser le train et le nombre de passagers augmente de manière exponentielle chaque année.
@@mfcq4987 Lol et vous allez la payer comment votre route Toulouse Angers surtout que les Angevins ne font rien pour tourner leur ville en hub majeur ? Vous croyez que les lignes de train sortent de terre gratuitement ? Cela n'a rien à voir avec l'Etat mais demande un investissement local déjà.
@@mfcq4987 Le jour où les Toulousains et les Angevins feront le nécessaire pour supporter le coût d'une ligne directe, ils auront leur ligne directe. Des villes plus petites ont fait cet effort, même des villages. Déjà même pas foutus de financer leurs propres RERs.
@@mfcq4987 Cette route Toulouse Paris Angers est la plus logique qui soit vu la situation et ne met pas tant de temps en plus que s'il y avait une ligne directe. Un Paris Angers c'est 1h30 et un Paris Toulouse c'est 4h30 soit 6h avec le temps de la correspondance cela met 7h ou 7h30 contre 6h30 en voiture s'il n'y a pas d'embouteillages. Tout le monde ne veut pas passer 6h30 dans une voiture et préfère le comfort du train et la pause de la correspondance.
There it really shows that you are from America. I, coming from Germany. know of course that Paris is the center of France and all goes through. Paris.😄
hI! USA stole my kids and holding me hostage 4 years now but I keep pleading to go back to France! What Visa should I apply for to stay here? 1 year visitor visa? (plan is to buy a home once I look around). and what insurance do u recommend to buy to attach to visa application?
Hi Anna! If you don't need to work, the long stay visitor visa is a great one. It's straight forward to apply for and easy to renew as long as you meet requirements. We used the book Foolproof French Visas (you can find on Amazon) to help us through the application process. When you apply for the visa, usually it will specify what they want to see in a health insurance policy as far as coverage limits. Check out IMG global or AXA. Good luck!
Bonjour, Pourtant en France nous trouvons de plus en plus compliqué d'être bien soigné, de trouver des rendez-vous rapidement, d'être rapidement pris en charge aux urgences, de trouver certains medicaments. Je vous assure que tout cela se deteriore. Mais heureux que vous vous sentez bien traités.
I've listened to a few of your videos, now and and could make a summary of your reasons to Food for 90% et healthcare/quality of life for the 10% left....but don't lie to yourselves..... you came because of and for the food
Bordeaux is definitely not a « major » city in France, especially when you want to travel: small airport, far from any border… It’s just famous because of the wine making in the area.
Nope, Bordeaux is the 9th city in France, capital of Aquitaine, center of the most famous french wines, a center of industrial, cultural and commercial activities. You clearly don't know this city.
On your first criterion: language. If you want to speak French (or any other language for that matter) you have to become toddlers again. I explain; I hear you pronouncing “bonnjoor” and “murcee” like all anglophones but if you want to SPEAK French and not mimic it poorly, you have to forget about the spelling and LISTEN to the sound and imitate it. This is how French toddlers learn; spelling comes much later and in the case of an allophone, it is a major impediment to pronunciation. Great adventure and I wish you many more fascinating discoveries. Thank you.
As a long time expat (originally from California, now a French citizen), I agree with most of these points. The French love to complain about their country and fellow citizens, but hate it when foreigners join in. The country is extremely centralized, with many decisions being taken in Paris that affect the people in the provinces. My wife is a French MD (surgical pathologist) and was rather alarmed by what she saw in the U.S. (Boston and then Rochester, NY). With the exception of a few militarily strategic towns, most of France's historic towns and buildings have remained intact.
If you're an English speaker French is easy. Most of English vocabulary comes from either directly from Latin or from French. The grammar is little but different but not drastically
De mon côté, alors que je suis un (vrai) Français, j'ai bien souvent envie de fuir la France, ce pays semi-soviétique, pour aller jouir de la liberté nord-américaine...
You are so right about the centralization : make the experience of going from Bordeaux to Lyon by train : once via Paris, once not… Good luck with the second option !!! 🙂
Good video, like the others. 1. Baguettes: It's a lovely bread, but it's white. Try some darker pan au levain or other dark breads for great taste and better health especially for gut health and diabetes. 2. Visas: It's much easier to move to France if you've sold a house and have plenty of money from it. There is a minimum income that immigrants to France must make in order to qualify for a visa and/or residence especially if you don't have the proceeds from selling a house. They want to know that you won't depend on the state for assistance. Bon appetite!
I live in Toulouse, I would love to ask you some questions like what do you think is different in the culture, philosophy, ways of life, thinking, France VS USA, I would be interested to know 🙂 I hope the RN will not kick you out of France though😪
comme claire, pkoi cette question idiote?? avec le RN!! vous vous faites des idees stup.. de gauche sur le RN avec cette question!! Quittez la gauche qui vous raconte n'importe quoi!!
We have a small American community near Béziers. Really cheap housing, canal du midi, all commodities, airport and soon tgv, 20 min from the beach. Close to sete, Montpellier, not far from spain.
We were actually going to live in Béziers the second half of the year in our original plans! Then we we realized we needed to enroll Juliana in French public school instead of homeschooling to travel more, we didn't want to move mid-year. We still haven't made ot there, but we hope to!!
@@BaguetteBound other places to see in languedoc are Narbonne, Sète and Agde. The Cévennes also are amazing. Now I must admit that being a Huguenot I have a biased trend towards protestant strongholds where I find people more open-minded. Btw the best place here for a week of is the Lazaret in Sète. Now you'll need decades to really visit France. How about renting a houseboat on a canal in burgundy ? Or horse riding with the gardians (cowboys) in Camargue ? Etc
Agree with the language motivation due to my background in south Louisiana and paternal grandparents spoke Cajun French / le cest le bon temps rolle! Not sure that is spelled correctly, but you hear that all the time here. 🎉
You're lucky you've been able to find a doctor and a diabetes specialist to register with. Many places in France are medical deserts. Specialists don't take any new patients, people have to wait weeks for an appointment with a general practitioner... France used to have the best healthcare system in the world but sadly, this is no longer the case. Too much capitalist encroachment, too many botched reforms!
@xmj6830 Going from Kaiserslautern Germany to Normandy and crossing into France by Saarbrücken it felt like every 30-40 kilometers, there was a toll booth.
Bienvenue à vous les amis. La baguette est la meilleure raison !
C'est Vrai ! 😂 Merci !
Indeed! De fato!
De plus en plus difficile d'en trouver une bonne !
Absolument. C'est vrai !
As a french i d say:
Safety (no shootings, few murders)
Health (almost free of charge)
Culture (theatre, opera etc... Are cheap)
Food (fresh and affordable)
Calm (especially in the countryside)
Food (Yep, it deserves to be mentionned twice 😅)
Pas de fusillade, mais attaque au couteau pour un regard, ou une clope. Ce n'est certes pas la norme, mais ça arrive, il y a quinze jours, j'ai subi une intimidation physique par un fdp au sein d'un groupe de cinq clampins (et certainement pas des Jean, François, Paul et Pierre), et chaque jour il y a plus d'un millier d'agressions physiques, et plus d'une centaine au couteau.
Çà, ce n'est pas la France, dans les années 80, on réglait au pire, les problèmes au poing, en un contre un, les couteaux ne sont pas dans notre culture, ni les attaques en bande, trop souvent mortelles.
L'insécurité augmente, parce que nos politiques et les procureurs, les juges nommés par un État volontairement défaillant l'encouragent (la prétendue "indépendance" de la justice est une grosse blague et une grosse insulte, que dire des squats qui voient les voleurs mieux protégés que les propriétaires). En France, les victimes sont de plus en plus considérées comme des coupables, et on trouve toutes les mauvaises raisons possibles pour excuser les bourreaux. L'inversion totale des valeurs s'est aussi vue dans l'ouverture des JO, où de multiples signes sataniques sont visibles, tout en crachant sur les chrétiens. C'est un tout, et ce n'est pas une coïncidence, bien loin de là. Et les "fachos" sont bien entendu ceux qui osent le dire, pas ceux qui font de leur mieux pour que ça arrive et que ça continue.
Un moment, ce n'est plus de l'aveuglement, mais de la complicité.
As a french i d say:
Safety (no shootings, few murders)
I would have agreed 15 years ago.. unfortunately it started to change very much for about 10/15 years.. even the countryside is touched today..
@@HaroldHivart maybe in far right medias. But statistics are there for a reason.
There has never been so few homicides.
@@etienne8110 2023 has been a record year in France for homicides...
@@HaroldHivart 2023 was 1.5 homicide per 100 000 hab.
1990 was 2.2.
Go back to grade school, you clearly missed some maths lessons, espece de droitardé.
We were looking at Panama, Portugal and Spain and had kind of written France off of the list until I stumbled upon your channel. You guys have shown us that France is indeed not as expensive as we initially thought. Thanks, fellow Texans.
Oh good, I'm so glad!! I think in France it all depends on the area you choose and how your life is set-up. Good luck with everything and thanks for watching!
@@BaguetteBound Do they eat baguettes mostly with butter, in sandwiches, etc.?
@@SenorJuan2023 Yes, or just cut up on the side of any other meal (to mop up the sauce 😉). Also at breakfast with butter and jam.
@@SenorJuan2023 Traditional French family eat it with almost everything and every meal, with potatoes, with rice, etc ... Modern "young" families brought back the true meaning of "culinary culture". In the sense they evolve recipes, incorporating foreign tastes and ingredients, have more simple meals. There are less families having 3 course meals or more. More often main dish and dessert. Appéritif and entrées when they receive people and sometimes 5 or full courses to receive families.
The most important point is they keep traditional cuisine, and only add variety on their menus with modified recipes, foreign cuisine, etc. 20 years ago, each time I went to friends, it was always and only French cuisine.
@@Belaziraf Exactement !
merci d'aimer mon pays..
As a French I lived a year in NYC, but for many reasons in this video I decided to go back home.
Thank you for sharing your experience
All people who like and respect our Lifestyle are welcome. I wish you the best.
thanks for your video, I'm french and sometimes I need an aother perspective of my own country to better realise why France is a beautiful country... thanks again
Anywhere you go in the world you'll find something good or bad to say, I'm french and I have a lot to complain about but I saw many places in the world and I know France is maybe the best. Soon you'll be able to speak fluently and enjoy more. Keep living French style, good food, friends, culture etc I wish you all the best.
Just want to add one thing a visa is not renewable it is what you get in your home country and then once here you get a Carte (Titre) se Jour which is then renewed either every year or every several depending upon which type of visa you come over on. We have a few months ago applied for our CDR (Carte de Résidence) which will then give us 10 years before having to renew again. We came over in 2017 and would never go back, we do love it here, not that the US was not wonderful, we just wanted to experience the difference. We also have never had a problem submitting our paperwork, it seems to be hard for some, but if you do like you said, give them what they ask for - all is clear sailing. Bonne Chance!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. My husband and I are thinking of moving to France in 2027. My husband then will be 72 and I have will be 71… we are just now gathering information about what we need to do. I know we need to translate documentation like birth, typic it to the French language. Not sure how to do that step but we’ll figure this out before we take the lunge.
Hi from Switzerland! Found your channel randomly and decided to take a look. In this particular episode, just had to stop when you got to healthcare to share my experience here. I married a swiss 33 years ago, I am originally from Oklahoma, but moved here, also, sight unseen. Before moving I had a kidney transplant so also, have and need medical services. Yes, I still have family in the US and miss them still, but the ONE thing that has kept me (and will keep me here) is the good healthcare I receive! I have been truely blessed with super doctors and all are my „friends“. I am seen directly by them(not a nurse praktioner), they take time to talk to me about my health, but also about my well being, family, vacation, etc. It is soooo nice! I could never return to the US where I would be waiting in an overfull waiting room and then be shuffled in and out. Again, healthcare over family is keeping me here! Continued good luck and joy to you and your family!!
Best part of all is that you are immersed in it. Also, now that you are learning French, the bonus is that learning an additional language would be so much easier. I grew up learning Arabic and French. Because of French, leaning Spanish was much much easier.
Good luck
France is a beautiful country with delicious cuisine 🧑🍳 beautiful traditions and culture!
So happy you like my adopted country. I moved to France from the UK 36 years ago and never went back. Married a French lady and now have dual nationality (post-Brexit). As a keen cyclist and hiker there is so much to do in the glorious French countryside. I have seen the comments about Annecy which is indeed nice but quite busy and expensive. We have chosen a somewhat cheaper and more low-key option in Savoie, not Haute-Savoie in a village close to Chambéry. 2 railway stations with TGV's serving Paris in less than 3 hours - Chambéry and Aix-les-Bains. 2 airports 1 hour away - Lyon and Genève. Motorways in every direction and high mountains visible from our house. The area between Montpellier and Toulouse is also pretty nice. I am sure that Italy and Spain offer nice options too - but they do get rather hot in summer. To properly benefit from an extended stay in France learning the language to a reasonable level is pretty much essential but Internet does now offer many tools to complement the real-life practice opportunities. Enjoy to the full your brave lifestyle choice!
Is Savoie still affordable?
@@virginiefayolle7241 Ski stations obviously not and the immediate surrounds of the touristy Lac du Bourget are rather expensive. If one is prepared to travel a bit or live further out then there are reasonably-priced options. The downside is that rush-hour traffic is becoming pretty busy. But Savoie has made good progress in installing high-speed Internet so working from home (for those that can) is increasingly popular. Road infrastructure has not been developed to cope with the growth of University/business hubs such as Technolac. Restaurants aimed at the tourist-trade or high-end customers are good but not cheap but one can still find reasonably-priced meals at lunchtime in "brasseries" aimed at "working people". Public transport is quite limited so, unless you live and stay in one of the larger towns, a car is more or less mandatory.
how is that Brexit thing going? I hear England has become the land of honey and milk as promised
@@budapestkeletistationvoices Not great. Populist politicians' promises are not worth the paper they are written on. Declining trade with Europe; no significant other trade deals in the pipeline; infrastructure (roads, sewage) in bad shape; National Heath Service still in a parlous state; economy with a large deficit; total immigration way up and a current government that's making a total mess of things. But it's difficult to see a developed nation with good prospects (France, Germany, Hungary, US, Canada...). Maybe AI will save us all.
One thing to know about baguettes, is they freeze really well. I cut mine into thirds, eat the juicy middle and freeze the other two. Then, for breakie, you break out the baguette for toast, yum yum. With some of that gorgeous butter and local jam Jason loves. There is one thing, baguette that's a bit stale gets soft and isn't nearly so good. Toasted baguette is also nice with cheese.
Wow .. excellent video. bonne qualité .. would have made my move from Oregon much easier! Thank you so much for your channel. I know it will help many travelers coming to France. -Daniel (Paris)
Not only great food but considerably fewer additives than in the US.
Bonjour. You might be the best ambassadors of our country. We can feel you are struggling, with a lot of "joie de vivre". I just joined your channel, officiellement.
You have understood the French way of life. Of course, FRANCE is not focused on efficiency and money making as in the US, but the overall quality of life is better I think. What's the worth of being efficient and making money if you don't enjoy at the same time?
Hello Rina and Jason.
I came across your vlog by chance, and I love it.
I can relate to the difficulty and challenge of moving to a place where you don't speak the language: I moved the the Netherlands some 20 years ago :)
Keep it up! even if sometimes the French language, administration, delivery ... and people, may give you a hard time :)
Thank you so much for laying these items out. I see a lahhht of complaining on FR expat groups about how long everything takes admin-wise, and I can tell those people have not lived in the US either ever or lately or been disabled, because everything they discuss is the same complaints and concerns literally every disabled person in the dozens of chronic illness groups I'm in deals with hourly, and the AI in US is so terrible that every single interaction with a business is traumatic now. So, having at least a human being talking to you as a human being being the reason for slowness, is very welcome. As a communications and process improvement professional, I TOTALLY agree that FR has by far the most transparent, straightforward, clear communications I have ever seen from any government ever, and by far for an immigration scheme. So appreciate you all demystifying these items for everyone!
I would kill for a fresh baguette with a good slice of French ham and butter!
Plus Camembert.....💥 So good.!
Camembert sandwich with a glass of bourgueil ! 🙃😉
I second all the above.
you are welcome in this beautiful country,! I like the way you talk about it.. I hope to see you one time at Cognac, the city where I was borne, grew up and always live in, We are world citizens ; I like you guys ...
Packed with knowledge! Didn’t know about Paris centric transportation. Thanks!
Yes, it was a surprise to us too! There's still a lot of options going from other large French cities near us in the Southwest (Bordeaux, Toulouse) but not as many as we thought there would be without going through Paris. On the upside, there is highspeed rail (2 hours) from Bordeaux to Paris, so it's not so bad to get there for connections. Thanks for watching!
Hearing your experience with diabetic care makes me feel better about a possible move to FR. As a T1 pump user, healthcare has given me the biggest pause. Thank you!
You're welcome! Thanks for watching and commenting!
Totally feel what you're saying. I'm not sure if we mentioned it in the video, but Jason is also T1 and uses a pump and a CGM. It was nerve-racking not knowing if it would be difficult to get his supplies. We brought 3 months with us just in case! But it's been really smooth. The most difficult thing has been navigating medical care in French, but we've found his French endocrinologist and the pharmacies to be super helpful.
He did have to change CGM makers because Dexcom wasn't on the French plan, but now he's switched and we literally pay ZERO for anything related to his diabetes because it's a long-term chronic illness. The first few months before we were on the French system, we did pay for an order of Dexcom CGMs in cash and it was 65% LESS than we paid in the U.S. Same box.
Wondering if this is also true for staying near Lyon. Seems closer to Switzerland and Germany.
Lyon is different. You have high speed rail links and a big airport there
Very interesting! The visa reason and the health care reason made a lot of sense. To be honest, the thrill of the delicious bread, food, market food, restaurant/cafe experience, mastering a new language, immersing yourselves in a new culture, convenient travel options, all could have been found in places like Spain, Portugal or Italy. In fact, the Bordeaux area is about as remote as you can get if getting to other European capitals is a priority. I think you just had it in your head that France was your place, and it became a self-fulfilling prophecy! Which is fine. I'm delighted to be in France, but would probably choose Portugal if I were to do it all again, just for the winter weather.
Bonjour. I’ve been to France over 30 times usually twice a year and i know it’s cultural, what it has to offer, nice people etc. I’m now retired living in an historic farm house in Cape May. I am returning to France October 32 for 17 days and will be basing in the western Brittany, Loire river valley, Tours and Limoges areas. I have connected with a Leggette agent for that area and will be visiting several houses for possible purchase in the areas of Rochechouar, Saint Mathieu and Les Salles-Lavauguyon as a start. I think you are in the Bordeaux area and there are some options there too.
I live alone with my 6 year Frenchie Gigi who won’t be joining me for this trip. Your thoughts are welcome. A bientôt. Josef.
heureux de vous accueillir en France et que vous vous y plaisiez.
pleased to welcome you to France and hope you enjoy your stay.
So happy to have a beautiful and nice american familly in our beautiful country
Longue vie à vous Baguette Bound en France
You are intelligent and open minded. Un grand bravo.
Si vous savez skier, nous avons en France les plus belles pistes de ski du monde avec la Suisse, l'Autriche et l’Italie.
Je suis un pro du ski. T'as pas idée à quel point je descends vite... sur le cul. Non, sans dec, la luge. Bien plus fun.
I teavel to the Champagne region a few times a year from the Netherlands (one of the most expensive countries in the EU) and regularly go to restaurants where you can have an excellent three course lunch for €33,-, in the Netherlands that would be around €60 - €70. More and more people speak English as they have discovered (a bit late) that almost all foreigners speak English as a second language and not French.
I'm so happy that you love living in my country, and in my region too (I live in Bordeux) . I find it amazing that you adapted so well givent the cultural and linguistic differences between our 2 countries. I take a real pleasure watching your posts on You Tube and the cool way you analyze your new life here. I wish I knew you in real life! Vous êtes géniaux!
GREAT CONTENT!!!!
MERCI BEAUCOUP!!!!
I really enjoy watching you guys, as a french it is good to hear what u feel about this place 😉👍👍✌
I find your videos very entertaining. Thank you. It would be nice if you upped the specifics a little bit. Instead of just saying we looked at several countries, say: We considered Portugal, Italy, the Netherlands, … I am an American who has lived in Ireland, Québec (Canada), and now Switzerland. Place does make a difference. I am so happy in Switzerland.
switzerland is very very expensive even in countryside, cost of living in France is really strongly different between major cities and countryside.
French baguette are so good!
Thanks for sharing such valuable information in a clear and concise manner. So glad to hear it seemed pretty easy to make the transition to living longer-term in France from the U.S.
The problem with the train is that you can't get to another city once, you walk outside the city, the advantage of the car, you can discover a new scenery around a bend! There is a magnificent place to see, the Tarn Gorges, it's magnificent! Another trip to France, it's the Canal du Midi, you rent an electric boat, you can stop near a village and do your shopping there!
Thank you guys very much for this video. Just subbed. Merci!
Thanks! See you around the channel!
Please do a video about finances. How were you able to afford to move internationally, do you still work (did you need a work visa,) how do you pay for health insurance, were you bi-lingual when you moved to France, Did you buy or rent, is it more or less expensive to buy/rent in France? Do you maintain a house in the USA? What is your monthly budget like in France vs the USA?
Yes I live in the southeast and luckily have the TGV 10 minutes away on foot and the airport a half hour by car. I chose a big city for these lifestyle reasons….though I would love sometimes to live in the countryside….but in the southeast (Provence) property is so expensive.
TGV in 10 minutes on foot??? Uh-mazing! I love our village lifestyle and wouldn't trade it, but I do wish we could walk to a train station. Any train station! 😂 I jokingly tell Jason what I really want is a little city studio apartment to stay in when we go to the theater, museums, want more of the cafe scene, or to catch the TGV somewhere and THEN come back to our village and the countryside the rest of the time. A girl has to have dreams! 😉
Thanks for your comment and watching!
@@BaguetteBound lol and I’d love a little pied à terre in the countryside to get away from it all. The grass is always greener….
@@BaguetteBound Bordeaux is a beautiful city. Perhaps you should stop "jokingly" telling Jason about wanting a studio apartment there and say it with more force! 🤣🤣🤣 (Only joking myself!)
La Provence du ”haut ! ’ est très largement aussi bien 😊et surtout beaucoup moins chère ❤
thankyou from athens greece
Kudos to you for venturing into a whole different culture, language and lifestyle as adults and with a young child; courageous and inspiring!
Just found your channel and starting at the beginning, thanks for sharing your experiences.
quality of food is a every day challenge, in France as elsewhere. But here, many peoples feel engaged in that, even if we haven't the same advice of what is good food/products.
The difference between food in Europe and the USA is that here in Europe chemical or other harmful additives are absolutely forbidden, but in the USA they are approved by the FDA.
This differs on the one hand in the taste of the food and on the other hand in healthiness.
It makes a difference whether you can buy fresh food at a local market from the producers around the area or in a supermarket where you don't know exactly where it comes from.
Healthy food has to taste good and make you happy instead of getting something that you know is not healthy for your body like in the USA.
Huge thanks for the info on medical!
Well, you didn’t say anything about why to move to France that I already didn’t know, but I really like the way you said it. You come across as straightforward, down-to-earth, and authentic. Thank you! You convinced me to subscribe without even trying to.
Well, thank you!
J'aime votre réflexion car elle enrichit ma perception de mon pays. Sans votre analyse, je ne connaîtrais pas sa différence
As a diabetic, how do you know you’re not getting sugar in the bread there?
Curious if bread in France is something completely different than here in the states.
I’m not even diabetic, yet due to family history i eat almost no bread at all, and even then homemade only with almost no sugar.
Take care!
Sadly, bread does still have carbs in France. Jason manages it carefully with his insulin (as he does with all food, as even vegetables have carbs in them) as part of an overall healthy diet.
Something interesting we have heard is those who are sensitive to gluten in the US may have an easier time with European bread because flour grown here is lower in gluten protein, just due to differences in type of wheat and growing conditions.
Thanks for watching!
@@BaguetteBound yeah, we order our flour direct from a farm in AZ since it’s less processed. Store bought flour is no-go for us here in the states.
@@BaguetteBound You can also look for more traditional non white breads at the boulangerie. Or ask for a low glycemic index bread. They make lower sugar spikes and reduce stark cravings over the course of the day.
Although bread is carbohydrates French baguettes (and bread in general) have no added sugar.
also if you get the baguette au levain, it is sourdough, which will have a lower glycemic index
I don;t know how far your are from Toulouse (and you may have thought about this option already) but Toulouse airport is much bigger than Bordeaux's and offer more direct flights options.
Thank you… I might !
Just stumbled on your video by accident! I really enjoy your energy and vibe. Very true about the transport being centered around Paris. We live in Niort (maybe not too far from you?) and part of the appeal was that there's a direct TGV to Paris so we can easily get other places. It's kind of a bummer what a pain it is to get to Bordeaux by train from where we are (no direct trains, long ride), even though it's really not that far.
I will also second what you said about health care, in particular with respect to the long-term disease. I have a rare autoimmune disease and I have a specialist in Paris (one of the best in the world). He is maybe the best doctor I've ever had, so thorough, so kind. And the costs are low like you said.
Yes, there is a misconception created by deliberate propaganda in the USA that spreads the idea that you need to pay more to get better doctors here. That if you have a nationalized healthcare like ours, you end up having crappy doctors and crappy hospitals. But i remember how, back in the day, plagued but utter depression since kindergarten, and only having 7 cents remaining on my bank account, i ended up spending 6 months in a luxury private clinic with its massive private park (and several times, too), getting the best doctor around, and paying nothing, despite having no insurance whatsoever. This saved my life, although it took 20 more years for me to finally see the point in saving it. The truth is, no matter how much you pay, no matter how much money you have, everyone is in the same line for the same service. Actually even if you are a foreigner. The only reason why it is not the same in the USA is because americans have been sitting on their thumbs doing nothing for the longest time.
super inspiring thanks for the video
Thank you for all this fantastic information! Question about the baguette and breads in general. I don't have celiacs, however I have an RA type of reaction from eating too much wheat based breads. We have often wondered if it isn't so much the bread but the GMOs or pesticides they use in the US that I am sensitive to. Do you know of anyone that has any similar sensitivity and seen it disappear when eating breads abroad? I do love a good crusty baguette and will suffer swollen fingers for a bit but it would be great not to have a flare up each time.
Could be the variety in the US? Also in France they have sarrazin based flours, which have no wheat.
How did you decide where to settle down in France? I saw your video on 5 things you need from a village but anything on more broadly the part of France you picked (south west)? By the way are you close to the Gers ?
Really nice !
You should talk about fear of moving and getting work. Should you get a job before going? A work visa before moving is a good idea. Temporary work if you extend a vacation? We've let America become boring. I don't care about celebrities or sports at all. But, an enriching life is rewarding. The Europeans understand that life is wonderful and try to create that in their societies.
If you plan to move and travel (for leisure or work) is high in your priorities list, then southwestern France might not be the best option. Unless you plan to go a lot to Portugal/Spain (then it's the best place to be). And while cities like Bordeaux (or Nantes) are important by French standards, their airports have limited direct flights options.
You can either get closer to Paris as mentioned in the video. Or Lyon and Marseille (still smaller than Paris, but better connected than other cities).
Or, get somewhere close to the border on the southeast/east/northeast, within a range of French AND foreign airports. I usually take flghts/trains out of Geneva which is closer, but Lyon is about an hour drive away. This nicely complements my options (and different country = different flag airlines = different connections).
Yop of my mind combos: Lyon/Geneva, Lilles/Bruxelles, Strasbourg/Basel/Stuttgart.
C'est dithyrambique! Merci. j'espere que l'office du tourisme vous sponsorise. Sinon, vous devriez leur demander
Hi Folks! Found your channel through Tommy @ Traveltirement.
I'm Billy, a cook from Nova Scotia, Canada with good French language skills.
Does France allow volunteers from other countries to work there, like in a religious capacity where there is no exchange of monies?
Great info...I subscribed. Yeahhhh
Welcome Billy!
As far as we know, there no restrictions on volunteering. If you're staying longer than 90 days on a Canadian passport, you'll still need a visa like the long stay visitor visa, but its only specific about not "undertaking professional activites" here in France.
Thanks for watching!
@@BaguetteBound Merci beaucoup pour la information! A Bien tot.
What other countries were you looking at?
Thanks for the video. Do you find that the taxes in France offset the cost of healthcare costs? Because when I think of American healthcare, I don't just figure in premiums, but the annual deductible as well. So, I'm just wondering if it's basically a wash.
YES! I LOVE paying my French taxes! 😂 It sounds funny, but it's true. I feel like I get so much for them compared to the States and the whole health care system just feels simpler to navigate because exactly what you mentioned - it's not just premiums in the US but also deductibles, co-pays, out-of-pocket maximums, etc.
We definitely want to do a video comparing the TOTAL tax burden for a median-income family in each country because I think often people see the total tax rate in France and think it's higher, but don't realize your property tax is crazy low here, you don't have state tax, and your health care costs are included in that number, so out of pocket will be a fraction of the U.S. It's really part of a whole picture.
You've got to look beyond the balance sheet at the whole picture. When everybody gets good health care there will be less days off due to sick leave and a more productive country. Also, it is not good for society as a whole that people die simply because they don't have enough money to afford decent healthcare. By the way, I'm not French!
Healthcare costs are very high in France, but most people in France are delighted that they don't have to contribute an enormous amount to the healthcare system, and are happy for the rich to be soaked to pay for it all. It's one reason why a lot of young French professionals leave France. They are fed up of being punished for their success.
@@duncansmith7562you don't know what you are talking about. Healthcare is not payed buy rich people. Part of the money comes from employees (about 1/3) and part from employers (the other 2/3). Retired people don't pay, students pay a little, and unemployed people don't. And that is all for Healthcare. Of course rich people pay taxes, but not Healthcare (or not an important amount as far as I know)
@@fzkxl9931 i know exactly what i am talking about. read and educate yourself.
regarding the employees you talk about: it is the richest of the employees that pay the bulk of the NI taxes (and yes, they are taxes, not contributions, as one is forced to pay them).
regarding the employers you talk about: the vast majority of employers are rich, and if the employer is the government, it is income taxes from the rich that fund the government.
the students, unemployed and old have health care all paid for by the rich.
you know nothing.
What about #7= cost of living ??
In new england, the cost of heat is insane, the cost of electric is highest in the country except Hawaii. Food, gas, phone, internet, taxes( federal, state, real estate), insurances ( home, car, health) is all insane. In comparing costs, i am expecting my expenses to be about half what i am payng here.
Cant wait. Have about 15-17 months to fully move. Downsizing and researching what areas i feel might be best for me. I am thinking mainly about climate ( less rain and low summer humidity) and some english speaking expatriots nearby. Thinking brittany, normandy and provence, but provence may be a bit too expensive.
Doesnt Nice have an internation airport with flights to the US ??
To immerse yourself in french, switch to a french playlist background music, and you will make a personal connection with the culture
French music from 20 to 40 years ago is terrific.
Jean Jacques Goldman, France Gall, Balavoine, Mylene Farmer, Michel Berger, Gainsbourg, Johnny Halliday, Michel Polnareff, Zazie, Patricia Kaas, MC Solaar, Francis Cabrel, Celine Dion, Nicoletta are overall solid proven choices.
You'll adore some of their songs. Copy paste this list and you'll thank me later.
or just simple suggestions such as one song from time to time; I would suggest "Manau - La tribut de Dana"
@@SeArCh4DrEaMz Can’t forget the legendary Edith Piaf either.
Love france ❤
Nice video. I’m a retired american living the last 26 yrs in Germany. Wanna talk about learning a language!? I worked every day in English, so it took me 5 yrs before I began to feel able to let my personality out some… French food slams German food any day of the week! Lucky you guys!!! Travel… that extra step to take can be a pain, but the payoff is killer! You are only in your 1st year! And also for us Americans, any new quaint place nearby is like crazy cool! You’ll be pinching yourself for yrs to come. Everything closed on Sundays? Took me for ever and sometimes still pisses me off. Private health care of social healthcare in France? Dental in Germany is sort of like having no dental insurance in the USA $$$$ otherwise social healthcare here is dang good. Total hip replacement cost me 300 euros out of my pocket. 2 stents, nearly nothing out of pocket. Are you working for a French firm or self employed? Working for a German company puts one on the social healthcare system automatically. YES… FREASH BREAD IN EUROPE IS AWESOME… BUT HAS TO BE EATEN SAME DAY!!! Good luck guys!!! Welcome to “across the pond”. Oh and what do your friends and family in the USA think about your French adventure!?
You don’t need to eat the baguette the same day. Just froze it and toast it when you want to use it several days later.
@@iparipaitegianiparipaitegi4643 and you can keep old-fashioned country bread on the table for an easy week without any problem! (you just have to cover it of course)
C pas terrible la baguette congelé 😢
Vaut mieux la laisser décongeler doucement et la mettre au four à 120 degrés 3 4 minutes et ?
Là ❤@@iparipaitegianiparipaitegi4643
All what u said is so true !
What you forget to tell is some long term and uncurable diseases or affliction have full coverage in the strictest sense (zero copay, zero expense other than basic private insurance plan).
Though I can only hope noone would need it as it has a grim meaning.
After eating the simple French food from the convenient shops like Franprix and just any random boulangerie, my family have concluded the US food is poisoning us. That alone makes me want to move.
what a breath of fresh air compared to the "frenchies". I loved your video!
Which other countries did you consider before settling on France?
Italy, Spain and Portugal.
In the end our heart was set on France because it was the language we most wanted to learn, the culture we most wanted to live in, it's in a central location for travel, and we knew I qualified for a visa that would allow me to continue to work.
I’m considering Spain but I’m also thinking of France. One thing that France has over Spain is honoring Roth IRA. Spain doesn’t.
I also studied French in HS, college and grad school. I want to be where it doesn’t snow.
I’ll be in Spain from Jan-March 2024. I may take trip there to check it out.
@@thecondorpoet5812 For a francophone place where it doesn't snow, French Guiana, Tahiti or Martinique come to mind! But not France.
@@duncansmith7562 It doesn't snow (or very rarely) in Southern France. It might snow in Western France but it will have melted by noon.
@@Alex-mp1zb yep, I live in the deep south, 30 minutes drive from Spain, there is a lot of snow in the Pyrennees for most of the winter, the wind can be ferocious and cold, today here, miserable weather, totally wintry.
there are many cultural and social reasons for choosing France over Spain, but not weather ones, for most people.
Baguettes ! 👍😅
Agree! Stand alone reason. 😆
😃👍 bonne continuation
Great vlog again... maybe a random question but: do you think it would reasonable for a vegetarian? From what I know about french cuisine, lots of meat options and apparently delicious and lot of variety.... curious to know what if there are much vegetarian/vegan options on menus etc. thanks and best wishes!
I think it depends a little on where you are. For example I saw more veg/vegan options at cafes when we were in Montpellier near the University, than I notice in Bordeaux. And in the countryside you can look for the things that are traditionally french vegetarian like ratatouille, omelets, salads, and some savory crepes. There is a lot of pizza weirdly enough, which has veg options. Paris you can find lots I bet if you're expanding the search beyond traditionnel French.
But in the countryside it's definitely a little more challenging to fi mnd creative vegetarian cuisine at restaurants.
I have noticed a lot of really nice restaurants offer a vegetarian option with their multi course chef's menus, you'd just have to check ahead.
On the other hand, if you're cooking at home, the produce here is incredible! I've seen meat substitute products, nut milks, etc in larger grocery stores.
And of course you can always pop into a boulangerie and grab a baguette in an emergency...they're everywhere! 😂
Thanks for watching!
I'm french & vegan, vegan food is now easily available, even in places like Bergerac, which is not far from Baguette Bound
Paris has a central location on the map and France isn't big, so that's normal that train lines and roads often go through Paris.
Non ! C'est chiant de devoir toujours passer par Paris pour aller de province à province. Le mois dernier, je devais faire l'aller-retour Angers / Toulouse en train, et évidemment, j'ai du passer par Paris ! Ça m'a pris 7heures aussi bien pour l'aller que pour le retour, en TGV en plus, et ça coutait super cher. Ça met moins de temps en voiture, donc si on veut vraiment encourager les Français à choisir le train plutôt que la voiture pour des raisons écologiques, il faut vraiment rendre le train plus pratique...
@@mfcq4987 Lol et vous allez la payer comment votre route Toulouse Angers surtout que les Angevins ne font rien pour tourner leur ville en hub majeur ? Vous croyez que les lignes de train sortent de terre gratuitement ? Cela n'a rien à voir avec l'Etat mais demande un investissement local déjà. Le jour où les Toulousains et les Angevins feront le nécessaire pour supporter le coût d'une ligne directe, ils auront leur ligne directe. Des villes plus petites ont fait cet effort, même des villages. Déjà même pas foutus de financer leurs propres RERs.
Cette route Toulouse Paris Angers est la plus logique qui soit vu la situation et ne met pas tant de temps en plus que s'il y avait une ligne directe. Un Paris Angers c'est 1h30 et un Paris Toulouse c'est 4h30 soit 6h avec le temps de la correspondance cela met 7h ou 7h30 contre 6h30 en voiture s'il n'y a pas d'embouteillages. Tout le monde ne veut pas passer 6h30 dans une voiture et préfère le comfort du train et la pause de la correspondance. Les billets commencent à 40 euros, en général sont à 60~65 euros. C'est combien le péage, l'essence et le coût de l'usure de la voiture ?
Les Français sont très incités à utiliser le train et le nombre de passagers augmente de manière exponentielle chaque année.
@@mfcq4987 Lol et vous allez la payer comment votre route Toulouse Angers surtout que les Angevins ne font rien pour tourner leur ville en hub majeur ? Vous croyez que les lignes de train sortent de terre gratuitement ? Cela n'a rien à voir avec l'Etat mais demande un investissement local déjà.
@@mfcq4987 Le jour où les Toulousains et les Angevins feront le nécessaire pour supporter le coût d'une ligne directe, ils auront leur ligne directe. Des villes plus petites ont fait cet effort, même des villages. Déjà même pas foutus de financer leurs propres RERs.
@@mfcq4987 Cette route Toulouse Paris Angers est la plus logique qui soit vu la situation et ne met pas tant de temps en plus que s'il y avait une ligne directe. Un Paris Angers c'est 1h30 et un Paris Toulouse c'est 4h30 soit 6h avec le temps de la correspondance cela met 7h ou 7h30 contre 6h30 en voiture s'il n'y a pas d'embouteillages. Tout le monde ne veut pas passer 6h30 dans une voiture et préfère le comfort du train et la pause de la correspondance.
I think you guys were French in a former life! ❤
There it really shows that you are from America. I, coming from Germany. know of course that Paris is the center of France and all goes through. Paris.😄
hI! USA stole my kids and holding me hostage 4 years now but I keep pleading to go back to France! What Visa should I apply for to stay here? 1 year visitor visa? (plan is to buy a home once I look around). and what insurance do u recommend to buy to attach to visa application?
Hi Anna! If you don't need to work, the long stay visitor visa is a great one. It's straight forward to apply for and easy to renew as long as you meet requirements. We used the book Foolproof French Visas (you can find on Amazon) to help us through the application process.
When you apply for the visa, usually it will specify what they want to see in a health insurance policy as far as coverage limits. Check out IMG global or AXA. Good luck!
As a diabetic, how are you doing with eating so much bread?
I don't eat very much, certainly not by French standards. Although compared to the US where I never ate bread with a meal, it feels like a big change.
Bonjour, Pourtant en France nous trouvons de plus en plus compliqué d'être bien soigné, de trouver des rendez-vous rapidement, d'être rapidement pris en charge aux urgences, de trouver certains medicaments. Je vous assure que tout cela se deteriore. Mais heureux que vous vous sentez bien traités.
Oui ça se détériore. Mais ça reste tellement mieux en qualité de vie que pour beaucoup de familles americaines.
I've listened to a few of your videos, now and and could make a summary of your reasons to Food for 90% et healthcare/quality of life for the 10% left....but don't lie to yourselves..... you came because of and for the food
Bordeaux is definitely not a « major » city in France, especially when you want to travel: small airport, far from any border… It’s just famous because of the wine making in the area.
Nope, Bordeaux is the 9th city in France, capital of Aquitaine, center of the most famous french wines, a center of industrial, cultural and commercial activities. You clearly don't know this city.
Yep, France is a very centralized country, that's why most of people around the globe only know Paris
French is also the easiest language for an anglo to learn.
Except grammary, French language is easy to learn since half of the English vocabulary is based on French or ancient French...
On your first criterion: language. If you want to speak French (or any other language for that matter) you have to become toddlers again. I explain; I hear you pronouncing “bonnjoor” and “murcee” like all anglophones but if you want to SPEAK French and not mimic it poorly, you have to forget about the spelling and LISTEN to the sound and imitate it. This is how French toddlers learn; spelling comes much later and in the case of an allophone, it is a major impediment to pronunciation. Great adventure and I wish you many more fascinating discoveries. Thank you.
As a long time expat (originally from California, now a French citizen), I agree with most of these points. The French love to complain about their country and fellow citizens, but hate it when foreigners join in. The country is extremely centralized, with many decisions being taken in Paris that affect the people in the provinces. My wife is a French MD (surgical pathologist) and was rather alarmed by what she saw in the U.S. (Boston and then Rochester, NY). With the exception of a few militarily strategic towns, most of France's historic towns and buildings have remained intact.
I wonder how the difficulty of learning French compares to Arabic?
If you're an English speaker French is easy. Most of English vocabulary comes from either directly from Latin or from French. The grammar is little but different but not drastically
De mon côté, alors que je suis un (vrai) Français, j'ai bien souvent envie de fuir la France, ce pays semi-soviétique, pour aller jouir de la liberté nord-américaine...
You are so right about the centralization : make the experience of going from Bordeaux to Lyon by train : once via Paris, once not… Good luck with the second option !!! 🙂
…..try Czech. Forget it! Hard as hell…
.
Hungarian, Finnish, Greek, Gaelige?
Good video, like the others. 1. Baguettes: It's a lovely bread, but it's white. Try some darker pan au levain or other dark breads for great taste and better health especially for gut health and diabetes. 2. Visas: It's much easier to move to France if you've sold a house and have plenty of money from it. There is a minimum income that immigrants to France must make in order to qualify for a visa and/or residence especially if you don't have the proceeds from selling a house. They want to know that you won't depend on the state for assistance. Bon appetite!
C'est bien, vous commencez à penser beaucoup à la bouffe... vous êtes sur la bonne voie !
I live in Toulouse, I would love to ask you some questions like what do you think is different in the culture, philosophy, ways of life, thinking, France VS USA, I would be interested to know 🙂 I hope the RN will not kick you out of France though😪
Why would RN kick them out??? Stop watching TF1 or mainstream media 😂 they are much welcome here.. RN wants to kick illegals only 😂
comme claire, pkoi cette question idiote?? avec le RN!! vous vous faites des idees stup.. de gauche sur le RN avec cette question!! Quittez la gauche qui vous raconte n'importe quoi!!
lshit
next step for you: make your own bread 😁
We have a small American community near Béziers. Really cheap housing, canal du midi, all commodities, airport and soon tgv, 20 min from the beach. Close to sete, Montpellier, not far from spain.
We were actually going to live in Béziers the second half of the year in our original plans! Then we we realized we needed to enroll Juliana in French public school instead of homeschooling to travel more, we didn't want to move mid-year. We still haven't made ot there, but we hope to!!
@@BaguetteBound other places to see in languedoc are Narbonne, Sète and Agde. The Cévennes also are amazing. Now I must admit that being a Huguenot I have a biased trend towards protestant strongholds where I find people more open-minded. Btw the best place here for a week of is the Lazaret in Sète. Now you'll need decades to really visit France. How about renting a houseboat on a canal in burgundy ? Or horse riding with the gardians (cowboys) in Camargue ? Etc
Agree with the language motivation due to my background in south Louisiana and paternal grandparents spoke Cajun French / le cest le bon temps rolle! Not sure that is spelled correctly, but you hear that all the time here. 🎉
Laisses le bon temps rouler !
Vos grands-parents auraient dû vous apprendre le français.
You're lucky you've been able to find a doctor and a diabetes specialist to register with. Many places in France are medical deserts. Specialists don't take any new patients, people have to wait weeks for an appointment with a general practitioner... France used to have the best healthcare system in the world but sadly, this is no longer the case. Too much capitalist encroachment, too many botched reforms!
😂😂😂👌
The tolls are atrocious!
Which one? On the road?
@xmj6830 Going from Kaiserslautern Germany to Normandy and crossing into France by Saarbrücken it felt like every 30-40 kilometers, there was a toll booth.
socialism medicine! lol !😂 ... sounded like sovietic medecine!
Are you republican ?
Higher taxes? I would retire to France but never move there before I'm done making money. FAR too punitive against productive people
Good. Stay away from Europe. We don't need anti-social egoists.