We are moving later in the year,to a quiet area…especially because everything is closed on a Sunday!!! It’s central France so gets all the seasons. Lots of culture and local events and few expats. Can’t wait for this change of life and to enjoy France
We love your quest to "enjoy our golden years." Nice, France looks perfect: comfortable weather, a walkable city with cafe culture, great healthcare, and access to public transportation.
@Dms-sn8qj That's your opinion. I think we should end this conversation. It serves no purpose and I really don't appreciate the negativity. My mother often told me, if you can't think of anything nice to say, best to say nothing.
GREAT CONTENT, AND PERHAPS I WILL SEE YOU THERE, AS MY FIANCE IS PARISIAN AND WANTS ME TO MOVE THERE!!!! I'M FROM NY, AND CURRENTLY LIVE OVERLOOKING PALM BEACH WHERE WE MET 25 YEARS AGO THROUGH BUSINESS!!!! BEST WISHES!!!!
Welcome to France! You seem to be such nice and open-minded people. One easy way to meet French people once you've settled down is to invite your next door neighbors for "apéritif" at about 6 or 7 pm on a Friday or Saturday in order to present yourselves. This is what most French people do when they move into a new house/apartment. Just offer some drinks with and without alcohol plus crackers, olives, peanuts, bits of cheese, small slices of bread, pizza, etc. in small plates. It won't be too much work for you but it will mean a lot to them and they'll tell you you can rely on them if you need any help. But you may have already done this! You're right: saying "Bonjour!" any time ou enter a shop, a waiting-room or asking someone for directions is very important.
Hello! We haven't actually moved to Nice, YET. We move the first week of April. It's coming fast and we are really looking forward to finding a great apartment and making new friends so I can practice my French and my husband Jeff can learn more French. We plan to do the suggested apertif once we find a new home, move in and are settled! We've already discussed this together, hopeful of course, that we have nice neighbors, who will want to meet us. Thanks for your nice note!
We had a fabulous trip and will be sharing it in our upcoming videos...starting with the new one this morning...and now that we're home, we're just 3 months away from our big move to Nice. There will be lots to share as we get very serious with the selling off the rest of our stuff, packing, and do our application for our "long stay Visas". We're counting the days!
Welcome in France, you are nice.According youtube, a lot of american are leaving their country too. The american dream is the french dream now 😁 Michèle from Champagne region
Yes, there are a lot of us choosing to retire in la belle France 🇫🇷 Nous avons assez de la terrible situation politique actuelle en Florida et aux États-Unis
Not all agriculture in France organic, by any means, but easy to find certified 'organic'/traditionally grown produce, at local markets, in many areas. Thanks for this informative video. Good luck with your life in Alpes Maritime. By the way, there are lovely villages, well worth a visit, north of Nice along the border with Italy
I absolutely love your energy. I haven't watching your videos probably since you first started. I have the same dream of moving to France, plan to do so with my family in early 2025. I love your videos, I love that you're downsizing, I'm actually a real estate agent who helps seniors downsize to move into safer more manageable spaces so they can live a happier and healthier life. And it's a course different for everyone! And that's why it's different for you to move to France. And I applaud you. My own parents are in their mid 70s and live in Minnesota and do not have the same ambitions as I do. Or the same as you. And I am so proud of you and love watching your story. Thank you for sharing it.
Thank you! It is very hard to downsize. Hard to take a lifetime of stuff and reduce it to 20 boxes and 4-5 suitcases. I had practice with my late mother. When I had to move her from a 2 bedroom condo into first an assisted living room , followed by just a closet and 2 drawers in a nursing home room and put most of her stuff in storage. I eventually sold all of her furnitureand donated all of her clothes. I find that it gets easier for me, the closer we get to our move. And it takes so long to sell things! I started this consolidation back in January with our first "garage sale". I think when we get to the other side of New Years, we'll probably just set up tables in our house, with everything that's left on those tables and call a daily "estate sale" and let people walk thru the house and hopefully buy a lot of what's left, that we aren't taking. And then we'll try to reduce the 20 boxes we plan to take down to 10 or 12. Where there is a will there is a way. Thanks for watching 👀 more to come! I appreciate your kind words. 😊
Do not forget to go to Corsica ,the Corsican motto is slowly in the morning and not to fast in the afternoon ( you will live longer )@@postcardsfromourgoldenyears
@@postcardsfromourgoldenyears You have done an amazing job and have great energy! I just moved my 80 year old Mom into Assisted living in February and we did an Estate sale after she was gone from the family home. It was so hard reducing all the stuff from 50 years! We hired a pro who took 40% of the profit. I’m not sure I want to give up that much money, personally, and have much less stuff. However, it is very chaotic and exhausting to do it! I’m sure you are relieved to be “on the other side” of that process. 🎊
For sure! Definitely glad to be on the other side. Looking back,which I shouldn't do, we should have brought in one of those companies to unload our stuff, particularly towards our last days in the US. We ended up donating and giving away, so much stuff, many thousands of dollars worth of stuff, that we just didn't have time to sell.
This has been a great episode. There are so many similarities. I, too, am looking at Nice (hopefully mid-2024). I’m a little north of you (Bradenton), so I am lockstep with you on the reasons of living in the US, especially FL. Looking forward to your episodes as you move to Nice. 😊
Great! Another Floridian saying "goodbye" to the US! I've heard from quite a few others, here in Florida, who believe it's "time" to go, that are heading to France. And what better place than Nice, right?! Thanks for your note.
You are such a lovely and fun couple and I got your youtube channel from Janice. I just discovered your channel 30 April 2024 and I really would love to spend more time in France, maybe in the form of a vacation house, I do not know yet. I love that you say that you like the energy and night life in Nice as that would also be a big reason for me to live close to a city as I am an evening person, love to dine late and enjoy the evening either outside in the warm weather with a nice glas of wine or whatever, strolling around the streets together. Good that you mention that in Naples in Florida they roll up the sidewalks at 21 hours already as I was considering spending time over there as well, that is way too early for me and the same thing happens here in The Netherlands. The organic food from the market is something I also really appreciate. I love the politeness and the way the French enjoy their lunch with a glas of wine for 2 hours which is absolutely not done here in The Netherlands. And the French bakeries, the cafe au lait, the food, I mean even in the small villages I have experienced good food. We say in The Netherlands: "Live like God in France" meaning living the good life in every way and form. I also like to stroll along the boulevard and watch the beautiful colours of the Mediterranean Sea. I know how to speak French as I was a nanny in the French part of Switzerland in 1989. I have been flying around the world as a flight attendant for KLM for 30 years and I come back to living the good live in Europe, I also like Italy foodwise very much, but that you can easily visit from Nice. I also do speak Spanish like you An, but I do not know if I want to live in Spain yet. I love variety and I love the Netherlands as well, but I can easily drive to the South of France. So I am going to watch more of your video's and thank you for sharing your life in Nice with us 🙏🌷🧡Enjoy your time in beautiful France 🍾🥂🍷
@@postcardsfromourgoldenyears that is so kind of you noticing this! I am glad I got to discover your channel and I am looking forward to your new adventures in Nice now spring is here 🌷🌷
Nice is our favorite and we always finish our travels there and then fly back to Amsterdam and home to Oregon. We use to travel by train, but a rental car works better for us these days. What fun, you are both very bold and certainly have set the bar high for quality of life.
La Part des Angels in Nice is the best wine bar + offsales I've ever visited + a mixed cheese-board to accompany the wines is like kissing God. I would drive almost every week from Dolcedo, Italy to sup there before I gave up booze altogether & closed my own personal brilliantly-stocked bar with its champagne, tequila, absinthe etc specialities.
You two are so cute. I loved your video. The information you provided was very helpful. My husband and I are seriously thinking of leaving the USA (Las Vegas) and retiring in southern France. We just need to do more research about the process.
My husband and I were in London, Paris, and Nice a few months ago. We loved all three cities but felt more comfortable in Nice and have been thinking about moving there for reasons similar to yours. If you pause Medicare, isn’t there a penalty if you start it again? Glad I found your RUclips and perhaps we will meet up some day. Have a wonderful retirement. Enjoy life to the fullest.
We have not gone to Social Security yet, to "pause" our Medicare deductions. An acquaintance who moved to France, from the US around 6 months ago, told me she and her husband were able to "pause" their medicare deductions because they told Social Security they will be living outside the US, in France, where there is no Medicare coverage. She said that they were able to specifically "pause" the deductions, as opposed to "stop" the deductions, because they weren't physically going to live anywhere they could use the benefit. It wasn't like they were living in the US and just didn't feel like paying the deductions any more. I had heard that if you live in the US and stop the deductions, just because you want to, there IS a penalty if you decide later on you want to restart them. But this is a case where we couldn't use our Social Security benefits if we wanted to, in France. So we'd be paying $174 per month each for nothing. Until we go to Social Security and do whatever it is called, we won't know if there will be a penalty. For us, it's almost irrelevant if there is a penalty. We plan to move to France, period--to stay. The health system in France is rated #1 in the world. We're required to get on it after living in France for 90 days, and it won't cost us anything to be on it. The US is rated #37. We have no intention of ever coming back to the US, particularly for health reasons. Why leave France when the best system and healthcare, at significantly less costs to us, is there? So, until we actually go to Social Security, probably in early March, to tell them to stop our deductions, we won't have an answer for you. We'd rather have that $174 added back into each of our Social Security checks, giving us an additional $348 US dollars each month, since our Social Security money is what we'll be living on in France.
@@postcardsfromourgoldenyearsexactly! However I think the subject is what keeps people engaged. I usually only fast forward with some RUclipsrs insert advertising that is off subject.
@@postcardsfromourgoldenyears RUclips recommends keeping intros to under 20 seconds because many viewers will just move on to another video if an intro takes too long. Thank you for sharing the thoughts behind your relocation -- I really hope it all works out and that we'll see videos documenting your actual move and life in Nice.
@@LeonardBottleman As I stated above, a great thing about RUclips is that people can fast forward past the intro anytime they'd like. But thanks for sharing your thoughts.
I was in Nice last year for carnival. When it came time to go up to Provence and a couple of other towns, like Marseille, I walked from my hotel super early in the morning to the train station. Never felt unsafe once. It's a wonderful town. I would love to think about relocating one day. I fell in love with the market, the restaurants, the architecture, and the people. You two are a breath of fresh air! Good luck to you. 🥂
Thank you so much! We are counting the days till we move... I think it's only around 33 days or so now! There IS so much to enjoy and love in Nice. Thanks for your nice note!
He has been an Architect since his mid 20's. And he'll be 70 in April. He's ready to just go hang out in Nice and relax. I would imagine if a friend contacts him for an ad hoc drawing or two, maybe he'll consider helping them out, but... we've planned ahead financially and our lifestyle will be very different. So...this his/our next chapter. Thanks for your note 🤩
I really enjoy you joie de vivre and the content. I must tell you that when you're standing, you tend to sway from one side to another , which makes me a little seasick. I really think you do a better job when you're seated. à bientôt!
I don't know. Most of my research was on things available to us as seniors in Nice and I haven't found many other than senior prices for tram passes, discount cards for seniors on trains. Not sure what kinds of discounts you're looking for and where in France you're considering. Google is a great resource for just about everything. That's where I begin.
@@postcardsfromourgoldenyears Merci. I am looking at Nice, and was just wondering if seniors receive those familiar perks often available in the U.S. I will be meeting with Adrian Leeds later this month. Thank you, again.
@robintillotson5665 again, the only senior discounts we have noted are for the tram. You can purchase a Senior Discount Card for 49 Euros per year , from SNCF, for discounted train travel (around 30% off most train travel around France). Other than those two we have not seen any other senior discounts so far. But the cost of living here in France, is less than what we were paying in the US, in general. So if you're coming to retire, from a place in the US that was an expensive place to live, like we did (Naples, Florida) it makes life in Nice quite affordable.
Bonjour Mon amis! Currently watching your RUclips video on why you moved to Nice France. I'll be 65 next month having contemplating moving to France specifically Nice as Paris is too expensive although I love Paris. And as you say it's not that far it's a train ride away. I visited Nice for the first time 2 years ago and absolutely loved it. I'm a former flight attendant for United Airlines Traveled quite a bit but was always Intrigued by the south of France. I'll let you know next time I'm coming over from the Chicago. I plan a trip every year to get a feel for where I might want to put my roots down again. Aurivoir
My brother used to work as the Exec Chef/ VP of United Airlines designing the menus for first class. His wife is/was a flight attendant for United as well. And a good friend of ours used to be a flight attendant for United as well! You past United people are all over the place! Yes, Nice is a wonderful place to live! Thanks for your note
I’m looking at moving to France, maybe someday 😌 I’d need a very inexpensive area to mainly live off military pension. At least a small city for some amenities. But I seem to love a bit about all the areas I search 😍
It’s hard to pick one area since they all have so much charm!! 😍. I think the central and west sides seem most affordable, but Nice has it all! I am hoping to get as close to the Cote de Azur as possible. (excuse my text -doesn’t have the appropriate accent marks). 😊
You should research Medicare and how that works if you pause/drop coverage. Not an issue if you aren't planning to move back to the US. Just be aware that they charge a penalty if you want to re-enroll - that never drops off. You'll pay higher every month for as long as you need it.
We have no plans to return to the USA. Our understanding is that if you "Pause" the payments, rather than "stopping" the payments altogether, there is not a penalty. Hence the reason for "pausing" instead of just stopping them. We'll know more next year when we have our meeting at Social Security. But our intention is to never return to the US anyway, so talking of penalties is probably a moot point.
@@postcardsfromourgoldenyears I should have said part B -sorry . I was advised that if you pause for more than a few months you will incur penalty when you start again. I was told it's 10% for every 12 month period. No worries for you if you're not returning, but others may be in a different situation.
@CJ-Photo ok. Thanks for sharing that. The people who told me they were able to pause their deductions said they weren't aware of any penalties if they returned to the USA. So maybe every situation is different? We aren't concerned since we aren't returning to the US. I'm sure we'll all get the specifics when we meet with Social Security about our own specific situations. We're just happy to be able to have that money back in our Social Security payments when we leave the USA.
No, not yet. We haven't had a lot of time to do any traveling like that,since we arrived. It's on our list though. And yes, we have seen the ferry. It leaves from over at the port.
I didn't say. Due to our contract with AdrianLeeds, we are not permitted to share information on our fees/rent and other things they negotiated for us. I can say that our requested range was between 1400 and 1850 Euros per month, and the rent for our apartment is within our requested range.
I love the fact that the food is healthier, organic and non-GMO as well as generally costs less. Then the healthcare being better than the US. Good to know Dental is also reasonable. You do have to get the full year of medical insurance for the first year to get the long term residency Visa, correct?
You have to prepay a year International Health Insurance policy. There are multiple levels from the basic policy for emergencies only (not day to day medical expenses) all the way up to full coverage with O deductible that covers everything. We opted for the emergency policy only that covers hospitalization up to 100,000 Euros (the min required is up to 30,000 Euros) plus repatriation. So we don't have what I'd call "medical insurance insurance". We pay out of pocket for doctors visits and prescriptions at far less $$ than in the US. We will apply to get on the France Healthcare system at the beginning of next month when we have completed our first 90 days in France. And we'll submit any medical receipts we have for reimbursement once we get into the system.
First, we have only just moved to France. We won't be considered "tax residents" until we have lived her for at least 183 days. So we will not file any France tax return until next year. 2nd, the US and France have a reciprocal agreement meaning that we will file our US tax return next year. And if any tax is due we will pay it to the USA. We will file a France tax return as well and because of the reciprocal agreement, France will give us credit for paying taxes due, because we will have paid them to the US. As for "how much" we will pay in taxes, we do not discuss our personal finances or how much we pay to any entity, in taxes, to anyone except perhaps an accountant we may hire to assist us. My understanding is that because of the reciprocal agreement between the USA and France, since we are not working and/or collecting a salary, our taxes here in France will not be any more $ than if we live in the US. We do not currently have a tax person we are working with.
Very interesting discussion, thank you. A couple of questions: (1) What is the 'tax' that you referred to that may be repealed? (2) Have you looked into the repercussions of the French inheritance laws? Compared to the USA, the exemption/allowance is quite low and the the tax % is very high.
Thank you! The tax we had heard "someone" was trying to get passed, some time ago, was on our Social Security benefits since we already paid tax on the income when we earned the money. But with this House in Congress...who knows if or when it will every become reality. Not counting on it for a while. We have looked into France inheritance laws compared to the US and will have a Notaire draw up wills and documents in France that state we want to have our estate handled according to the laws of the US, rather than the laws of France. So we need to do a new will for the US and have a will for France done. We'll do that once we get settled in France. We don't plan on buying any property so that will lessen our "estate" and so everything will be in bank accounts that are titled me OR my husband, not me AND my husband. That avoids the surviving spouse from being taxed on the money remaining in the bank. So we believe we're already set.
I certainly enjoyed your joi de vivre in presenting your NICE adventure! What are your thoughts about a young 76 divorced, well travelled retiree moving to Nice on her own? 😂
My advice--DO IT!! I would have no concerns about moving to Nice, alone--or France in general. If you haven't checked out my friend Janice who has another RUclips channel, "Janice in France", check her out. She's in her 70's and moved, by herself, without friends or family, in France, to Fontainebleau. She is great inspiration for all the ladies in our age range, who decided they weren't going to let being alone stand in the way of living their dream. Nice is a very lovely and safe city. And there are a lot of nice older people there. Grab a chair on the Promenade des Anglais on a Sunday afternoon, in the sunshine, and you'll find lots more people of our generation....you might even make a new friend or two. Do it, Elizabeth, Do it!
First, we're not experts on taxes, so we are the last people you should ask about this. This is what I have found just from doing a quick search online, just now - French inheritance tax varies from 0% to 60%. The different rates depend on the proximity between the deceased and beneficiary. The tax is personal to each beneficiary and is not paid out of the estate before any distribution of funds is made. This means that even if two people were to inherit the same proportions of an estate, they may end up with different amounts on the basis that their personal tax-free allowance and applicable tax rates are not the same. Here's a link to a website that might provide you with additional information. www.notaires.fr/en/donation-succession/succession/order-succession-and-inheritance-tax The best suggestion is to always consult with an "expert", an attorney who specializes in estates in France with familiarity with US trusts, wills etc.
I live in Italy. Best move I have done. I just spent 3 days in Narbonne, and tottally fell in love with France. I a took my time getting back to Italy, I'm in Menton right now. Tomorrow I will part toward Formia. Btw....I liked Cannes. Avoid Monaco
It's a "Long Stay Visa". You use your Passport and other required info to apply for it. You'll need to show you can support yourself here in France, be fingerprinted, provide other documentation regarding your plan for employment here, reason for coming etc. If you're approved, you get to live in or retire to France. I have created videos every step of the way in our 3 year preparation for the move to France. Here's a link to my video on how to apply for a Long Stay Visa to retire from the USA to France. ruclips.net/video/StLOyxqrvYI/видео.html If you search our library of past videos, you'll find videos on how to find an apartment, how to create your dossier to rent an apartment, purging and packing, moving, all the steps to prepare and all the steps to get settled so far. There are hundreds of videos on all the important topics! If you're not from the USA, you'll have to go to the France government website for more information on how to apply for your own long stay visa - france-visas.gouv.fr/en/ If you do everything correctly, the Long Stay Visa and Passport work well and you'll have a happy life here in France. And if you subscribe to our channel, you'll be able to keep up with each of our weekly videos sharing information and our travels here in Europe.
I live in SWFL and the cost of living here is ridiculous!!! I have been looking for 'the place' to go for years. I will be retiring in 2 years if I can leave the country. If not I will have to work forever. I am very interested in Nice. I have been to Panama and it was lovely, but the Spanish countries seem to be very noisy. I want a quieter place.
Nice is very lovely, but not particularly what we'd call quieter. We love the energy in Nice. The night begins to come alive in Nice, just when they roll up the sidewalks here in Naples Florida. If you want "quiet", you'll find it in the beautiful countryside of France. Provence is lovely and very quiet. Nice, not so much unless you hide in your apartment far away from old Nice and the Promenade. Good luck in your search.
Thank you for this wonderful information. Question in regard to Medicare pausing. Can you pause it indefinitely or is there a time frame associated with that option? Also what are your intentions for handling the supplemental insurance? Can you- will you pause that as well? I am so excited for you two and to be following you on this adventure!!
My understanding is that we can pause our Medicare deduction indefinitely. We may not say it that way when we make the request. We'll say we're moving to France "for an undetermined number of years". Until recently, I wasn't even aware that option was open to us. Another couple from the US who recently moved to France, told us that's what they did and it was very easy to do. Our current Supplemental insurance costs us $0 in premiums. We are at open enrollment for 2024 presently. We will renew for 2024, with our current carrier, as usual, now, and when we're ready to leave the US in April, we'll contact them and let them know we're moving to France and just end the coverage effective at the end of our month of departure. Our US supplemental insurance will not help us in France. There is no coverage. When we apply for our Long Stay Visa's we will have to provide proof that we have prepaid a 1 year health insurance policy (which we will purchase in a few months), effective the day we arrive in France to stay, to cover us in France, for any major health issues and repatriation costs. It's a requirement to get our visas approved by France. And until we get on the national Healthcare system in France, day to day, we'll pay the same costs French people pay if we go to the doctors or pharmacy. The only difference will be that we won't be reimbursed the 70% from the government of France, until we get on their system. Presently we have no plans to purchase a supplement or top up plan in France. We're healthy people and probably won't have a lot of expenses/copays in France. Paying the copays seems like it will be cheaper for us.
US Medicare: when I researched this option. To stop the Part B deduction, one would have to cancel the Part B (have not heard of Pause). If one whats to restart Part B, they would need to re-enroll during the plan change period in the US which is Oct-Dec of each year. Once re-enrolled, the plan would become effective the following June or July (ex; re-enroll in Oct 2024, plan effective in June-July 2025). Additionally, SSA can levy a 10% penalty for each year not enrolled. Part A (hospital) cannot be canceled, nor would you want to since there is no cost for that plan. Also when re-enrolling, some plans can modify benefits received (ie: pre-existing conditions). Of course check with SSA for detailed info. Edit: If you have Part D (drug), SSA can impose a penalty for the time not enrolled in that plan if you sign up with a new plan that includes Part D benefits - I found that out the hardway 😮
@@stevenjb.9275 thanks for your note. We will have to check further into this when we actually meet with the people at SS. I learned about "pausing" as opposed to "dropping" the part B from recent Expats who moved from Massachusetts and did this. She told me that they told SS that they were moving to France for an indeterminate amount of years and wanted to stop the deductions, until such time as they return. Because SS admitted that if they kept the deductions they would have $0 benefits in France, since SS cannot be used in France,the SS rep suggested the couple "pause" their deductions instead of totally dropping the deductions. They were not told there would be a penalty if they ever return to the US and want to resume the part B. They don't plan to return to the USA anyway. We don't either. I guess you have to meet with SS and explain that you're moving to another country for years, to be able to "pause". But if you're moving to France and never coming back, it's a moot point. I do agree that all the research I have found online on "stopping" the deductions was as you stated. However, I am led to believe the penalties only apply to people living in the USA who have the ability to use Medicare part B and D, and get coverage for healthcare, and simply don't want to pay for it any more. If we keep the deductions but have no ability to use the plan B, because nothing in France will be covered, it's a different situation. And I believe the expats who recently did this, were offered the "pause" option so the plan would be easily resumed if they ever returned to the US.
Research, research. IMO, what I would do moving out of the US is to keep the Part B for 3-6 months while living in another country - to test the soil and see if I like it. II believe you can cancel Part B while living overseas. Probably a phone call away - need to research that one myself.
@@stevenjb.9275 That's a good suggestion, for those who have doubts. We are counting the days till our move. We have had enough of Florida. Can't wait to leave. But, we will definitely get the "scoop" in person at SS. Plus, if there's any doubt on the part of SS about our real status, the fact that we plan to work through the American Embassy in France to have our SS deposited into a French bank account instead of our current US bank accounts (that may not continue to do business with us) once we change the address on the account to a France address, after a few months, might be enough to seal the deal. Time will tell. Thanks again for your thoughts and notes.
Nice is a very good choice. Re climate: Yes, to my knowledge, events such as hurricanes did not happen. But I have seen snowfall in February/March. So be prepared. Key aspect for moving to a different country when retirement comes: Health care, providers and costs for retirees
Snow is very rare in France, as we have been told. And compared to the heavy frequent snows of our childhoods and prior years living in the northeastern USA, what we may have in Nice won't be a bother. We're fine with an occasional dusting of snow every now and then. We won't be driving in it and have lots of warm clothes. Nice has everything we want and need. 😊
We are looking into renting an apartment for a month in September and would like to know the best location given your knowledge of the city. We currently live in Naples Florida. Thanks for your videos.
We are also in Naples-- moving to Nice in early April! It's hard to make a recommendation on where to stay if you're only coming for a month and you didn't mention what you're hoping to do in Nice. . Visiting as a tourist is a little different than picking a place "to live" indefinitely. We have stayed in Nice Centre and the Port District in order to be close to the Promenade and Tram lines, since you'll need the tram to get around. I generally look on Airbnb for apartments no more than 15 minutes walk to the Promenade and Old Nice. That ought to put you in a good neighborhood no matter where you pick.
In general, the French Riviera is by not means cheap, and Nice is one of the most expensives towns, depending on the area, it can be more expensive than Paris (now I agree about the beauty, livability and pleasant climate of the city, I would also choose it over Paris !)
At your age, you might be entitled to a special free pass for buses; you will have to inquire about that at the town hall (La Mairie). French people like people from English-speaking countries. Have a great time in France.
We will only be entitled to that after we file our first France tax return showing 0 taxes due. They don't consider our US Social Security or pension money taxable, however my husband was still working for the first few months of the year, before he retired, and had income. So when we renew our annual tram pass, this coming year, it may not be free. We'll have to see. But for sure the next time, when we report 2025 income. This is not done at the Mairie. We just bring a copy of our France tax return, Passport, and Tram pass up for renewal to the Lignes D'Azure office and they will take care of it. I covered this in a recent video all about using the Trams in Nice. Here's a link to that video- ruclips.net/video/Vz6xmCbjk7w/видео.html
In order to get our long stay Visas we were required to prepay a 1 year International health insurance policy to use in case of emergency for hospitalization and associated costs. Also, we are required to apply to be on the French health system after we are living here in France for 90 days. We have stopped our Medicare Part B deductions since there is no coverage here in France. The France health system is the best in the world so we have no concerns about Healthcare coverage.
France does have the best Healthcare in the world ! Can I ask you a personal question ? How much is the Apartment that you rented in Nice? Is it 2 Bedrooms & how many Square Mètres Carre’? I can’t wait to move there, & will take you both to dinner
@jellybeanparis584 By our contract with Adrian Leeds, who assisted us in finding the apartment, we are not permitted to discuss what we paid in fees or for our rent. Typically 2 bedroom furnished apartments are in the 1250 to maybe 2100 euro range, or more. We have a 2 bedroom, around 700 square ft and are in the Nice Centre area. We looked at an apartment in Carre d'Or as well but found it to be more expensive, 0 closets/storage and less square meters. There's a real apartment rental shortage in Nice and other lg cities in France. So you need to be open on your budget and ready to jump on and sign a lease on anything that ticks most of your boxes.I would get your Dossier prepared and have your guarantor in place. For most available apartment rentals, there will be many people viewing and considering the apartment. And it's the landlord who will choose the right renters. So you have to have a good cover letter. Good luck.
We do have children, all grown. They have not shared their feelings about our move. Most seemed happy for us when we saw them before moving. One of them already bought airline tickets to come visit and the others are always welcome.
No, neither of us speak fluent French. I studied French for over 8 years back in my "school days" more than 50 years ago and speak fairly well, but I wouldn't say I'm fluent. And, my husband knows how to ask for the check and order chocolate croissants. He plans to study French very intensively once he retires and we're living in Nice and he has time to do so. We both start every interaction in any store or restaurant with Bonjour and say Merci and Au revoir or Bonsoir. I would say it would be very wrong to live in France, not speak much French and not be on the path to learning. French is in fact their language and when I'm in France, it's my language of choice. When I'm in France the only person I'll speak to in English is my husband. Yes, there are French people who speak English, but most are just being "polite". Some who know English don't feel like speaking it, for one reason or another and will tell you they don't speak English (maybe they don't feel they speak well enough?). Contracts are in French. Bank statements and letters from your bank are in French. Most personal business paperwork is in French. I don't know where in the world you live, but here in the USA, we all wish people who come here from other countries would learn English instead of forcing us to have to know some French or Spanish or whatever their language is. Here in Florida, we have a huge hispanic population with people from Mexico from Cuba and many of them make no attempt to speak English. They won't even figure out how to use Google translate. I've been trying to sell our stuff to prepare for our move. They contact me in Spanish and when I ask them in Spanish, to please use translation app, they ignore me. I feel that if you're moving to a country where English is not the primary language, when you're in that country, you should make every attempt to learn the language of that country...so, is it possible to live in France with little or no French skills? Probably. But you won't easily assimilate. Your circle of friends will be limited to your American friends or those from the UK or your family and you won't necessarily fit in with your French neighbors and make French friends, you'll constantly be imposing on people to talk to you in English. I say, if you arrive to live in France, without knowing much French, fine, but book yourself in an intensive French class either using the online classes or one of the classes out in the world ---and learn fast. I thought I read recently that they are trying to pass some laws that eventually if you want to be able to stay in France and not have to renew your Visa every year, in order to get the multi-year Visa, you'll need to pass some kind of French language skills test. I don't know where it is in their legislature but I did hear it was being proposed.
@@postcardsfromourgoldenyears Thank you for your detailed explanation I agree that speaking the local language is a must for all kinds of good reasons My wife and I want to experience the Mediterranean life in a country that is tax friendly to Americans and France fits the bill Thanks again
I was wondering how you will find a long term rental in Nice? Do they have agents that help people find a long term rental? Are there any rental websites you recommend?
There is currently a huge shortage of rentals in Nice. We contracted with Adrian Leed's company to assist us in finding our apartment. They have many contacts and management companies and landlords they work with who may not even list their rentals online. They asked for very thorough information on what we needed, wanted and didn't want and from the start if their search for us, to the walk thru of the apartments we were interested in to signing the lease, it was 2 weeks. The fees we paid Adrian Leed's company were well worth every penny. Saved us lot of time doing all the searches, the phone calls, the follow up, reading the lease (that is in French) and great advice and consult. Adrian and all of her staff are expats from the US. They all went thru the process and they have dealing with the French people for many years. They know what people from the US consider important and how to market their clients to the management companies and landlords. I suggest you contract with her company and save yourself time, aggravation, issues with language if you don't speak French well and all the rest of the legwork that goes into searching for a good rental that you'll be happy with. 😀
@@postcardsfromourgoldenyears Thanks for your reply! I'll check Adrian out and thanks for the recommendation. 🙂 We are looking at Nice as well as some of the lovely coastal towns in Normandy, where Summers are more like the Oregon Coast.
Perhaps ,next, you would enjoy viewing my #1 most popular video in the history of my channel ( with over 184,000 views) . Here's a link to it-- ruclips.net/video/RQmLNw-zpq4/видео.html
I have a modest retirement income. SS+pension, etc Is it possible to live in Nice on this type of income? What happens long-term if you don’t buy. Will rentals become impossibly expensive?
We have a modest savings account, no pensions, and will be living solely on both of our US Social Security monthly payments. For us, coming from Naples, FL which is very expensive, living in Nice will cut our costs (along with not having 2 cars or any cars and those expenses) by between 30 and 50%. And when we stop our Medicare deduction on our Social Security checks, that gives us each an additional $178 or so, that we have as income. We have no intention of buying anything. We want the flexibility of a rental. Plus, you can't get a mortgage if you're over the age of 60. Most mortgage writers in France won't write mortgages for seniors, and if by chance you find someone privately, or maybe your bank, in France, who will give you a mortgage, you'd have to have the mortgage paid off by the time you turn 75. I can't say if you specifically will be able to live on SS and pensions. Depends on how much income they provide. What we can afford may be different than what you can afford. And as far as rents, depending on what you're looking for, I've seen some 1 bedroom apartments advertised for as low as 650 Euros per month and up, 2 bedrooms, what we're looking for, as low as 1200 Euros and up to over 2500 Euros of more. They say that to qualify for rentals you need to have at least 3x the rent in income or liquid money and of course, you need to have a guarantor, but that's easily done by applying with garantme, who will act as your guarantor. It's all relative to how much income and savings you have compared to the cost of rentals. I will say that there is a shortage of rentals right now, in NIce and a few big cities and the rental laws favor the tenants. It means that once a tenant moves in, it is very hard for landlords to get rid of them, other than for nonpayment of rent, so the landlords will be extra choosy about who they select to rent their apartments.You need to figure out how much you have in monthly income and do the math. But it is definitely possible to live in France on just SS and pensions (if they will cover your personal expenses).
@@postcardsfromourgoldenyears Thank you. It currently am an expat in Portugal. I haven’t cut off my Medicare yet and pay for a policy here. I recently purchased an apartment but could easily sell it. My income is enough to live here, pay the mortgage, and have about 800 euro in surplus per month. If I gave up Medicare, I’d have another 190 euros per month.
It's all relative. What might be better for you may not be better for us and vice-versa. We all have our priorities. I have you find what you're looking for, as well. Thanks for taking the time to drop a message. 😊
We have not yet found a rental. At the moment, for a move in in April, it is kind of early to try to lease something. We are heading to France in late November/December to start looking for an initial rental for our first 90 days in Nice. If we are able to find a suitable 90 day rental, we'll move there initially and then once we're in France, start searching for something long term. Alternatively, if we find something wonderful while visiting in November/December that will be available as a long term rental, starting in April, and they are willing to start a lease while we're there, we may jump on it in December or whenever they want us to start, if they are willing to lease it to us prior to our getting our long stay visa. We will be preparing a "dossier" to present to landlords in November/December, just in case. Check our my prior video on how to find and rent an apartment for more details. Here's a link-- ruclips.net/video/lOzOW-Q9r9A/видео.html
@@postcardsfromourgoldenyearsyou can also look to working with Adrian Leeds. She can also help on that side (not just purchasing property). I’ve a consultation with her in November. I look forward to getting more info from her.
@@postcardsfromourgoldenyears thank you for your reply I appreciate it , so vfs didn’t ask you an address as a one of the required document for the long green stay visa application.I noticed that you mentioned that visa office allow Airbnb type of temporary accommodation, did I understand correctly? Thanks again in advance 🙏🏻💕💕💕
@Didi-ir1gr We are still in the USA. We have not applied for our Long Stay Visa yet. We cannot apply until we are 90 days away from our move in early April. We WILL be able to use an Airbnb to satisfy the requirements that we provide an address for the first 90 days of our residency. By working with Adrian she has already stated if need be she can give us an address to use on the Visa application. We are going to France next month, for a few weeks, to start looking for our first apartment for our arrival following our move, in April.
Did you say that healthcare in France is free or very cheap for foreigners coming here ? Do you thing that is fair on les Français who pay taxes all their working lives so that people like you can benefit from it . That is one of the reasons that France is so deep in debt .
No, I said that it will cost us little or nothing because it is based on our income. And if our only income is our US Social Security and pensions, which is not treated as income in France, then we will probably pay little or nothing as a social contribution. As to whether or not it is fair. That is not for me to say. It is simply the policy because of the "totalization agreement" between the US and France, which means that if you've paid into the social security system in one country (like the US), you are generally not required to pay social security taxes in the other country (like France), even if you are living there as a retiree with no additional income. If you are unhappy with the agreement, I suggest you speak with the French government or do whatever you need to do, if you're a French citizen, to change that policy. I would have come to France to retire even if I have to pay for the healthcare. I'm not here for the "free" healthcare, I'm here for a different kind of life, a better life, although considering my Visa does not allow me to seek or accept employment in France, and I'm on a limited income, they'd probably have to change that policy for us 70+ year old seniors, as well. It's not as if we are not contributing to the well being of this country. We eat in the restaurants. We shop in the local businesses. We pay VAT on just about every purchase we make, here in France. And the VAT is a lot higher than the taxes we pay for things in the US. Please don't imply that those of us who are retired and on limited incomes, have come to France to be freeloaders. That couldn't be farther from the truth.
Yes, and more importantly, our monthly Social Security payments which we will be using to live on. We are not concerned about paying taxes. We won't be working in France so for the most part our only income will be our Social Security. And unless we have other income we won't have to pay taxes on our Social Security. There is also a Bill in Congress that if passed would eliminate the double taxation on Social Security (since we already paid taxes on the money when we earned it). I explain all of this in my video about paying taxes and the tax treaty between the US and France. Please watch that for more information. Here's a link to view that video: ruclips.net/video/R_7YsnDg5D4/видео.html
Sorry to hear that. Check the volume on whatever you're using to watch. Maybe the volume needs to be turned up. Also there is a setting to turn subtitles on so that if you are unable to hear us for any reason, RUclips will generate subtitles for you. You just have to turn on the option, usually by clicking on the screen while watching. The "settings wheel" is on the right.
I love the fact that food is healthier, organic and non-GMO as well as generally costs less. Then the healthcare being better than the US. Good to know Dental is also reasonable. You do have to get the full year of medical insurance for the first year to get the long term residency Visa, correct?
Yes, correct, however we only purchased what was required to get our Visas so our plan only covers emergency hospitalization and related expenses and repatriation if we want to be returned to the USA on death. We pay for our day to day medical expenses out of pocket and substantially less than what they cost in the US. We'll be applying to get on the France healthcare system in another month and once we're in the system we'll get the healthcare system reimbursements, reducing our costs even more.
French here from near the Swiss border. We don't say bonjour monsieur or madame to everyone in a shop, wating room but say when enter " Bonjour Messieurs Dames " that do the job.
Good suggestion. Generally we're only speaking to one person assisting us in a shop or cafe, not everyone. If we walk into a department store, we only address the one person we need to speak with. Perhaps if we enter a situation where there is more than 1 person we need to address, we would address all of them like that. But, many thanks for your suggestion. 😉
We are moving later in the year,to a quiet area…especially because everything is closed on a Sunday!!!
It’s central France so gets all the seasons.
Lots of culture and local events and few expats.
Can’t wait for this change of life and to enjoy France
We love your quest to "enjoy our golden years." Nice, France looks perfect: comfortable weather, a walkable city with cafe culture, great healthcare, and access to public transportation.
Thank you! 😃
@Dms-sn8qj That's your opinion. I think we should end this conversation. It serves no purpose and I really don't appreciate the negativity. My mother often told me, if you can't think of anything nice to say, best to say nothing.
GREAT CONTENT, AND PERHAPS I WILL SEE YOU THERE, AS MY FIANCE IS PARISIAN AND WANTS ME TO MOVE THERE!!!!
I'M FROM NY, AND CURRENTLY LIVE OVERLOOKING PALM BEACH WHERE WE MET 25 YEARS AGO THROUGH BUSINESS!!!!
BEST WISHES!!!!
I’ve thought about moving to Europe for a long time. Thank you so much for the information!❤
It was very nice to watch both of you presenting useful information about Nice. You both have a wonderful sense of humor. All the best for your move!👍
We're here in Nice and so far...ALL IS WELL! Looking forward to finally receiving our boxes and unpacking, this week.
What a wonderful interview filled with great information!
Welcome to France! You seem to be such nice and open-minded people.
One easy way to meet French people once you've settled down is to invite your next door neighbors for "apéritif" at about 6 or 7 pm on a Friday or Saturday in order to present yourselves. This is what most French people do when they move into a new house/apartment. Just offer some drinks with and without alcohol plus crackers, olives, peanuts, bits of cheese, small slices of bread, pizza, etc. in small plates. It won't be too much work for you but it will mean a lot to them and they'll tell you you can rely on them if you need any help. But you may have already done this!
You're right: saying "Bonjour!" any time ou enter a shop, a waiting-room or asking someone for directions is very important.
Hello! We haven't actually moved to Nice, YET. We move the first week of April. It's coming fast and we are really looking forward to finding a great apartment and making new friends so I can practice my French and my husband Jeff can learn more French. We plan to do the suggested apertif once we find a new home, move in and are settled! We've already discussed this together, hopeful of course, that we have nice neighbors, who will want to meet us. Thanks for your nice note!
@@Alex-mp1zb Thats just normal common sense anywhere ....they're not tips mon amie ,tout le monde connaît ça 😅!!!
We're so happy to have you guys in France, hope you enjoy your time here, best to you
We had a fabulous trip and will be sharing it in our upcoming videos...starting with the new one this morning...and now that we're home, we're just 3 months away from our big move to Nice. There will be lots to share as we get very serious with the selling off the rest of our stuff, packing, and do our application for our "long stay Visas". We're counting the days!
Welcome in France, you are nice.According youtube, a lot of american are leaving their country too. The american dream is the french dream now 😁
Michèle from Champagne region
Yes, there are a lot of us choosing to retire in la belle France 🇫🇷 Nous avons assez de la terrible situation politique actuelle en Florida et aux États-Unis
You both are so sweet! And so helpful and kind! Thank you for posting this helpful video. Much appreciated.
Not all agriculture in France organic, by any means, but easy to find certified 'organic'/traditionally grown produce, at local markets, in many areas. Thanks for this informative video. Good luck with your life in Alpes Maritime.
By the way, there are lovely villages, well worth a visit, north of Nice along the border with Italy
EXCELLENT video, An and Jeff!
Thank you very much!
I absolutely love your energy. I haven't watching your videos probably since you first started.
I have the same dream of moving to France, plan to do so with my family in early 2025.
I love your videos, I love that you're downsizing, I'm actually a real estate agent who helps seniors downsize to move into safer more manageable spaces so they can live a happier and healthier life. And it's a course different for everyone! And that's why it's different for you to move to France. And I applaud you.
My own parents are in their mid 70s and live in Minnesota and do not have the same ambitions as I do. Or the same as you. And I am so proud of you and love watching your story. Thank you for sharing it.
Thank you! It is very hard to downsize. Hard to take a lifetime of stuff and reduce it to 20 boxes and 4-5 suitcases. I had practice with my late mother. When I had to move her from a 2 bedroom condo into first an assisted living room , followed by just a closet and 2 drawers in a nursing home room and put most of her stuff in storage. I eventually sold all of her furnitureand donated all of her clothes. I find that it gets easier for me, the closer we get to our move. And it takes so long to sell things! I started this consolidation back in January with our first "garage sale". I think when we get to the other side of New Years, we'll probably just set up tables in our house, with everything that's left on those tables and call a daily "estate sale" and let people walk thru the house and hopefully buy a lot of what's left, that we aren't taking. And then we'll try to reduce the 20 boxes we plan to take down to 10 or 12. Where there is a will there is a way. Thanks for watching 👀 more to come! I appreciate your kind words. 😊
Do not forget to go to Corsica ,the Corsican motto is slowly in the morning and not to fast in the afternoon ( you will live longer )@@postcardsfromourgoldenyears
@@postcardsfromourgoldenyears You have done an amazing job and have great energy! I just moved my 80 year old Mom into Assisted living in February and we did an Estate sale after she was gone from the family home. It was so hard reducing all the stuff from 50 years! We hired a pro who took 40% of the profit. I’m not sure I want to give up that much money, personally, and have much less stuff. However, it is very chaotic and exhausting to do it! I’m sure you are relieved to be “on the other side” of that process. 🎊
For sure! Definitely glad to be on the other side. Looking back,which I shouldn't do, we should have brought in one of those companies to unload our stuff, particularly towards our last days in the US. We ended up donating and giving away, so much stuff, many thousands of dollars worth of stuff, that we just didn't have time to sell.
I am happy for you ! You might want to move the Microphone closer or use a clip-on microphone
Perfect…I am contemplating moving to Nice because I love Art and I love France. Thank you for this very informative video. 🩷🩷🩷
love this and it is my plan. subscribed!
Thank you so much! You are my 2500th subscriber! A milestone for my channel! 🎉🎈
thank you
This has been a great episode. There are so many similarities. I, too, am looking at Nice (hopefully mid-2024). I’m a little north of you (Bradenton), so I am lockstep with you on the reasons of living in the US, especially FL. Looking forward to your episodes as you move to Nice. 😊
Great! Another Floridian saying "goodbye" to the US! I've heard from quite a few others, here in Florida, who believe it's "time" to go, that are heading to France. And what better place than Nice, right?! Thanks for your note.
You are such a lovely and fun couple and I got your youtube channel from Janice. I just discovered your channel 30 April 2024 and I really would love to spend more time in France, maybe in the form of a vacation house, I do not know yet. I love that you say that you like the energy and night life in Nice as that would also be a big reason for me to live close to a city as I am an evening person, love to dine late and enjoy the evening either outside in the warm weather with a nice glas of wine or whatever, strolling around the streets together. Good that you mention that in Naples in Florida they roll up the sidewalks at 21 hours already as I was considering spending time over there as well, that is way too early for me and the same thing happens here in The Netherlands. The organic food from the market is something I also really appreciate. I love the politeness and the way the French enjoy their lunch with a glas of wine for 2 hours which is absolutely not done here in The Netherlands. And the French bakeries, the cafe au lait, the food, I mean even in the small villages I have experienced good food. We say in The Netherlands: "Live like God in France" meaning living the good life in every way and form. I also like to stroll along the boulevard and watch the beautiful colours of the Mediterranean Sea. I know how to speak French as I was a nanny in the French part of Switzerland in 1989. I have been flying around the world as a flight attendant for KLM for 30 years and I come back to living the good live in Europe, I also like Italy foodwise very much, but that you can easily visit from Nice. I also do speak Spanish like you An, but I do not know if I want to live in Spain yet. I love variety and I love the Netherlands as well, but I can easily drive to the South of France.
So I am going to watch more of your video's and thank you for sharing your life in Nice with us 🙏🌷🧡Enjoy your time in beautiful France 🍾🥂🍷
Thanks so much for taking the time to write to us. France IS lovely and we are loving our new life here. ❤️
@@postcardsfromourgoldenyears that is so kind of you noticing this! I am glad I got to discover your channel and I am looking forward to your new adventures in Nice now spring is here 🌷🌷
I lived in Paris for 2 years, before returning to So California. I plan on Retiring in Nice 6 months per year & 6 months in California
Nice is our favorite and we always finish our travels there and then fly back to Amsterdam and home to Oregon. We use to travel by train, but a rental car works better for us these days. What fun, you are both very bold and certainly have set the bar high for quality of life.
La Part des Angels in Nice is the best wine bar + offsales I've ever visited + a mixed cheese-board to accompany the wines is like kissing God. I would drive almost every week from Dolcedo, Italy to sup there before I gave up booze altogether & closed my own personal brilliantly-stocked bar with its champagne, tequila, absinthe etc specialities.
You two are so cute. I loved your video. The information you provided was very helpful. My husband and I are seriously thinking of leaving the USA (Las Vegas) and retiring in southern France. We just need to do more research about the process.
Check out my other videos where we share how we navigated all of the steps to move here---and all of the requirements😊
What a wonderful couple and you have made the correct choice.
You are going to have a fantastic retirement. All the best to you both.
Thank you very much!
Thanks for the advice. Looking forward to seeing your dreams come true.
Us too!
My husband and I were in London, Paris, and Nice a few months ago. We loved all three cities but felt more comfortable in Nice and have been thinking about moving there for reasons similar to yours.
If you pause Medicare, isn’t there a penalty if you start it again?
Glad I found your RUclips and perhaps we will meet up some day.
Have a wonderful retirement. Enjoy life to the fullest.
We have not gone to Social Security yet, to "pause" our Medicare deductions. An acquaintance who moved to France, from the US around 6 months ago, told me she and her husband were able to "pause" their medicare deductions because they told Social Security they will be living outside the US, in France, where there is no Medicare coverage. She said that they were able to specifically "pause" the deductions, as opposed to "stop" the deductions, because they weren't physically going to live anywhere they could use the benefit. It wasn't like they were living in the US and just didn't feel like paying the deductions any more. I had heard that if you live in the US and stop the deductions, just because you want to, there IS a penalty if you decide later on you want to restart them. But this is a case where we couldn't use our Social Security benefits if we wanted to, in France. So we'd be paying $174 per month each for nothing. Until we go to Social Security and do whatever it is called, we won't know if there will be a penalty. For us, it's almost irrelevant if there is a penalty. We plan to move to France, period--to stay. The health system in France is rated #1 in the world. We're required to get on it after living in France for 90 days, and it won't cost us anything to be on it. The US is rated #37. We have no intention of ever coming back to the US, particularly for health reasons. Why leave France when the best system and healthcare, at significantly less costs to us, is there? So, until we actually go to Social Security, probably in early March, to tell them to stop our deductions, we won't have an answer for you. We'd rather have that $174 added back into each of our Social Security checks, giving us an additional $348 US dollars each month, since our Social Security money is what we'll be living on in France.
You should consider cutting your opening down - it's a little too long and certainly could deter people to continue watching.
Thanks for your thoughts. The great part of viewing on RUclips is that you can fast forward ahead, if you'd like to skip watching the video.
@@postcardsfromourgoldenyearsexactly! However I think the subject is what keeps people engaged. I usually only fast forward with some RUclipsrs insert advertising that is off subject.
@@postcardsfromourgoldenyears RUclips recommends keeping intros to under 20 seconds because many viewers will just move on to another video if an intro takes too long. Thank you for sharing the thoughts behind your relocation -- I really hope it all works out and that we'll see videos documenting your actual move and life in Nice.
@@LeonardBottleman As I stated above, a great thing about RUclips is that people can fast forward past the intro anytime they'd like. But thanks for sharing your thoughts.
@@postcardsfromourgoldenyears love this thank you!
I was in Nice last year for carnival. When it came time to go up to Provence and a couple of other towns, like Marseille, I walked from my hotel super early in the morning to the train station. Never felt unsafe once. It's a wonderful town.
I would love to think about relocating one day. I fell in love with the market, the restaurants, the architecture, and the people. You two are a breath of fresh air! Good luck to you. 🥂
Thank you so much! We are counting the days till we move... I think it's only around 33 days or so now! There IS so much to enjoy and love in Nice. Thanks for your nice note!
How can an architect ever afford to stop working? It's a tough profession yet hard to stop doing. I agree with your reasons for moving. Bonne journee.
He has been an Architect since his mid 20's. And he'll be 70 in April. He's ready to just go hang out in Nice and relax. I would imagine if a friend contacts him for an ad hoc drawing or two, maybe he'll consider helping them out, but... we've planned ahead financially and our lifestyle will be very different. So...this his/our next chapter. Thanks for your note 🤩
I really enjoy you joie de vivre and the content. I must tell you that when you're standing, you tend to sway from one side to another , which makes me a little seasick. I really think you do a better job when you're seated. à bientôt!
LOL. Thanks for the tip
@@postcardsfromourgoldenyears 🌹🌹🌹
Thank you so much for such an encouraging video. I'm wondering if there are additional senior discounts for other areas of living?
I don't know. Most of my research was on things available to us as seniors in Nice and I haven't found many other than senior prices for tram passes, discount cards for seniors on trains. Not sure what kinds of discounts you're looking for and where in France you're considering. Google is a great resource for just about everything. That's where I begin.
@@postcardsfromourgoldenyears Merci. I am looking at Nice, and was just wondering if seniors receive those familiar perks often available in the U.S. I will be meeting with Adrian Leeds later this month. Thank you, again.
@robintillotson5665 again, the only senior discounts we have noted are for the tram. You can purchase a Senior Discount Card for 49 Euros per year , from SNCF, for discounted train travel (around 30% off most train travel around France). Other than those two we have not seen any other senior discounts so far. But the cost of living here in France, is less than what we were paying in the US, in general. So if you're coming to retire, from a place in the US that was an expensive place to live, like we did (Naples, Florida) it makes life in Nice quite affordable.
Bonjour Mon amis!
Currently watching your RUclips video on why you moved to Nice France. I'll be 65 next month having contemplating moving to France specifically Nice as Paris is too expensive although I love Paris. And as you say it's not that far it's a train ride away. I visited Nice for the first time 2 years ago and absolutely loved it. I'm a former flight attendant for United Airlines Traveled quite a bit but was always Intrigued by the south of France. I'll let you know next time I'm coming over from the Chicago. I plan a trip every year to get a feel for where I might want to put my roots down again. Aurivoir
My brother used to work as the Exec Chef/ VP of United Airlines designing the menus for first class. His wife is/was a flight attendant for United as well. And a good friend of ours used to be a flight attendant for United as well! You past United people are all over the place! Yes, Nice is a wonderful place to live! Thanks for your note
You ‘re amazing!
Cheers on your decision im right behind ya. I live in Tampa and my plan is to be out of here in 4 years.
Glad I stumbled on upon your channel. I am looking for my retirement spot. I love Lisbon. Visiting Nice this summer.
I’m looking at moving to France, maybe someday 😌 I’d need a very inexpensive area to mainly live off military pension. At least a small city for some amenities. But I seem to love a bit about all the areas I search 😍
It’s hard to pick one area since they all have so much charm!! 😍. I think the central and west sides seem most affordable, but Nice has it all! I am hoping to get as close to the Cote de Azur as possible. (excuse my text -doesn’t have the appropriate accent marks). 😊
You should research Medicare and how that works if you pause/drop coverage. Not an issue if you aren't planning to move back to the US. Just be aware that they charge a penalty if you want to re-enroll - that never drops off. You'll pay higher every month for as long as you need it.
We have no plans to return to the USA. Our understanding is that if you "Pause" the payments, rather than "stopping" the payments altogether, there is not a penalty. Hence the reason for "pausing" instead of just stopping them. We'll know more next year when we have our meeting at Social Security. But our intention is to never return to the US anyway, so talking of penalties is probably a moot point.
@@postcardsfromourgoldenyears I should have said part B -sorry . I was advised that if you pause for more than a few months you will incur penalty when you start again. I was told it's 10% for every 12 month period. No worries for you if you're not returning, but others may be in a different situation.
@CJ-Photo ok. Thanks for sharing that. The people who told me they were able to pause their deductions said they weren't aware of any penalties if they returned to the USA. So maybe every situation is different? We aren't concerned since we aren't returning to the US. I'm sure we'll all get the specifics when we meet with Social Security about our own specific situations. We're just happy to be able to have that money back in our Social Security payments when we leave the USA.
@@CJ-PhotoI think only Part A (Hospital part) is deducted from social security income. Part B is for everything else.
Have you guys visited Corsica yet? I think ferries run from nice daily and I heard Corsica is a jewel
No, not yet. We haven't had a lot of time to do any traveling like that,since we arrived. It's on our list though. And yes, we have seen the ferry. It leaves from over at the port.
Thank you for this information
Great choice. I love Nice, the weather is fabulous and you can visit Paris on the train!
YES!!!!!!!!! it has been SO REFRESHING to be in a country where there is cooperation and not nonstop lunacy because of politics.
I think you made a great choice with Nice. What did you say was the monthly rent?
I didn't say. Due to our contract with AdrianLeeds, we are not permitted to share information on our fees/rent and other things they negotiated for us. I can say that our requested range was between 1400 and 1850 Euros per month, and the rent for our apartment is within our requested range.
So excited for you !!! Can’t wait yo follow your adventures! I’m looking to move to France in retirement as well ♥
We're excited too!
We're excited about our move too!
I love the fact that the food is healthier, organic and non-GMO as well as generally costs less. Then the healthcare being better than the US. Good to know Dental is also reasonable. You do have to get the full year of medical insurance for the first year to get the long term residency Visa, correct?
You have to prepay a year International Health Insurance policy. There are multiple levels from the basic policy for emergencies only (not day to day medical expenses) all the way up to full coverage with O deductible that covers everything. We opted for the emergency policy only that covers hospitalization up to 100,000 Euros (the min required is up to 30,000 Euros) plus repatriation. So we don't have what I'd call "medical insurance insurance". We pay out of pocket for doctors visits and prescriptions at far less $$ than in the US. We will apply to get on the France Healthcare system at the beginning of next month when we have completed our first 90 days in France. And we'll submit any medical receipts we have for reimbursement once we get into the system.
How much are you paying in income tax? Who is doing your taxes? Are you double taxed as you would be in Switzerland?
First, we have only just moved to France. We won't be considered "tax residents" until we have lived her for at least 183 days. So we will not file any France tax return until next year. 2nd, the US and France have a reciprocal agreement meaning that we will file our US tax return next year. And if any tax is due we will pay it to the USA. We will file a France tax return as well and because of the reciprocal agreement, France will give us credit for paying taxes due, because we will have paid them to the US. As for "how much" we will pay in taxes, we do not discuss our personal finances or how much we pay to any entity, in taxes, to anyone except perhaps an accountant we may hire to assist us. My understanding is that because of the reciprocal agreement between the USA and France, since we are not working and/or collecting a salary, our taxes here in France will not be any more $ than if we live in the US. We do not currently have a tax person we are working with.
Very interesting discussion, thank you. A couple of questions: (1) What is the 'tax' that you referred to that may be repealed? (2) Have you looked into the repercussions of the French inheritance laws? Compared to the USA, the exemption/allowance is quite low and the the tax % is very high.
Thank you! The tax we had heard "someone" was trying to get passed, some time ago, was on our Social Security benefits since we already paid tax on the income when we earned the money. But with this House in Congress...who knows if or when it will every become reality. Not counting on it for a while. We have looked into France inheritance laws compared to the US and will have a Notaire draw up wills and documents in France that state we want to have our estate handled according to the laws of the US, rather than the laws of France. So we need to do a new will for the US and have a will for France done. We'll do that once we get settled in France. We don't plan on buying any property so that will lessen our "estate" and so everything will be in bank accounts that are titled me OR my husband, not me AND my husband. That avoids the surviving spouse from being taxed on the money remaining in the bank. So we believe we're already set.
One my first trip to the market all by myself, I did charades to ask what time they open and close. It was hilarious!!
Try using Google Translate - you and the other person can just speak into your phone and it will translate
I certainly enjoyed your joi de vivre in presenting your NICE adventure!
What are your thoughts about a young 76 divorced, well travelled retiree moving to Nice on her own? 😂
My advice--DO IT!! I would have no concerns about moving to Nice, alone--or France in general. If you haven't checked out my friend Janice who has another RUclips channel, "Janice in France", check her out. She's in her 70's and moved, by herself, without friends or family, in France, to Fontainebleau. She is great inspiration for all the ladies in our age range, who decided they weren't going to let being alone stand in the way of living their dream. Nice is a very lovely and safe city. And there are a lot of nice older people there. Grab a chair on the Promenade des Anglais on a Sunday afternoon, in the sunshine, and you'll find lots more people of our generation....you might even make a new friend or two. Do it, Elizabeth, Do it!
Thanks for your encouragement!
can you address the inheritance tax? i understand it is 50%. i would love to to hear your thoughts.
First, we're not experts on taxes, so we are the last people you should ask about this. This is what I have found just from doing a quick search online, just now - French inheritance tax varies from 0% to 60%. The different rates depend on the proximity between the deceased and beneficiary. The tax is personal to each beneficiary and is not paid out of the estate before any distribution of funds is made. This means that even if two people were to inherit the same proportions of an estate, they may end up with different amounts on the basis that their personal tax-free allowance and applicable tax rates are not the same. Here's a link to a website that might provide you with additional information. www.notaires.fr/en/donation-succession/succession/order-succession-and-inheritance-tax The best suggestion is to always consult with an "expert", an attorney who specializes in estates in France with familiarity with US trusts, wills etc.
I live in Italy. Best move I have done. I just spent 3 days in Narbonne, and tottally fell in love with France. I a took my time getting back to Italy, I'm in Menton right now. Tomorrow I will part toward Formia.
Btw....I liked Cannes. Avoid Monaco
Good luck to you! Happy travels 😊
Ok, so you need to tell us how the foreign visa and passport work. Thank you!
It's a "Long Stay Visa". You use your Passport and other required info to apply for it. You'll need to show you can support yourself here in France, be fingerprinted, provide other documentation regarding your plan for employment here, reason for coming etc. If you're approved, you get to live in or retire to France. I have created videos every step of the way in our 3 year preparation for the move to France. Here's a link to my video on how to apply for a Long Stay Visa to retire from the USA to France. ruclips.net/video/StLOyxqrvYI/видео.html If you search our library of past videos, you'll find videos on how to find an apartment, how to create your dossier to rent an apartment, purging and packing, moving, all the steps to prepare and all the steps to get settled so far. There are hundreds of videos on all the important topics! If you're not from the USA, you'll have to go to the France government website for more information on how to apply for your own long stay visa - france-visas.gouv.fr/en/ If you do everything correctly, the Long Stay Visa and Passport work well and you'll have a happy life here in France. And if you subscribe to our channel, you'll be able to keep up with each of our weekly videos sharing information and our travels here in Europe.
@@postcardsfromourgoldenyears thank you so much! Yes I'm going back to watch all the videos..Adrian Leeds is helpful as well...🤗
@@juliannadougherty2647 Yes, she is. We worked with Adrian and her staff to find our apartment, here in Nice.
I live in SWFL and the cost of living here is ridiculous!!! I have been looking for 'the place' to go for years. I will be retiring in 2 years if I can leave the country. If not I will have to work forever. I am very interested in Nice. I have been to Panama and it was lovely, but the Spanish countries seem to be very noisy. I want a quieter place.
Nice is very lovely, but not particularly what we'd call quieter. We love the energy in Nice. The night begins to come alive in Nice, just when they roll up the sidewalks here in Naples Florida. If you want "quiet", you'll find it in the beautiful countryside of France. Provence is lovely and very quiet. Nice, not so much unless you hide in your apartment far away from old Nice and the Promenade. Good luck in your search.
Thank you for this wonderful information. Question in regard to Medicare pausing. Can you pause it indefinitely or is there a time frame associated with that option? Also what are your intentions for handling the supplemental insurance? Can you- will you pause that as well? I am so excited for you two and to be following you on this adventure!!
My understanding is that we can pause our Medicare deduction indefinitely. We may not say it that way when we make the request. We'll say we're moving to France "for an undetermined number of years". Until recently, I wasn't even aware that option was open to us. Another couple from the US who recently moved to France, told us that's what they did and it was very easy to do. Our current Supplemental insurance costs us $0 in premiums. We are at open enrollment for 2024 presently. We will renew for 2024, with our current carrier, as usual, now, and when we're ready to leave the US in April, we'll contact them and let them know we're moving to France and just end the coverage effective at the end of our month of departure. Our US supplemental insurance will not help us in France. There is no coverage. When we apply for our Long Stay Visa's we will have to provide proof that we have prepaid a 1 year health insurance policy (which we will purchase in a few months), effective the day we arrive in France to stay, to cover us in France, for any major health issues and repatriation costs. It's a requirement to get our visas approved by France. And until we get on the national Healthcare system in France, day to day, we'll pay the same costs French people pay if we go to the doctors or pharmacy. The only difference will be that we won't be reimbursed the 70% from the government of France, until we get on their system. Presently we have no plans to purchase a supplement or top up plan in France. We're healthy people and probably won't have a lot of expenses/copays in France. Paying the copays seems like it will be cheaper for us.
US Medicare: when I researched this option. To stop the Part B deduction, one would have to cancel the Part B (have not heard of Pause). If one whats to restart Part B, they would need to re-enroll during the plan change period in the US which is Oct-Dec of each year. Once re-enrolled, the plan would become effective the following June or July (ex; re-enroll in Oct 2024, plan effective in June-July 2025). Additionally, SSA can levy a 10% penalty for each year not enrolled. Part A (hospital) cannot be canceled, nor would you want to since there is no cost for that plan. Also when re-enrolling, some plans can modify benefits received (ie: pre-existing conditions). Of course check with SSA for detailed info.
Edit: If you have Part D (drug), SSA can impose a penalty for the time not enrolled in that plan if you sign up with a new plan that includes Part D benefits - I found that out the hardway 😮
@@stevenjb.9275 thanks for your note. We will have to check further into this when we actually meet with the people at SS. I learned about "pausing" as opposed to "dropping" the part B from recent Expats who moved from Massachusetts and did this. She told me that they told SS that they were moving to France for an indeterminate amount of years and wanted to stop the deductions, until such time as they return. Because SS admitted that if they kept the deductions they would have $0 benefits in France, since SS cannot be used in France,the SS rep suggested the couple "pause" their deductions instead of totally dropping the deductions. They were not told there would be a penalty if they ever return to the US and want to resume the part B. They don't plan to return to the USA anyway. We don't either. I guess you have to meet with SS and explain that you're moving to another country for years, to be able to "pause". But if you're moving to France and never coming back, it's a moot point. I do agree that all the research I have found online on "stopping" the deductions was as you stated. However, I am led to believe the penalties only apply to people living in the USA who have the ability to use Medicare part B and D, and get coverage for healthcare, and simply don't want to pay for it any more. If we keep the deductions but have no ability to use the plan B, because nothing in France will be covered, it's a different situation. And I believe the expats who recently did this, were offered the "pause" option so the plan would be easily resumed if they ever returned to the US.
Research, research. IMO, what I would do moving out of the US is to keep the Part B for 3-6 months while living in another country - to test the soil and see if I like it. II believe you can cancel Part B while living overseas. Probably a phone call away - need to research that one myself.
@@stevenjb.9275 That's a good suggestion, for those who have doubts. We are counting the days till our move. We have had enough of Florida. Can't wait to leave. But, we will definitely get the "scoop" in person at SS. Plus, if there's any doubt on the part of SS about our real status, the fact that we plan to work through the American Embassy in France to have our SS deposited into a French bank account instead of our current US bank accounts (that may not continue to do business with us) once we change the address on the account to a France address, after a few months, might be enough to seal the deal. Time will tell. Thanks again for your thoughts and notes.
NICE People are here in Nice !❤ Seriously FRENCH PEOPLE make living here the best part.... and OMG, The Little Kids are ADORABLE! 💙
ive been to Nice and loved it...looking to expatriate back to Nice and becasue it is close to italy.
Hope you get there. Thanks for watching. 😊
Nice is a very good choice. Re climate: Yes, to my knowledge, events such as hurricanes did not happen. But I have seen snowfall in February/March. So be prepared. Key aspect for moving to a different country when retirement comes: Health care, providers and costs for retirees
Snow is very rare in France, as we have been told. And compared to the heavy frequent snows of our childhoods and prior years living in the northeastern USA, what we may have in Nice won't be a bother. We're fine with an occasional dusting of snow every now and then. We won't be driving in it and have lots of warm clothes. Nice has everything we want and need. 😊
Snowfall in Nice is an event that happens once in a lifetime. Not relevant enough to even mention
We are looking into renting an apartment for a month in September and would like to know the best location given your knowledge of the city. We currently live in Naples Florida. Thanks for your videos.
We are also in Naples-- moving to Nice in early April! It's hard to make a recommendation on where to stay if you're only coming for a month and you didn't mention what you're hoping to do in Nice. . Visiting as a tourist is a little different than picking a place "to live" indefinitely. We have stayed in Nice Centre and the Port District in order to be close to the Promenade and Tram lines, since you'll need the tram to get around. I generally look on Airbnb for apartments no more than 15 minutes walk to the Promenade and Old Nice. That ought to put you in a good neighborhood no matter where you pick.
In general, the French Riviera is by not means cheap, and Nice is one of the most expensives towns, depending on the area, it can be more expensive than Paris (now I agree about the beauty, livability and pleasant climate of the city, I would also choose it over Paris !)
Compared to where we love in Florida, it will cost us significantly less to live in Nice 😊
At your age, you might be entitled to a special free pass for buses; you will have to inquire about that at the town hall (La Mairie). French people like people from English-speaking countries. Have a great time in France.
We will only be entitled to that after we file our first France tax return showing 0 taxes due. They don't consider our US Social Security or pension money taxable, however my husband was still working for the first few months of the year, before he retired, and had income. So when we renew our annual tram pass, this coming year, it may not be free. We'll have to see. But for sure the next time, when we report 2025 income. This is not done at the Mairie. We just bring a copy of our France tax return, Passport, and Tram pass up for renewal to the Lignes D'Azure office and they will take care of it. I covered this in a recent video all about using the Trams in Nice. Here's a link to that video- ruclips.net/video/Vz6xmCbjk7w/видео.html
What will you do about Healthcare in France, as Medicare can’t be used?
In order to get our long stay Visas we were required to prepay a 1 year International health insurance policy to use in case of emergency for hospitalization and associated costs. Also, we are required to apply to be on the French health system after we are living here in France for 90 days. We have stopped our Medicare Part B deductions since there is no coverage here in France. The France health system is the best in the world so we have no concerns about Healthcare coverage.
France does have the best Healthcare in the world !
Can I ask you a personal question ?
How much is the Apartment that you rented in Nice? Is it 2 Bedrooms & how many Square Mètres Carre’?
I can’t wait to move there, & will take you both to dinner
@jellybeanparis584 By our contract with Adrian Leeds, who assisted us in finding the apartment, we are not permitted to discuss what we paid in fees or for our rent. Typically 2 bedroom furnished apartments are in the 1250 to maybe 2100 euro range, or more. We have a 2 bedroom, around 700 square ft and are in the Nice Centre area. We looked at an apartment in Carre d'Or as well but found it to be more expensive, 0 closets/storage and less square meters. There's a real apartment rental shortage in Nice and other lg cities in France. So you need to be open on your budget and ready to jump on and sign a lease on anything that ticks most of your boxes.I would get your Dossier prepared and have your guarantor in place. For most available apartment rentals, there will be many people viewing and considering the apartment. And it's the landlord who will choose the right renters. So you have to have a good cover letter. Good luck.
If you have children what do they think about you moving to another country?
We do have children, all grown. They have not shared their feelings about our move. Most seemed happy for us when we saw them before moving. One of them already bought airline tickets to come visit and the others are always welcome.
Awesome information !
Do you guys speak fluent French?
Is it possible to live in France if I arrive with little to no French skills?
No, neither of us speak fluent French. I studied French for over 8 years back in my "school days" more than 50 years ago and speak fairly well, but I wouldn't say I'm fluent. And, my husband knows how to ask for the check and order chocolate croissants. He plans to study French very intensively once he retires and we're living in Nice and he has time to do so. We both start every interaction in any store or restaurant with Bonjour and say Merci and Au revoir or Bonsoir. I would say it would be very wrong to live in France, not speak much French and not be on the path to learning. French is in fact their language and when I'm in France, it's my language of choice. When I'm in France the only person I'll speak to in English is my husband. Yes, there are French people who speak English, but most are just being "polite". Some who know English don't feel like speaking it, for one reason or another and will tell you they don't speak English (maybe they don't feel they speak well enough?). Contracts are in French. Bank statements and letters from your bank are in French. Most personal business paperwork is in French. I don't know where in the world you live, but here in the USA, we all wish people who come here from other countries would learn English instead of forcing us to have to know some French or Spanish or whatever their language is. Here in Florida, we have a huge hispanic population with people from Mexico from Cuba and many of them make no attempt to speak English. They won't even figure out how to use Google translate. I've been trying to sell our stuff to prepare for our move. They contact me in Spanish and when I ask them in Spanish, to please use translation app, they ignore me. I feel that if you're moving to a country where English is not the primary language, when you're in that country, you should make every attempt to learn the language of that country...so, is it possible to live in France with little or no French skills? Probably. But you won't easily assimilate. Your circle of friends will be limited to your American friends or those from the UK or your family and you won't necessarily fit in with your French neighbors and make French friends, you'll constantly be imposing on people to talk to you in English. I say, if you arrive to live in France, without knowing much French, fine, but book yourself in an intensive French class either using the online classes or one of the classes out in the world ---and learn fast. I thought I read recently that they are trying to pass some laws that eventually if you want to be able to stay in France and not have to renew your Visa every year, in order to get the multi-year Visa, you'll need to pass some kind of French language skills test. I don't know where it is in their legislature but I did hear it was being proposed.
@@postcardsfromourgoldenyears Thank you for your detailed explanation
I agree that speaking the local language is a must for all kinds of good reasons
My wife and I want to experience the Mediterranean life in a country that is tax friendly to Americans and France fits the bill
Thanks again
@@oscarcastillo2919 You're welcome!
I was wondering how you will find a long term rental in Nice? Do they have agents that help people find a long term rental? Are there any rental websites you recommend?
There is currently a huge shortage of rentals in Nice. We contracted with Adrian Leed's company to assist us in finding our apartment. They have many contacts and management companies and landlords they work with who may not even list their rentals online. They asked for very thorough information on what we needed, wanted and didn't want and from the start if their search for us, to the walk thru of the apartments we were interested in to signing the lease, it was 2 weeks. The fees we paid Adrian Leed's company were well worth every penny. Saved us lot of time doing all the searches, the phone calls, the follow up, reading the lease (that is in French) and great advice and consult. Adrian and all of her staff are expats from the US. They all went thru the process and they have dealing with the French people for many years. They know what people from the US consider important and how to market their clients to the management companies and landlords. I suggest you contract with her company and save yourself time, aggravation, issues with language if you don't speak French well and all the rest of the legwork that goes into searching for a good rental that you'll be happy with. 😀
@@postcardsfromourgoldenyears Thanks for your reply! I'll check Adrian out and thanks for the recommendation. 🙂 We are looking at Nice as well as some of the lovely coastal towns in Normandy, where Summers are more like the Oregon Coast.
Perhaps ,next, you would enjoy viewing my #1 most popular video in the history of my channel ( with over 184,000 views) . Here's a link to it-- ruclips.net/video/RQmLNw-zpq4/видео.html
I have a modest retirement income. SS+pension, etc
Is it possible to live in Nice on this type of income? What happens long-term if you don’t buy. Will rentals become impossibly expensive?
We have a modest savings account, no pensions, and will be living solely on both of our US Social Security monthly payments. For us, coming from Naples, FL which is very expensive, living in Nice will cut our costs (along with not having 2 cars or any cars and those expenses) by between 30 and 50%. And when we stop our Medicare deduction on our Social Security checks, that gives us each an additional $178 or so, that we have as income. We have no intention of buying anything. We want the flexibility of a rental. Plus, you can't get a mortgage if you're over the age of 60. Most mortgage writers in France won't write mortgages for seniors, and if by chance you find someone privately, or maybe your bank, in France, who will give you a mortgage, you'd have to have the mortgage paid off by the time you turn 75. I can't say if you specifically will be able to live on SS and pensions. Depends on how much income they provide. What we can afford may be different than what you can afford. And as far as rents, depending on what you're looking for, I've seen some 1 bedroom apartments advertised for as low as 650 Euros per month and up, 2 bedrooms, what we're looking for, as low as 1200 Euros and up to over 2500 Euros of more. They say that to qualify for rentals you need to have at least 3x the rent in income or liquid money and of course, you need to have a guarantor, but that's easily done by applying with garantme, who will act as your guarantor. It's all relative to how much income and savings you have compared to the cost of rentals. I will say that there is a shortage of rentals right now, in NIce and a few big cities and the rental laws favor the tenants. It means that once a tenant moves in, it is very hard for landlords to get rid of them, other than for nonpayment of rent, so the landlords will be extra choosy about who they select to rent their apartments.You need to figure out how much you have in monthly income and do the math. But it is definitely possible to live in France on just SS and pensions (if they will cover your personal expenses).
@@postcardsfromourgoldenyears Thank you. It currently am an expat in Portugal. I haven’t cut off my Medicare yet and pay for a policy here. I recently purchased an apartment but could easily sell it. My income is enough to live here, pay the mortgage, and have about 800 euro in surplus per month. If I gave up Medicare, I’d have another 190 euros per month.
Been to Nice have friends there but need to check out Bretagne better for retirees!!
It's all relative. What might be better for you may not be better for us and vice-versa. We all have our priorities. I have you find what you're looking for, as well. Thanks for taking the time to drop a message. 😊
exactly that was my intention@@postcardsfromourgoldenyears
bienvenue chez nous douce France
Merci beaucoup!
I was wondering how did you find your rental prior to obtaining your long term visas??
We have not yet found a rental. At the moment, for a move in in April, it is kind of early to try to lease something. We are heading to France in late November/December to start looking for an initial rental for our first 90 days in Nice. If we are able to find a suitable 90 day rental, we'll move there initially and then once we're in France, start searching for something long term. Alternatively, if we find something wonderful while visiting in November/December that will be available as a long term rental, starting in April, and they are willing to start a lease while we're there, we may jump on it in December or whenever they want us to start, if they are willing to lease it to us prior to our getting our long stay visa. We will be preparing a "dossier" to present to landlords in November/December, just in case. Check our my prior video on how to find and rent an apartment for more details. Here's a link-- ruclips.net/video/lOzOW-Q9r9A/видео.html
@@postcardsfromourgoldenyearsyou can also look to working with Adrian Leeds. She can also help on that side (not just purchasing property). I’ve a consultation with her in November. I look forward to getting more info from her.
We already have a consult scheduled with her next month before we go over to Nice, also next month, to start looking.
@@postcardsfromourgoldenyears thank you for your reply I appreciate it , so vfs didn’t ask you an address as a one of the required document for the long green stay visa application.I noticed that you mentioned that visa office allow Airbnb type of temporary accommodation, did I understand correctly? Thanks again in advance 🙏🏻💕💕💕
@Didi-ir1gr We are still in the USA. We have not applied for our Long Stay Visa yet. We cannot apply until we are 90 days away from our move in early April. We WILL be able to use an Airbnb to satisfy the requirements that we provide an address for the first 90 days of our residency. By working with Adrian she has already stated if need be she can give us an address to use on the Visa application. We are going to France next month, for a few weeks, to start looking for our first apartment for our arrival following our move, in April.
Did you say that healthcare in France is free or very cheap for foreigners coming here ? Do you thing that is fair on les Français who pay taxes all their working lives so that people like you can benefit from it . That is one of the reasons that France is so deep in debt .
No, I said that it will cost us little or nothing because it is based on our income. And if our only income is our US Social Security and pensions, which is not treated as income in France, then we will probably pay little or nothing as a social contribution. As to whether or not it is fair. That is not for me to say. It is simply the policy because of the "totalization agreement" between the US and France, which means that if you've paid into the social security system in one country (like the US), you are generally not required to pay social security taxes in the other country (like France), even if you are living there as a retiree with no additional income. If you are unhappy with the agreement, I suggest you speak with the French government or do whatever you need to do, if you're a French citizen, to change that policy. I would have come to France to retire even if I have to pay for the healthcare. I'm not here for the "free" healthcare, I'm here for a different kind of life, a better life, although considering my Visa does not allow me to seek or accept employment in France, and I'm on a limited income, they'd probably have to change that policy for us 70+ year old seniors, as well. It's not as if we are not contributing to the well being of this country. We eat in the restaurants. We shop in the local businesses. We pay VAT on just about every purchase we make, here in France. And the VAT is a lot higher than the taxes we pay for things in the US. Please don't imply that those of us who are retired and on limited incomes, have come to France to be freeloaders. That couldn't be farther from the truth.
If u keep ur American citizenship do u still hve to pay taxes to US?
Yes, and more importantly, our monthly Social Security payments which we will be using to live on. We are not concerned about paying taxes. We won't be working in France so for the most part our only income will be our Social Security. And unless we have other income we won't have to pay taxes on our Social Security. There is also a Bill in Congress that if passed would eliminate the double taxation on Social Security (since we already paid taxes on the money when we earned it). I explain all of this in my video about paying taxes and the tax treaty between the US and France. Please watch that for more information. Here's a link to view that video: ruclips.net/video/R_7YsnDg5D4/видео.html
Cannot hear you.
Sorry to hear that. Check the volume on whatever you're using to watch. Maybe the volume needs to be turned up. Also there is a setting to turn subtitles on so that if you are unable to hear us for any reason, RUclips will generate subtitles for you. You just have to turn on the option, usually by clicking on the screen while watching. The "settings wheel" is on the right.
Waouh !!! , New migrants Come from USA , 😅😅😅
I love the fact that food is healthier, organic and non-GMO as well as generally costs less. Then the healthcare being better than the US. Good to know Dental is also reasonable. You do have to get the full year of medical insurance for the first year to get the long term residency Visa, correct?
Yes, correct, however we only purchased what was required to get our Visas so our plan only covers emergency hospitalization and related expenses and repatriation if we want to be returned to the USA on death. We pay for our day to day medical expenses out of pocket and substantially less than what they cost in the US. We'll be applying to get on the France healthcare system in another month and once we're in the system we'll get the healthcare system reimbursements, reducing our costs even more.
French here from near the Swiss border. We don't say bonjour monsieur or madame to everyone in a shop, wating room but say when enter " Bonjour Messieurs Dames " that do the job.
Good suggestion. Generally we're only speaking to one person assisting us in a shop or cafe, not everyone. If we walk into a department store, we only address the one person we need to speak with. Perhaps if we enter a situation where there is more than 1 person we need to address, we would address all of them like that. But, many thanks for your suggestion. 😉