Looking to move to France?
Here are some tips on what you’re likely to experience.
1. Service pre and during sale
Unlike many places in the English-speaking world, most shopkeepers and service people in France are desperately polite and cheerful. This is not the plastic “good morning” of the professional greeter – it is sincere. Yes, in some city centers it may be a little different on a wet cold and miserable Monday morning but on the whole it holds true.
2. The city centers
For reasons nobody seems to understand very well, the vast majority of French city and town centers managed to escape the plague of ‘improvements’ that struck the towns in many other countries during the 1960s and 1970s.
There’s an old British joke that the architects and planners did more damage to British cities in the 1960s and 70s than the Luftwaffe had managed in the 1940s. France did not suffer this and many French towns are a delight of small streets, ancient architecture, squares, cafés and churches etc. They are ideal (and usually safe) to explore.
3. Driving
Outside of one or two of the major city centers at peak times (Paris and its infamous ‘périphérique’ is the best example) traffic jams are unknown in much of France. The roads are excellent for the most part and comparatively quiet by European norms.
4. Family and social values
In France, the family is still an important and central part of society. This is one of the things that gives many parts of France (outside of some major city centers) comparatively low crime and violence figures.
It is noticeable how many French teenagers seem to lack that aggressive listlessness and hopelessness that’s so common in the teenagers of the English-speaking world. They are rarely threatening and still, on the whole, seem to respect their elders.
5. Gastronomy
French cuisine is of course famous all over the world but there is another side to it apart from ‘haute cuisine’.
In France, even in the very center of Paris, if you get off the main streets it is still possible to have an exceptionally good and home-cooked 3 or 4 course meal for a very small amount of money. You won’t get pretension and fancy service – but you will enjoy it!
6. Health care
Most unbiased observers agree that French health-care and their system, is one of the best in the world. The hospitals are invariably spotless, very well resourced and the level of care and support is superb (and much is relatively low-cost)
Whether France can continue to spend the amount of money it does on its health service is another matter and one that occupies the time of many French politicians in debate!
7. Social benefits
Assuming you’re eligible and contributing into the system each month, France is one of the best countries to be ‘unlucky’ in! If you’re sick or injured, the benefits are amongst the highest in the world.
This is also true for maternity benefits, which are structured to encourage people to have more children. This results in France having one of the highest birthrates in the industrialized world and it also makes it a visibly ‘young’ society when you’re walking around the city streets.
8. Community values
In France, there is a long tradition of social inclusion and the village or small town is still a relatively influential administrative force with a fair degree of autonomy. This tends to create a ‘neighborly’ culture that has now vanished from many other countries.
9. Rural traditions
Most French people, even those that have grown up in the cities, still think of France as having its roots in the earth. The rural tradition is strong in France and the countryside is valued and protected: Local and regional traditions are also strong as is the emphasis put on regional produce and traditions.
The France you’ll hate
10. French administrative practices
It’s a fact that if you live in France, then sooner or later get tangled up with its bureaucracy.
French people may claim to hate it but the realities are that their governments love ‘administration’ and always have done. The pity is, they have absolutely no talent for it whatsoever. Many of the processes around official admin are top-heavy, frequently illogical and often incompetently applied. Job creation is at the core of much of this.
11. Accountability
Many expatriates in France joke that the phrase “I’m sorry that’s our fault” simply can’t be translated into French. In fact it can but the point is – you’ll rarely if ever hear it.
When a supplier, shop or government department have clearly made a howling error that has caused you trouble, they will spend more of their time desperately trying to deny responsibility and blame you than in fixing it. Getting things ‘sorted out’ when they go wrong in France can be an extremely lengthy and slow business.
12. Taxes and social charges
Many of the magnificent French social structures of course have to be paid for and as a result, their taxes are phenomenally high.
In practice, most people in France that have an accountant (or are employed) won’t pay a huge amount of tax on their income but the social charges to pay for things like the health service can be devastatingly expensive. If you’re self-employed, expect to pay around 25-40% of your turnover (yep, that’s turnover not profit) in social charges.
Summary
If you’re living in France, you’ll probably end up loving most of it. If you can’t speak the language and can’t be bothered trying, well, that won’t be the best start!
Once you have a smattering of French and start making an effort to integrate, you’ll find this country to be what it is – magnificent!
Comments on this entry are closed.