Here at the The Good Life France we talk endlessly about living in France and what we love about it. We have lots of writers who contribute wonderful articles about life, food, places to go and things to do and many of them are expats in France. We thought who better to ask than our writers about what are the best things about living in France – we had some great answers from this group of passionate Francophiles…
Linda Matthieu: I love the variety of places to see in France – from the German feeling in Alsace, to Burgundy, Bordeaux and the champagne regions, Provence with its perched villages, lavender and sunshine to the little known Atlantic coast area. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg!
Paris, of course, is a fabulous city to live in and explore and I love how history and beauty is around each corner.
Marilyn Catchpole-Dossat: The slower pace of life is important to me – the simple way of life – it’s much more relaxed here and I don’t need to be worrying about the latest fashions as I did when working and living in London.
Honor Marks: The weather, the space, the lack of pretentious middle England, cheap wine…
Donna Kerridge: The ability to have a simple life, people seem more genuine and more focused on family, friends and good living.
Susana Iwase Hanson: It’s a small country that has everything for everyone: stunning beaches in summer, great skiing in winter, the most beautiful waterfalls in spring and colours in the autumn. Only problem is the language (it gets harder as you get more advanced).
Kirsten McKintosh: It’s an obvious answer but the weather. It just makes such a tremendous difference to your mindset and positivity. I also love the French attitude towards food and drink: nothing is taken for granted and even the lowliest of ingredients is given its proper recognition. At any given time of year, some remote village somewhere is celebrating Nature’s bounty.
Susie Woodhams: I live on the southeastern side of Alsace, just 15 minutes from the hustle of Basel, Switzerland in a small village that seems very much stuck in a peaceful time warp. I love how the norm here is tending the land, harvesting corn, and then celebrating everything from bread to choucroute at weekend “fêtes,” where there’s always lots of Pinot Blanc and tarte flambée, and as much “Alsatian” spoken as French.
Margo Leszt: I love the French people and their way of looking at the world. They appreciate the things that enrich the daily life, both physically and mentally. I love that you can go to the market and buy fresh tasty produce and hear the grocer discussing poetry with a client.
Susan Keefe: Living and working at home in a very rural setting and being able to have the animals I want.
Janine Marsh: I live in the north of France, Pas de Calais and I love how people here seem to take time to enjoy life in so many ways. A daily 2 hour lunch break where you spend time talking to your family or your friends, fresh baked baguettes every day, cake makers are highly trained and highly valued, people say hello everywhere from shop staff to strangers in the street, traditions are important and heritage is remembered… I love the street markets, brocantes, festivals and culture…
Donna Faulkner: The slower pace of life, more space in the country and the kindness and thoughtfulness of the French people. They are always patient with us and accepting of our mistakes and ready to offer help if needed.
You can read more about our writers here!
Weird France – read what our writers find unusual about living in France!
Best food in France – our writers talk about their favourite French cuisine
Favourite Famous French people – as chosen by our writers
