My husband & I have many things in common with lots of the people who have posted on this thread, but also many things that are different too. We've been expats from the UK for almost our entire adult lives. (collectively almost 60 years now). We live in the British Virgin Islands (there's no "living in" option for the BVI) and recently bought in France. Sainte-Foy-La-Grande, to be exact.

We searched the south of France extensively before buying our house. Having experienced the Mistral down in Languedoc & the Tramontana/Mistral in Heuralt over 2 consecutive years we decided that we didn't want to live in areas that are routinely affected by the big winds (for those who haven't experienced it it can be hell). We didn't want to live in "Dordogneshire" either - we've been expats for way too long to cope with that sort of community. We wound up in STF by accident, literally, as I was stretching my legs one morning and found the house for us.

My French is rudimentary (Rosetta Stone is fine, but seriously limited), but when I flew over to close on the house in February and deal with builders, shopping etc alone for 3 weeks not only did my French improve considerably (grammatically it's hideous, but as long as I can make myself understood, who's terribly worried?), but I made friends too. French friends, not English ones.

An unscheduled return 6 weeks after leaving (to deal with unprincipled (English) builders) allowed us to appreciate that I really had been accepted by the French friends that I had made and confirms that we made a good, if lucky, choice.

To those who are contemplating the leap I would only say that 6 weeks of careful on-the-ground research was invaluable, if expensive. We are looking forward to our return in September when we can resume old acquaintances and make new ones too. We will most certainly be taking French lessons (if our busy schedule of house guests allows) as there is no doubt that our French needs to be better. However, I will echo what others have said - if you are seen to be trying to speak French you will find a much warmer welcome than if you don't. And it really doesn't seem to matter how bad your French is.