Newbie!

[Colleen50]

Hi! I am looking into retiring in a few years in France and would love to talk to some expats that have made the move. I would love some suggestions on what is the best way to get started. What is the best method for learning the language? Where do I start? What is the best way to absorb the culture, once I am there? How expensive is it to live there? What is the job market like for expats? I am currently a Medical Transcriptionist (which I detest) and/or Medical Assistant. However, I am training to be a dog trainer, be in the guide dog variety, search and rescue, or just making pets more adoptable and more likely to stay in a home once adopted. (Figured if I am going to make crap wages, might as well do something I love! Anything you care to pass along would be appreciated.

[Bevdeforges]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Why France? It's not only my curiosity, the visa application asks you this question, too - only in several more specific questions. It's normally assumed when you apply for a visa that you've been to France and have some knowledge of what you're getting yourself into. They will ask you the "purpose" of your stay, and for a list of people you know already living in France. So I suppose the answer to your question about where to start is that you need to start making some vacation trips to France to learn a bit about the country and the people.

And if you're thinking of retiring there, you should know that the French take retirement seriously. If you're admitted to France as a retiree you will NOT be allowed to work - not for crap wages or anything else. Retirees are one category that has to renew their carte de sejour (residence permit) every year, no matter how long they've been living there. This means they have to prove that they are still receiving their pension and still have their private health insurance (which are two conditions of granting them a retirement visa).

The best method for learning the language is whatever method works for you. I learned French as a kid, took 8 years of French in school starting in 3rd grade. We learned with an aural-oral method (hear it and repeat it) and to this day, that's how I learn languages best. Yet when I arrived here (admittedly, 30 years later) I was mute. People talk much faster then your teachers do, and there are tons of current expressions that you'll never learn in class. Except in the tourist areas, there are few people willing to deal with you in English and almost no translated government forms (like for taxes, or renewing your residence permit).

If you really want to retire to France, your best move is to start making some trips over here and scouting out the country on your own. It's not for everyone and it may or may not allow you to do what you want to do in retirement.
Cheers,
Bev