Opinions on a few cities

[froud]

I am thinking of moving to France for a year this spring and have been doing some research as to where I'd like to settle.

I have it down to about 4 cities which are in the South and seem to have good job opportunities. I will most likely end up applying for CSR jobs or travel agent positions.

My top 4 are:

Bordeaux
Aix-En-Provence
Nice or Sophia Antipolis surrounding area
Toulouse

I will most likely just move with enough money to last me 3 months and hope to get a job within that time frame.

My questions are:

Are Bordeaux and Toulouse overwhelmingly big? I can handle Ottawa, but prefer a city more the size of London (Ontario.)

Is Toulouse a nice city?

Is Aix-en-provence a fairly happening city or is it fairly pedestrian? I currently live in Barrie, Ontario (pop. 125,000) and it is very boring.

I speak French and stayed for 4 months in Normandy so I am not too worried about culture shock.

Any info you can share with me is much appreciated. I am heavily leaning toward Bordeaux.

[Bevdeforges]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Unless you've got some kind of an "in" (like an EU nationality), you're not going to be able to come over to France on 3 months' living expenses and then find a job. The usual route is to find the job first and have your employer's support in getting a visa. The south of France is very popular with folks looking for work, and unemployment is still a huge issue here, especially for young people in their 20's and early 30's. Authorization to hire foreigners can be difficult to get unless you have some skill or experience in short supply here.

Of the towns you mention, Aix is probably the smallest of the four. Paris is really the only overwhelmingly big city in Paris (with Lyon a distant second) - and I don't find Paris all that overwhelming.

Toulouse is probably best described as "sprawling" as it seems to cover a huge area. Toulouse is home to the aerospace industry and all the supporting industries, so probably is the most "industrial" of your choices.

Nice is very expensive as a place to live. Sophia Antipolis is a high tech center. How "happening" any of these towns are depends on what you're looking for.
Cheers,
Bev

[Wissy]

Hi !

I'm french and I know Aix-en-Provence well, as lived in Marseilles for several year. If you are looking for a big city more like London, Aix-en-Prvence is not really a good choice. Indeed, Aix-en-Porvence is a very charming little city, but it is really not a very dynamic one. I went to bordeaux and Toulouse, and they are both beautiful andbig cities. Have you heard about Lyon ?
I think if you want to live in a very dynamic city in France, beautiful and not as stressing and expensive as Paris, Lyon i a very good alternative.

Good luck

[froud]

Thanks guys.

I will be getting a working visa under the Youth Mobility Agreement, under the working holiday which gives you a 1-year working visa. It's available until age 35; I'm 31 now, so I want to take advantage of it while I still can.

I will be applying for jobs before I leave, but I am uncertain if companies will hire based on a telephone interview. Do they do that very often in France? I know it's done here in Canada.

Any more info on living in Bordeaux?

I believe Lyon would be too big for me, plus, I think it's pretty multicultural isn't it? I have had enough multiculturalism for a while.

[Bevdeforges]

Originally Posted by froud

I will be applying for jobs before I leave, but I am uncertain if companies will hire based on a telephone interview. Do they do that very often in France? I know it's done here in Canada.

For the type of work you're going to be looking for I think you probably could be hired based on a telephone interview. In essence, the employer is only committing for the period of one year, maximum. It works like a "stage" (i.e. internship) in that the employer gets certain advantages for hiring a short-term worker - and doesn't have to pay the employer side of the various social insurances here.
Cheers,
Bev

[Matou]

Froud, you know Lyon is not really multicultural as Canada goes... It is a city of charm with its own "particular personality"... Yet, amongst the cities you have named I would recommend Aix or Toulouse, keeping in mind that Aix is smaller.
Cheers

[froud]

I think I will have to get to France and do a quick tour of the cities I'm interested in before I decide where to rent.

I've decided to go whole hog and sell the house so that I have enough to stay for 6 months sans emploi.

I also forgot that I am eligible to apply for British citizenship because my mother is a British citizen, so if I decide to stay I can.

I am getting really excited! Only 6 months.

[joi2009]

Good luck on your move to France. We are Scottish, lived in Toronto,Canada and U.S. and after our house sells we are moving to southwestern France. With your mother's nationality you should not have any problem applying for an EU passport - you may want to do that before you leave Barrie. Have a great adventure!!