info on South of France/Avignon-Arles

[dcat]

My husband and I are thinking of moving from Spain to the South of France, somewhere in or near Avignon or Arles, maybe Carpentras. I have been in that area several times on vacations, and we will be going in October to take a look around. In the meantime, we have started looking at some of the properties for sale in that area on the internet but many are in small villages that I am not familiar with. Plus we aren't really sure if we would prefer Avignon or Arles, if we were to choose one of those larger cities rather than a village.

I like that area because I think it would give me more cultural activity options than I have where we live now. And living in a town (or village) rather than in an urbanization (housing development) where we live now, would mean being able to walk to errands instead of having to take the car for everything. Also, Barcelona is two hours away (and we live in a cultural desert), while in Arles or Avignon we would have some things of cultural interest right there where we lived, or in Carpentras or other smaller towns, they would be close by.

Are there any forum members who know that area and who could recommend neighborhoods or places that we should consider looking at, or others that we should be warned to stay away from? We will be looking for modestly-priced housing. We live on pensions and are not wealthy.

Thanks,
Dvora

[giantpanda]

Hi!

Do you have an E 121?

If not you would have to consider postponing your project, because otherwise, you would have to have a private Health Insurance till then - and that is dear.

Yours,

giantpanda

[Bevdeforges]

Afraid I can't help you on the specifics of the area, but honestly nothing beats walking around a neighborhood yourself to see if it will meet your requirements. When you visit the area in October, be sure to drop in to the mairies (town halls) to see what sorts of social and cultural information they have available. (Usually there is a rack or table with pamphlets of all the local associations and upcoming events.)

You should also ask about transit maps - living on a handy bus route can also reduce the need for a car for day to day travel.
Cheers,
Bev

[dcat]

I have no idea what an E 121 is. My husband is Spanish and I am an official resident of Spain -- I've been here seven years. By the time we move, I may have my Spanish nationality. I understand we would have right to health coverage as we do here in Spain, although the coverage is a little different there than here.

Dvora

Originally Posted by giantpanda

Hi!

Do you have an E 121?

If not you would have to consider postponing your project, because otherwise, you would have to have a private Health Insurance till then - and that is dear.

Yours,

giantpanda

[giantpanda]

Originally Posted by dcat

I have no idea what an E 121 is. My husband is Spanish and I am an official resident of Spain -- I've been here seven years.

Dvora

Hi!

An E121 is a document you get when you have an official State pension in GB.

It garantees access to the French CMU ( Couverture Médicale Universelle ) without contribution - whereby the British State pays a fix contribution to the French State for the service.

If you are British, and if you have a GB State pension, then you would be able to get an E121 and then your husband , as "ayant-droit" would be entitled to French CMU coverage.

Otherwise you would have to ask in Spain if there is such a document, or let us say a bilateral agreement between Spain and France, concerning Health Insurance of Spanish nationals in France.

Yours,

giantpanda

[dcat]

Thanks. I guess I will ask. I thought that my husband, as a Spanish citizen, had the right to live in any EU country and right to health care within the EU, and that I as his spouse and a legal resident had the same. Neither one of us is British.

Dvora

Originally Posted by giantpanda

Hi!

An E121 is a document you get when you have an official State pension in GB.

It garantees access to the French CMU ( Couverture Médicale Universelle ) without contribution - whereby the British State pays a fix contribution to the French State for the service.

If you are British, and if you have a GB State pension, then you would be able to get an E121 and then your husband , as "ayant-droit" would be entitled to French CMU coverage.

Otherwise you would have to ask in Spain if there is such a document, or let us say a bilateral agreement between Spain and France, concerning Health Insurance of Spanish nationals in France.

Yours,

giantpanda

[giantpanda]

Originally Posted by dcat

Thanks. I guess I will ask. I thought that my husband, as a Spanish citizen, had the right to live in any EU country and right to health care within the EU, and that I as his spouse and a legal resident had the same. Neither one of us is British.

Dvora

Hi!

Sorry, that is why I brought up the point. It does not necessarily work like that.

Ask in Spain, or you could ask at the rench Consulate in Spain.

Yours,

giantpanda