[Mcpetzold]

We live about 20 minutes inland from Cannes, up in the hills. The area is very green, and we can see both the sea and the mountains, including snow on the mountains in winter. Homes are less expensive than on the coast and there are many nice small towns and villages. We are still just 30 minutes from Nice airport. We do love Nice - it was a stay in Nice many years ago that led us to focus on this area - but decided it was not a practical place to live. We also looked at some houses in areas "behind" Nice, near Vence and Cagne sur Mer, but we didn't like that area as well as where we are now, in part for the reasons Crabtree describes. We thought Antibes might be a match, but in the end we decided that the area from Cannes inland up to Grasse was a better fit for us. The area is easier to navigate, and we have easy access to medical facilities as well as the airport. It feels like a "normal" French place, but there are a reasonable number of foreign residents and tourists, and people have been universally kind as we work on our French skills. With regard to the weather, we definitely have four seasons here. Summers are hot, although it is a little cooler up here in the hills. Winters are mild. Fall is the rainy season. Last year was unusually rainy, with October/November being the wettest months. Spring comes early. If you haven't already found it, I recommend looking at the WeatherSpark site, where you can see a lot of detailed information and run comparisons between places you are familiar with (Wisconsin?) and places you may be thinking about in France.

We're still early in the process, and part of the trip is just vacation. But we also want to get an understanding of the area. We may take some day trips, either by train or car. And from what I've seen, the smaller villages are more reasonable in price. It is just finding a place that meets our needs.

We're in Minnesota currently. The state founded by Norwegians trying to escape the blistering hot winters of Wisconsin. Cold is relative.

I appreciate the information.

 

[Mcpetzold]

We bought in Nice several years ago, ahead of an early retirement and move. We are in the center, about a block from the beach. The summers do get a bit humid and hot, but not like the American south. The winters are pretty mild, aside from the rain storms that do hit. The neighborhoods range in price from expensive (like in Mont Boron, Cimiez and the Carre d'Or) to something roughly 50% less. There are some low priced neighborhoods to the north that are very low priced but suffer from economic challenges. As you move inland, the prices drop. By the time you are up the mountains, you probably will find things less expensive. However, they may be isolated by services and you'll need a car. It is possible to be car-free in Nice, and just rent cars for trips. We can hop the tram (a few blocks away) and be at the airport in 20 minutes.

In Nice (and larger towns on the coast), there is a high level of doctors (due to the attractiveness -- the same reason people move). English-language services and medical professionals are also more common, making integration easie (we do have a B2/C1 level of language).

We looked all along the coastal med before picking a location. There are definitely places that are cheaper.

Thank you. We may have to adjust our pricing expectations to get what we want, which is why we are starting early. We hope to be able to explore the coast as well on this trip. This is hopefully the first of many trips to various areas of France and other locations.