All the towns

vienne6
Town: Vienne
Department: Isère

Sunny: Mid-range sunny

Wind: : Least windy

Click for more details on: Vienne

 including climate, transportation, welcome, health, safety + reviews and recommendations. 

Special Pluses
  • Well connected to city conveniences and culture (Lyon and Paris) by train while missing the price and crowding of city life
  • Not remotely an “expat” mecca
  • Easy access to Switzerland, and to ski resorts in France
  • Architecturally, a  merging of Roman and medieval France
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antibes1
Town: antibes
Department: alpesmaritime

Sunny: Most sunny

Wind: : Least windy

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 including climate, transportation, welcome, health, safety + reviews and recommendations. 

Special Pluses

Antibes’ Old Town and central city are compact and easily walkable. It feels like a small town, with its ramparts perched on the sea; but has the conveniences and amenities of a much larger city. There are great beaches at your feet, and it’s easy to take day trips by train to anywhere along the coast. Because of Port Vauban, there are many English living or visiting the area, and English is spoken at least a little in most places.

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nantes1-1
Town: Nantes
Department: Loire-Atlantique

Sunny: Least Sunny

Wind: : Mid-range windy

Click for more details on: Nantes

 including climate, transportation, welcome, health, safety + reviews and recommendations. 

Special Pluses
  • “The vast greenery …….it has been crowned the greenest city in Europe(green capital of Europe in 2013) and it lives up to its name completely …..It has a lot of gardens to stroll around and enjoy nature at its best ….:)” Quora
  • Lou Messugo: “It has a long history and complicated identity involving whether or not it is indeed part of Brittany, but that’s not what I want to write about.  I want to focus on the fabulous and absurdly original urban regeneration on the Île de Nantes (Nantes island) symbolized by a giant mechanical elephant. This area was once a thriving ship building district but when that industry fell into decline so did the island.  However, since 2002 it has been steadily revamped as a cutting edge creative neighbourhood mainly owing to the brilliant imaginations of two men, François Delarozière and Pierre Orefice. Delarozière and Orifice both come from performance backgrounds where they are actively involved in the renewal of street theatre.”
  • GoNomad: 
    • Nantes may be a place many haven’t heard of, but like me, once you’ve discovered the endearing town, it’s an immediate fall-in-love experience.
    • Impressive revitalization has changed the city, as once dreary industrial suburbs have transformed into a picturesque and charming place to visit.
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uzes2
Town: Uzes
Department: Gard

Sunny: Most sunny

Wind: : Mid-range windy

Click for more details on: Uzes

 including climate, transportation, welcome, health, safety + reviews and recommendations. 

Special Pluses
  • Unbelievably good market (Wednesday and Saturdays)
  • Unbelievably pretty; the central square is unforgettable
  • While ‘discovered’ by many visitors and expats, it retains a very French charm
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Capestang3 (1)
Town: Capestang
Department: Hérault

Sunny: Most sunny

Wind: : Windiest

Click for more details on: Capestang

 including climate, transportation, welcome, health, safety + reviews and recommendations. 

Special Pluses
  • Really lovely town with a substantial English-speaking town and a well-established social scene.
  • About the St. Etienne collegiate church “Like a lighthouse in the middle of the vineyards, the collegiate church is visible from afar. Its enormous proportions intrigue the traveler… fine example of southern Gothic architecture
  • From “The Good Life France” website: ” One of the best places to enjoy its full glory is in the medieval village of Capestang in the wine growing region of Saint-Chinian. Here you can stand on an ancient bridge arched over the canal, admiring a selection of sun drenched riverboats and lazy coypu and contemplating just what a marvel this Canal is.”
  • From the website “That’ s Hamori”You drive up towards the town square, through little light colored row houses, along twisting and turning narrow streets towards the church steeple peeking above the rooftops. Once there, the church reveals ruin remains, with a story to discover, and stands on guard with strength in the square. Cafés with outdoor seating, people with baguettes under their arms scurry away; giving a sense of life here.”
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Chambery1
Town: Chambéry
Department: Savoie

Sunny: Mid-range sunny

Wind: : Mid-range windy

Click for more details on: Chambéry

 including climate, transportation, welcome, health, safety + reviews and recommendations. 

Special Pluses
  • Near to Switzerland and the Alps.   A culture that mixes the Alpine and Swiss with the French
  • “A good idea to get to know people would be to sign up to The Association de Quartier du Centre Ville which is a Community Centre with all sorts of activities where you will meet people of all ages and backgrounds and where you could learn French if you don’t already speak it – you could even do a language exchange. Chambéry is a University town and there are lots of cinemas, bookshops, shops, and theatres. Also swimming pools, sports centres.” Miracle Maid
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saumur7
Town: Saumur
Department: Maine-et-Lre

Sunny: Mid-range sunny

Wind: : Mid-range windy

Click for more details on: Saumur

 including climate, transportation, welcome, health, safety + reviews and recommendations. 

Special Pluses
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nimes3
Town: Nimes
Department: Gard

Sunny: Most sunny

Wind: : Mid-range windy

Click for more details on: Nimes

 including climate, transportation, welcome, health, safety + reviews and recommendations. 

Special Pluses
  • Superbly connected by public transport
  • Charming medieval center….loads of great events throuhout the year
  • All the modern stuff easily reachable via buses on the outskirts of the city.
  • Nimes’ amazing Roman past
  • BritsNimes…a wonderfully welcoming group of newcomers (not all Brits!) who speak English and are always happy to meet someone.
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Petite Cite de CaractereCite d'Artle chateau de Josselin
Town: Josselin
Department: Morbihan

Sunny: Least Sunny

Wind: : Mid-range windy

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 including climate, transportation, welcome, health, safety + reviews and recommendations. 

Special Pluses
  • A fairy tale castle
  • Favorite foods:  cider, crêpes, mushrooms, seafood, and pastries are very popular.
  • The Celtic culture, which remains very strong and pairs beautifully with the local music.
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yvetot1
Town: Yvetot
Department: Seine-Maritime

Sunny: Mid-range sunny

Wind: : Least windy

Click for more details on: Yvetot

 including climate, transportation, welcome, health, safety + reviews and recommendations. 

Special Pluses
    • On a main train line (and a TGV stop) , so easy to get around France
    • Normandy has a healthy population of English speakers (thanks to its proximity to the UK) and you’ll find the region and its inhabitants quite used to English-speaking newcomers.

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