France to Live? Pros and Cons?

Question

My mum is thinking about moving to France in the next few years, she is 50 years old and a health care assistant.

What are the Pros and Cons of living in France?

Also, would she have problems getting a job? I have heard that their aren't any care homes in France as the families look after their elderly.

Answer 1

I went to French School my whole life, went on to university and masters in France and am going to keep living here for a few months after my graduation this summer.

-PROS-
- Fascinating history, food and environment. Whether you go to a big city or a small town, you will find history in every corner.

-Quality of life in smaller cities such as Grenoble, Lyon, Lille, Toulouse, etc.... Laws have a established the 35h regime implying that you can legally work only 35 hours a week (big bonus for extra hours). This leaves enough time in your hands to indulge in hobbies.

- Great train system, cheap flights imply that it is fairly easy to travel and get to know the rest of France and neighbouring European countries. Same goes within cities, the transport system is fast and effective.

- If your into fresh produce, there are markets everywhere. Seriously, the food here is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. (Mind you, there are not that many gyms here, but the gorgeous parcs are good to job and burn off the french bread and cheese and pastries and.... ).


-CONS-
- Yes, the French can be difficult. Not because they are frogs or because they French. They can be difficult in the sense that they have a very dense social code. However, efforts to speak french and habit will slowly make living with them easier with time.

-Housing is nearly impossible in Paris. This is why it is a LOT easier to go anywhere else in the country.

- Getting jobs is also increadibly tough here. The market is very rigid. As for care homes, that sector might be somewhat easier in the sense that it isn't over exploted (if i am not mistaken a lot of the nurses helping are coming from abroad). Though many elderly people choose to live alone or their famillie take care of them, it obviously isn't always possible. This is a page specialising in retirement homes where you might find information on care homes (and thus work in them): http://www.lesmaisonsderetraite.fr/

- Strikes are France's national sport. I once read that the average in Paris alone is 400 strikes per year. That's more than days in the year! So yes, it does affect transports/commuting and all other services.

All in all, as expats in France, we tend to complain quite a bit... but let's face it, life here is pretty sweet.

Answer 2

Well, of course the reality is that nothing is free. The French health insurance system is excellent but then it is also one reason why the French are some of the most heavily taxed people in Europe. The French government provides many benefits to the citizens but they too must be paid for thru heavy taxation and the consequent damage to the overall economy. Recently American unemployment rose to 5% and news commentators talked about what a terrible disaster this was. Well, in France they would dance in the streets if unemployment fell to 5% from the 9-10% range it has held for the last decade or so. There is far more job stability but far less social and economic mobility in France. Getting and keeping the same job for your entire life is quite common in France. Perhaps this is why many ambitious young French entrepreneurs move to Ireland or the UK to work. The social benefits also come with a high degree of government regulation by some of the most nitpicking officious bureaucrats anywhere. France has a marvelous cultural stockpile, enough to keep you busy for a lifetime. There is still a considerable appreciation of the artist and the intellectual, something sadly lacking in the USA. The French are, on average, better informed than Americans and more analytical. On the other hand this also makes them less decisive. EDIT@Cabal: I'm not sure where you get that 3.8% number. to the best of my knowledge the current prison population of the USA at all levels is around 2 million in a population of over 300 million.

Answer 3

To the people engaging in the same old tired France-bashing: once again, I'm curious as to how many of you have ever ventured more than a couple hours from your homes. I've always found that the more derogatory comments people have to make about other nationalities and cultures, the less they actually know what they're talking about, by and large.

In response to the question being posed here: pros include but are not limited to a high standard of living, an above-average health care system, beautiful cities and countryside alike, cuisine, etc.

Cons: my main gripe when I was living in Paris were the ridiculously frequent transportation strikes (the métro in particular). Having said that I miss France a lot and am seriously considering moving back there one day.

Answer 4

I live in the south of France and here are some pros and cons.

Pros
Very safe and very little crime
good food, cafes and life is relaxed here
Many great cities close by to visit
Climate is nice
Doctors are cheap, 22€ the visit
We do have care homes

Cons
Expensive rents and hard to find a place about 3-9 months
its very hard to find work
Taxes Taxes Taxes, even Televison tax to watch televison about 150 bucks


But I enjoy living here, hope this helps a little

Answer 5

Pros - French women
Cons - French men.

Seriously though, if you go there with an open mind, it's charming. Plenty of good food and culture.

I suspect the reason many families look after their elderly relatives is that there are not many good care homes, rather than the other way round.

Answer 6

When people complain about the attitude of the French people toward foreigners, I compare them to New Yorkers. I am a New Yorker and they don't deserve their bad reputation either. The difference is, that French people and New Yorkers do not need other people to make them feel self-sufficient. In both New York and Paris, people have gone out of their way to be helpful, but you have to understand, they don't depend on you or anyone else for their self-esteem. If I could live anywhere else in the world, it would be Paris. It's certainly one of the most beautiful and modern cities of the world. It has a world-famous university, the Sorbonne, and its medical care is probably superior to that of the United States. It helps to speak French, but most French people have studied English in school and they understand it very well. As far as jobs, my cousin worked in the American Hospital for many years and became an administrator.

Answer 7

Where are you from ? I dunno how hard it could be for your mom to find a job here, it all depends on many criterias. Does she speak french ? if she doesn't, I know it could be hard. Will she have a working permit and all that ?
As for the pros and cons of living here, I'm from the Paris area and work in La Défense. It's very crowded, noisy and all. I hate commuting everyday. It's not easy and kind of stressful. I'm lucky living in the paris area and not Paris itself. I'd love to get away from here. I've lived in the States in the past and nothing compares to it but it's not always easy adjusting to a new country where people are distant and not always easy to make friends (at least in Paris).
As for the care homes, there are lots of them and rarely do families keep their parents at home with them.

Answer 8

i take french and i would love to go there some day. Thats good if your mom wants to live there. France is a beautiful city, and the people are amazing. they get a bad rep. but they are really nice. Us americans need an attitude adjustment. She would need to speak the language, and a job. But thats probaly the only bad part.

Au revoir et bon soir.

Answer 9

ok, I am not from France, but I am from Europe and I have been to France many times...

Pros:
*climate (only south of France though)
*food (cheese!!)
*beaches,lakes, mountains
*opportunity to travel to other countries in Europe

Cons:
*expensive if living in Paris
*hard to find a job in any profession that requires a degree, this goes for any foreign country and any profession, (I´ve been there), she might find a job in a shop or smt...however she´s older and I think it´ll VERY hard without conections...maybe she could live with an eldery lady and take care of her...no papers needed...BTW of course there are eldery homes in France!!

Answer 10

Pros:good food,the FRENCH are normally quite nice,alot of history,tourist sites etc

cons:its a dirty city,overcrowded,the french wont help you if you dont help them or yourself,you have to speak french (pro and a con),its very expensive for almost everything,apartment are hard to come by and a long wait.the french love admin,everything has to be on paper and filed BUT it will take you months too get that paper.