Has anyone got any tips and advice about moving to Brittany France?

Question

I live in N.Ireland and would like to move to Brittany with my family and set up a business.But dont know where to start.

Answer 1

The Bretagne people are very polite actually. Yes the women do have hairy armpits but isn't that how armpits were designed to be?

It's a nice place but the winters can be a drag - very wet & windy and if you live somewhere rural it can be quite lonely in the winter.

Start by arranging a trip over to look at houses and get a feel for different areas, if you own a property in NI then a good tip is to rent for a year in Brittany before you decide to sell up there and buy a property in France, that way you can have a safety net and be certain that you're happy with being in France.

http://www.lost-in-france.com/

Answer 2

I should be very care full before setting here; taxes are higher than in Ireland, and you need to be fluent in french language if you have to deal with locals.

I think people are more relaxed and help full than in Paris however.

If you can french, get in touch with http://www.bretagne.cci.fr/

Answer 3

Paisley and Adams at the same table - who'd have thought it?

Back to the question.  My home is now in the Burgundy area of France but I come originally from Bangor (the real one not the one in Wales).  Have lived in England, Hong Kong and latterly Germany.

There are some myths to dispel about France:

1. Rudeness.  Try London!  The French are usually exquisitely polite but they expect the same respect in reverse.  Sadly, many people are incapable of common civility and this is frowned on by French society. You reap what you sow in this respect.

2. Bureaucracy.  It is not worse than UK it is different and in a foreign language (unless you're French of course).  Authority figures deserve, and receive, respect and will bend over backwards to help as long as you observe the correct protocol.  The local Maire should be addressed as M le Maire or Mme la maire unless and until they say otherwise.  Once you're in with the Maire life gets suddenly much easier.

3.  Don't be English, be Irish -this makes you more of a novelty and admits you to the gallic (gaelic, same thing) brotherhood.  Vous etes Anglais Monsieur? Is a common question.  Non, Irlandais is the best answer (at so many levels).

4. Life's better.  Actually it isn't, its different but at least its different with a better climate, food, wine and cheaper housing.

All the mechanincs of moving are well rehearsed elsewhere but I would advise you to think really carefully about your motives.  Then when you are sure just go for it.

Bon Chance.

Answer 4

You'd be well advised to do an in depth study of the situation in France before setting out on such a venture.

The regulation of business in France is far more onerous than anything in the UK and taxation is considerably heavier.

The French bureaucracy is the most obnoxious and officious in Western Europe and French law more opaque and inflexible than anything you have experienced in Northern Ireland.

Brittany itself is a delightful place and the Breton people are fellow Celts but that may not be enough to overcome the difficulties of doing business there.

Answer 5

Yeah, don't go. Theres too many frogs!

Answer 6

Hi there

I moved to France from the UK nearly three years ago, and started a business here 18 months ago.

First learn French, it really really helps, although I do know people here who know very little and still have a great time.

Make sure you are moving for the right reasons, a difficult one to quantify, but if you are not prepared you set yourself up to fail.

Renting for a year is a good idea, but can cause problems of it's own if you have children to go into schools for example.

Make sure you have income, businesses take time sometimes, so make sure you're covered financially.

I would advise going for a local estate agent, rather than one who is aiming at the UK/NI market, their prices are generally better.

Setting up a business is not neccesarily difficult, there is quite a lot of paperwork, but it is do-able. Contrary to belief the "taxes" in France are actually very low, with a great majority of people paying little or no tax due to the way the tax is worked out. HOWEVER, the "cotisations" can be quite high. They are the payments you HAVE to make for invalidity, medical etcetc. They do have a lot of help for start up businesses though, which can reduce the burden in the early years.

Regarding the politeness or otherwise of the French people. Whilst this is obviously only my experience in my area of France, I can say I have come across about 0.5 percent of rude people. The children are respectful and caring. Most of the people I have met have gone out of their way to be helpful with some going above and beyond the call of duty.

When they say something is going to be done, it is done, sometimes at a pace that is slower than you want, but it happens.

You don't feel as though you have to "keep up with the Jones'es"

My main tip : Don't isolate yourselves, go to the things in your commune or town and mix with the French people.

The downsides.

Winters can seem long with so little going on.

The weather can be too much either way - since we've been here we have had from -15 to +37

You don't have time to do your make up when you're sitting in a traffic jam - I've yet to see one where I am. ;-)

HTH

espritdogs

Answer 7

Im with philip there. Ive spent alot of time there and found a serious lacking in manners and civility and helpfulness and other things like that that makes people nice.

Dont do it.

Plus, the women dont shave their armpits apparently!!!

Answer 8

Hi, my sister and her husband are actually moving permanently to Brittany next week.  I love France and every area is appealing but if you have family and friend in the UK, you have chosen the best place to live and I do hope you will be very happy.  NOW TO YOUR QUESTION!  I think this website, which initially looks like all the others about France, is really good.  It is entitled "Everything you need to know about moving to France, the link is http://www.france-property-and-life.com/  I do hope you find this useful.  Netty

Answer 9

hey

just a word about brittany: it's a gorgeous region, but it does feel quite isolated. if you're used to living in the countryside, it shouldn't be a problem, but if you're a city dweller, you may find it annoying.

my best friend moved from marseille to rennes a few years ago, and while she's enjoying it, she has to go to nantes (1 hour away) if she wants to do any kind of clothes shopping etc.. brest seems like a good option, it's mid-sized and has good shopping :)

it is definitely a good thing to learn as much french as you can before moving, too, especially if you end up living in a village, as very few locals will speak english.

in terms of setting up a business, be careful, brittany depends on tourism quite a lot, and therefore there's a strong seasonal fluctuation. make sure you know who you're aiming for. you may want to make an appointment with the chambre de commerce to find out what paperwork you will need and what permits you'll have to apply for. french bureaucratie is very very annoying, but you may be able to get financial halp and stuff.

anyway, whatever you decide, good luck!!

Answer 10

Learn French, and be prepared to use it. That's half the battle when dealing with the French.