I’m an expat – if you’re moving to France there are some things you need to know’

This time, Janine shared the quirky differences between life in France and life in the UK.

Answering the question, “Is there anything you need to know before moving so it won’t take you by surprise?” Janine answered: “Where do I start?”

While she is very much used to life in France now, it definitely took some getting used to.

Hunting

The expat said: “Hunting is a big thing here. In my village, there are several hunting clubs and they practice from March to September. I have to say, we do not walk our four dogs at the weekend as that’s when they’re mostly out and about.

“I’m not keen on it, but I moved here and it’s part of the deal in the countryside.”

Bureaucracy

Another thing Janine had to get used to was the administration. She stated: “The French are world-class bureaucrats.

“I mean that’s not that much of a surprise because everyone says the same, but I think I was surprised at the true level of bureaucracy. The ethos of ‘time is money’ doesn’t apply in France.

“I read that the average French manager spends more than 16 years of their life in meetings, which equates to at least 5,844 days or 140,256 hours if you include leap years.

“When you think that the average marriage in the USA lasts eight years, it’s really quite astonishing.

“I’ve had to buy two filing cabinets to store all the paperwork that has been generated by various government agencies over the last few years.

“And you need to keep every sheet of paper for years because, at some point, someone official is bound to want to see it. Even though things are moving more online in France, you’ll frequently be asked for a copy of your tax payments, electricity bill, rates, phone bill, driving licence, birth certificate and marriage certificate.”

“I haven’t yet been asked for my school report, but it’s only a matter of time,” the expat joked.

Janine continued: “Things are moving online but that hasn’t made it much easier frankly. That said, if you have an issue with tax, for instance, and need to speak to someone, every town has a tax office where you can go and speak face-to-face to a real person. I like that.”

Supermarkets

Another thing Janine had to acclimatise to was the opening and closing hours of major supermarkets.

She revealed that they all close at 8pm – so it’s important to plan ahead – and very few are open 24 hours a day.

Doctor’s surgeries

The expat was pleasantly surprised by the healthcare though – it’s “so much better” than she imagined.

Indeed, Janine said: “My doctor apologises if I can’t get an appointment the same day – but I normally do.”

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