Living in France. Who hasn't dreamed of this before during a holiday in sunny France? Just pack your things and move to France. For many Dutch people, France is not only a popular holiday destination, but also a popular emigration destination. There are many reasons for this and we will discuss them in this article. It is wise to investigate a number of things thoroughly before you actually take the step to move. moving to France. Have you ever thought about hiring an affordable moving company? We will discuss this and other tips in this article.
Why do Dutch people always want to live in France?
The Dutch who go to live in France more often choose the countryside than they choose one of the big cities. If you are going to emigrate, this is of course an important factor to look at. Anyone who lives in France can confirm this. There are many reasons why France has always been popular among the Dutch. Many Dutch people nowadays choose France because of the peace and quiet. It is enormously large, which also means there is a lot of space. When you go to the forest or to the beach in the Netherlands, you will soon notice that it is extremely busy and you can also simply be stuck in traffic for hours. This will not happen to you in France, because there really is too much space! There is still so much untouched nature. Of course, the travel distance is not that great and you will be back in the Netherlands with friends and family in no time. So you will not have to miss this when you live in France. Furthermore, things like medical care are well organised in France. And let's not forget the weather! The French sun that you can enjoy every day after your emigration.
Immerse yourself in French culture
It is very important to get to know the culture of a country when you are going to live there. Yes, this includes learning French, but also the way of life, manners and daily life are important. Maybe you will first stay in the French countryside for three months or you prefer to go to the inhabited world, so in one of the big cities to see if it is actually something for you. This can and would of course also be very sensible.
A mark on the world
To continue about French culture. The country has of course had its influences on different cultures worldwide. Also in the art world, fashion and for example the 'French cuisine'. But what about the average Frenchman. To describe a Frenchman briefly: is proud of his country, likes to speak French and loves good food. Nice life, right?
Manners
French culture also has many traditions and the French also attach great importance to etiquette. Also in daily life. When you greet each other, for example, you always shake hands. Also when you drop off the car at a garage. Friends and acquaintances even give each other two kisses on the cheek. It is also very important that when you enter a shop or supermarket, for example, you greet the employees politely and also say goodbye when you leave. Furthermore, the French are very concerned with their privacy and are somewhat reserved.
No rush in life
The French, like the inhabitants of other countries in Southern Europe, value their time very much. They will not do things quickly and literally take their time. Also for their lunch, for example. Many shops and companies are still closed between 12:30 and about 14:30, because people want to have an extensive lunch.
The French language
French is a Romance language. Just like Italian and Spanish, for example. As a result, these languages often show similarities in their vocabulary. French is spoken by approximately 350,000,000 people worldwide, so we can certainly speak of a real world language.
The French Language and its Influence on Europe
Not only the French language, but also French culture has of course had a huge influence on Europe. Many famous pieces from the world of literature were originally written in French. Who does not know Molière, Jules Verne or Jean-Paul Sartre? In Dutch it is even the case that we have more loan words from French than English and we speak a Germanic language, mind you.
French dialects
In France, from a historical point of view, two Romance languages are spoken. These are French and Occitan, also called Provençal. Occitan is still spoken in the countryside mainly by older people, but has been largely replaced by French. As a result, it is not known how many people actually speak this language. However, people who speak Occitan are bilingual, because they also speak French. In some parts of France, Occitan is taught as an optional subject. In this way, the French government wants to prevent the language from dying out. Furthermore, French, the historical language of the north of France and the centre of France, has lost all its dialects. Walloon, which is mainly spoken in Belgium, is still alive in certain regions in the north of the country.
Your best French
Of course it is very useful to be able to speak a little French when you live in France. After all, you will need the language in your daily life in the country. Going on holiday is of course not comparable to emigration and it is still wise to study the French language well in advance. You have to take into account the fact that the French hardly speak English. Especially not in the South of France. Are you going to the Côte d'Azur for example? Then you really need a basic knowledge of French. In Paris, a little more English is spoken these days than before, but you should not expect too much from this.
The French cuisine
One of the subjects that immediately comes to mind when talking about France is French cuisine. Because France is so big, you will notice that every region of the country has its own cuisine. You may have noticed this before during your holidays. In the northwest of the country, a lot of cooking is done with butter, cream and apples, while in the Provencal cuisine, a lot of cooking is done with olive oil, herbs and tomatoes. In the southwest of France, a lot of duck fat, foie gras and tripe are used, while in the northeast of the country, many influences from German cuisine are noticeable. Think of lard, sausages and sauerkraut. What other countries know as French cuisine is in fact Parisian cuisine. This cuisine is influenced by regional cuisines, but we can say that the average French person will not eat so fancy every day.
The breakfast – the little breakfast
The French are not very fond of their breakfast. They often have a quick breakfast with a piece of baguette and a large cup of coffee. Just like in Italy, the French only drink their coffee with milk in the morning. In France, this coffee is called 'café au lait'. If you order a coffee with milk later in the day, you will often be looked at strangely. The baguette that is eaten with the coffee is often dipped in the coffee or spread with a little butter and jam. Of course, croissants are also sometimes eaten for breakfast, but this varies per region.
The lunch – le repas
The French consider lunch to be the most important meal of all. Lunch often starts with a cold starter. For example, a salad with a piece of bread. Furthermore, lunch in France is always a hot meal. The main course is often meat and fish with side dishes such as vegetables, potatoes or fries. After this, a piece of cheese is almost always eaten and finally dessert is eaten. This is often a mousse or flan. After this, lunch is concluded with a nice cup of coffee. When it is a smaller lunch, 'croque monsieur' or a quiche is often eaten.
In France, it is still often the case that employees receive lunch vouchers and can hand these in at almost any restaurant. If a company does not have a canteen, it is obliged to provide employers with these lunch vouchers. These vouchers are also called 'check déjeuner'. The employer then pays 60% of the costs.
Snack – Goûter
Because the French eat later in the evening, they have made sure that they take some time for a snack between lunch and dinner. This is eaten around 16:00. In the past, this started with a small snack such as an apple or croissant, but nowadays a lot of attention is paid to this. Entire tables are now set with all kinds of tasty things. What is often eaten during the goûter are 'choux a la creme' and macarons.
The dinner – dîner
The average French person doesn't sit down for dinner until around 8:00 or 9:00 PM. Dinner, like lunch, consists of several rounds. The starter is, for example, a salad, bread with tapenade or a soup. This is followed by the main course, which is often beef or pork. Fish and chicken are also common. Furthermore, the French also like to eat organ meats. Think of tripe and foie gras, for example. After the main course, a cheese board is served again and then comes the dessert. A dessert in France can be a 'tarte tartin', but also 'crèpes' or a bit of ice cream, for example.
Nature in France
There are of course a number of factors that are important when emigrating, but another important advantage of living in France is the nature. Even if you live in a big city, nature is just a stone's throw away. You take the car and within an hour you are in a beautiful, unspoiled piece of nature and have a beautiful view of the country from a mountain. This is also why many Dutch people who do not want to emigrate have a holiday home there.
France has beautiful flora and fauna. Because the country is so big, you will also see a lot of differences in the nature reserves. For example, you can find mountains, rivers, forests and lakes. Because of this, there are also many wild animals that we no longer have in the Netherlands. Think of a bear or lynx, for example. Because the country is visited so much by tourists, it is important to protect nature well. France also pays a lot for this. For example, more and more areas have been declared protected areas over the years.
Protected areas
All nature reserves and nature parks are managed at national and regional level. This includes water and forest management and of course the protection of flora and fauna. As you have read, nature in France is very diverse and that is why these areas differ greatly from each other. It can be a volcanic area, a high mountain range or a wooded area. By protecting these areas, the French government wants to protect the natural and historical heritage of the country. The French tax authorities naturally play an important role in this, because these projects are financed by taxes.
The climate
Due to the size of the country, not only is nature very diverse, but the country also shows a great deal of variation in terms of climate. This of course also has to do with the influences from the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea and the mountains. The country has different climate zones and is officially divided into four climate zones:
- In the west there is a humid maritime climate with cool summers.
- Along the mountains there is a semi-continental climate with very severe winters, but warm summers.
- Inland there is an intermediate climate with cold winters and warm summers.
- In the south of France there is a Mediterranean climate. This means that in the south of the country you can enjoy mild winters and pleasantly hot summers.
Cost of living
The cost of living in France is comparable to our own little country. Yes, some products in the supermarket can be cheaper. Coffee, for example, is even a lot cheaper in France. Of course, it also depends on where in France you are going to live. In the big cities, everything is of course a lot more expensive than in the countryside. Below are a few examples:
- The French are of course crazy about their bread and bread is therefore about 25% cheaper there.
- Rice is about 2.6% cheaper in France.
- Cheese is about 40% more expensive in France.
- Tomatoes are also about 39% more expensive in France.
- Wine is also a bit more expensive in France. About 17%.
- Bananas are even about 50% more expensive than in the Netherlands.
Buying a house in France
When you are going to buy a house abroad, it is of course important that you know how everything works. You have to take out mortgages and then you have to know how and what. At first glance you would think that it works the same everywhere in the world as in the Netherlands, but of course this is not the case.
If you want to buy a house in France, it is best to start by looking for a suitable French bank. See where it is more advantageous to do business. Furthermore, you can search for houses locally in France, but you can of course also hire an estate agent. If you search yourself, you can negotiate with the owner yourself and you only need a notary when you decide to buy the house. Do you prefer to do it through an estate agent? Then it is good to know that estate agents in France represent the interests of the selling party. Furthermore, when hiring an estate agent, it is also prohibited to have direct contact with the seller without the estate agent.
Take your time to make a choice
Of course, a village in France looks nice and cute when you drive past it, but is it also nice to live there? There are a few things you should pay close attention to. For example, what are the residents of the village like? What is it like in the winter? There are many of these types of examples that people do not think about and these types of things can lead to disappointments at a later stage of the move. In order to avoid disappointment, it is therefore wise to first look at these types of things carefully. Fortunately, when you emigrate to France, you are moving to the other side of the world and your emigration should therefore ultimately work out fine.
Finally..
As you have read, living in France is quite different from living in the Netherlands. Do not be alarmed by the new customs in the country and give yourself time to get used to it. Especially when you are going to work in France, for example, it is important to immerse yourself in the work culture in advance. Furthermore, the French are a friendly people and you will get used to it just fine.
Don't forget to look at international moving companies before you move? Request free quotes and see which one appeals to you the most. This way they can move your belongings to your new address in France for a good price.
Do you have any questions?
Do you have any questions about emigrating to France or would you like some more information? Then you can also look at the other articles on our website. We have many more articles about emigrating to France. We wish you a lot of reading pleasure and hope that you will find our information useful!
