This French Life

EU countries draw in Brits

APPROXIMATELY 125,000 people from the United Kingdom moved to a EU member state according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

May days off

THE month of May sees four public holidays in France, with one on a Monday, another on a Thursday and two on a Saturday.

Idiot President label proves a hit

HERE’S a crazy story that is doing the rounds on the internet – a washing label that a US bag company has on its products takes a swipe at a President, in French.

Mona Lisa worries experts

THE Mona Lisa, unarguably the world’s most famous painting, is beginning to show its age.

IT retailer heads to France

UK based online computing and IT retailer dabs.com has opened a French internet store.

Eurostar tribute to war hero

A FRENCH war hero has been recognised for his work during World War II by the naming of a Eurostar train in Paris.

Midlands gets new French routes

THOMSONFLY have started two new flights to the south of France from Coventry airport.

Be in when you’re out

ONE of the things you should consider when using a website to promote your holiday home is to automate as much of it as possible.

I do, to house and hubbie

A MOVE to France is often a fresh start for people but for one woman there was a new business and husband to consider as well.

Easing the strain of French life

ALTHOUGH many people head to France hoping to get away from the stresses and strains of life this sometimes does not happen.

OK pour le chien

DOGS have a real place in French life, be they muscular gun-dogs chasing down wild boar or little poodles draped over a chic arm in a café.

Consumer spending falls sharply

FRENCH consumers cut their spending in March as fears grow about the impact unemployment is having on the economy.

The Beeb needs you

FOR many moving to France is a dream come true, for others unforeseen pitfalls, legal loopholes and rogue traders can turn that dream into a nightmare.

A museum visit in spring

OVER a thousand French museums will be opening their doors next month, many of them for free, to highlight the rich collections they possess.

Many heading for the exit

A RECENT survey of Brits claims that 40% of people are seriously looking into moving abroad.

Free seat offer from Ryanair

RYANAIR are offering 800,000 free seats on flights around Europe including many to airports in France.

Effective use of local search in Google

SEARCH engines are one of the best ways for people to find your gîte website or business, the problem is keeping up to date with the changing technologies.

And now Google has turned up the heat by offering a local search facility that provides street addresses, phone numbers and even map references.

Tales from the tableau noir

UPPING sticks and moving your young family to France can pose many challenges, both at home and in the schoolyard.

Graham Downie settled near the town of Cognac last year with his wife and two young daughters – escaping the exhausting world of the property business in the UK.

Silence brings a golden chance

THERE are many charitable organisations set-up by British property owners that work alongside their French counter-parts.

Cast your view of village life

OF course village life is different to city life anywhere in the world, but how do the two compare when viewed from either side of the Channel?

Fire fighting exercise

THE south of France is to host the first EU wide fire-fighting drill this Sunday.

Bretons stand their ground

THE French welcome foreigners with open arms especially if they are keen to renovate old farmhouses and bring life to villages.

French schooling insight

A FORMER UK schoolteacher is looking to get under the skin of French education to help children settle into the system.

PETS changes brought in

CHANGES to the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) now allow pet owners from long haul countries to visit other PETS countries before entering England.

Ryanair sticks with Charleroi

RYANAIR will continue using Charleroi airport after coming to an agreement with the local authorities that run it.

A round-up from France

ARE the Scots more closely related to the people of south west France than to the English? A look at the news you may have missed over Easter.

Prices still heading up

FRENCH property prices have risen by 13.9% compared to this time last year according to figures from the French National Association of Estate Agents (FNAIM).

Stop spam messages

IF you have a holiday home website naturally you will feature an email address so people can contact you.

Partnership is way forward, says tourism ministry

FRENCH tourism must prepare for a forecasted boom in the sector by 2020 according to a private-public government body.

France visit ends in Toulouse

THE Queen’s visit to Toulouse was marked by the regional news on France 3 with features, interviews and live reports from the city.

Has hero’s plane been found?

THE plane of French pilot and author Antoine de Saint-Exupery may have been discovered in the Mediterranean, 60 years after he disappeared.

New flight from Scotland

SCOTTISH property hunters can cast their net to Bordeaux with the news that a new route has been launched.

Region prepares for the Queen

‘WELCOME to the Queen’ was how the TV news programme opened this evening to mark the arrival of the Royal party to Toulouse tomorrow.

New flights to the south west

A NEW route has been announced by low cost airline FlyBE to the south west of France.

Under a full moon

ONE of the pleasures of countryside life is the purity of the sky at night; free from the light pollution that blights many towns.
And this evening a full moon hangs in the night sky with just a few clouds for company, its glow lighting up the darkness.
Please click on the thumbnail image for the larger version of this photograph.

Currency exchange link-up

THISFRENCHLIFE.COM has linked up with London based foreign currency exchange service SGM-FX to provide you with simple and clear advice.

Stamps issued to mark centenary

THE Royal Mail and La Poste are joining forces to celebrate the centenary of the Entente Cordiale with the issuing of a special set of stamps.

France gets Royal treatment

TO mark the start of the centenary celebrations of the Entente Cordial between the UK and France, the Queen and Prince Philip are visiting Paris and Toulouse this coming week.

Passenger numbers boom

EUROSTAR the cross-channel train operator has reported record passenger numbers for the first three months of 2004.

A natural risk

ALTHOUGH many people head to France to bask in the sunshine and enjoy a relaxing time, things can and do go wrong.

Flooding, strong winds and heavy snowfall can be just some of the natural disasters that may put a brake on your plans.

High-speed ferry running

FERRY company P and O have started a new catamaran service between Portsmouth and Caen in northern France.

Air France cut prices

HAS Air France finally bitten the bullet and decided to launch its own low-cost flights?