Serif
English expat in France
Forum posts
15
About me
English
Lives in Toulouse
Speaks French, Arabic, German
Registration: 06 November 2013
Activity
Expand your social circle in France by Priscilla
Hello everyone, Moving to France means leaving one's family and friends behind. Creating a circle of friends or joining an existing one should therefore be paramount in order to fight loneliness in your host country. But how can one develop a ...
I agree with gfsimons that speaking French is mandatory - preferably before you arrive. You can get by with a B at o'level; but anything less you'll be squeezed out of all conversations, not least because of the speed. There are many ... Read More
Best cities to live in France by Julien
Hi, Its not always easy to decide in which area to settle in when moving to France. According to you, what are the best cites to live in? Which regions offer most of the job opportunities, a good quality of life, an affordable cost of ...
I found your post very interesting and would like to know about the 'mobile diseases'...Could you elaborate. I agree with you about being land-locked with 'too much France'... I don't particularly like the area around the Var. ... Read More
Best cities to live in France by Julien
Hi, Its not always easy to decide in which area to settle in when moving to France. According to you, what are the best cites to live in? Which regions offer most of the job opportunities, a good quality of life, an affordable cost of ...
Julien, when asking vague questions like this, you should really expect vague answers and this is what you've received so far. I'm going to put some spin on this question: Best in what sense? People come to live in France for all sorts of ... Read More
Safety in France by Christine
Hi, We would like to talk about a sensitive but important topic: do you feel safe in France? How would you define the level of safety in the country? Can you walk safely during the day and at night without any fear? Do you think there ...
Yes, it's strange that their behaviour seems to be peculiarly a French thing. My theory is they do what they think they can get away with. I used the word, 'lewd' with prejudice. The definition is: inclined to lust or lechery. Lascivious ... Read More
Safety in France by Christine
Hi, We would like to talk about a sensitive but important topic: do you feel safe in France? How would you define the level of safety in the country? Can you walk safely during the day and at night without any fear? Do you think there ...
Goodness me, Julia. What a story! I have to say that I too had some rather bad experiences in Paris to the extent that I was thinkng of importing pepper spray which I understand is illegal here. I'm a 50+ year old woman and men would come on ... Read More
Safety in France by Christine
Hi, We would like to talk about a sensitive but important topic: do you feel safe in France? How would you define the level of safety in the country? Can you walk safely during the day and at night without any fear? Do you think there ...
I think the further away you are from a large city, the more safe you're going to feel. It's therefore not surprising that you feel safe in Vence, my friend. I live in the fourth largest city in France and it's still VERY small (less ... Read More
English speaking doctor in Toulouse, Lardenne or Tournefeuille? by Krizzz
Hi all! I just moved here and now I have to choose a doctor for myself. Can anyone suggest a doctor? I'm looking for a general practitioner in Toulouse, preferably in Lardenne area (or from Lardenne towards the centre). Tournefeuille is fine ...
There is an English speaking doctor in Daux near Blagnac. Read More
Moving to Toulouse by asianakasha
Hi Everyone! My husband and I are planning to move to Toulouse, in the South of France during the months of August and September. I am French but my husband has spent his whole life in Southern California. He is really apprehensive about the move: ...
Link on finding jobs: https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=314431#1582100 Read More
Moving there to the south of France - unsure about the best city !!? by Ccunn723
Hi everyone! I am hoping to move to the south of france in January but I am still unsure which is the best city to move to for employment and good atmosphere. Any suggestions would really help :)
I agree with Vincent. You need to match your skills to jobs. You clearly have not done enough research, so unless you have a bottomless pit of money, don't come! Ensure you can speak at least O'level French before you come, and preferably, ... Read More
Safety in France by Christine
Hi, We would like to talk about a sensitive but important topic: do you feel safe in France? How would you define the level of safety in the country? Can you walk safely during the day and at night without any fear? Do you think there ...
I too think this question is too broad. Also, the French don't have a word for 'security' and in English, as I'm sure you know, we talk about both safety and security. In answer to the question of security, I think this is going to ... Read More
Healthcare in France by Julien
Hi, how does the healthcare system work in France ? Is it efficient ? What are the main differences between public and private sectors? Is it recommended to purchase private health insurance in France? Thanks in advance for sharing your ...
For those of you who are new to France, and I have written about this before, you need to be careful and go in with your eyes open. Do not make assumptions and talk to several people who work in the healthcare system here and who have experience of ... Read More
Top hiring sectors in Toulouse by Julien
Hi, lets talk about job opportunities in Toulouse. What are the top hiring sectors? And according to you, what are the most promising job sectors, which will keep creating jobs in Toulouse? Thanks in advance for sharing your ...
Hi Alyson Jayne, please don't take this the wrong way, but I think your experience in Toulouse was indeed atypical. I also think it's very important not to over sell Toulouse and to be circumspect before making sweeping generalisations about job ... Read More
Top hiring sectors in Toulouse by Julien
Hi, lets talk about job opportunities in Toulouse. What are the top hiring sectors? And according to you, what are the most promising job sectors, which will keep creating jobs in Toulouse? Thanks in advance for sharing your ...
@Alyson: I think Max is right about getting through the door for Airbus especially for newcomers. The people who work at Airbus seem to have no contacts whatsoever inside HR; and there appears to be no way for non-engineers/logistics people to get ... Read More
Top hiring sectors in Toulouse by Julien
Hi, lets talk about job opportunities in Toulouse. What are the top hiring sectors? And according to you, what are the most promising job sectors, which will keep creating jobs in Toulouse? Thanks in advance for sharing your ...
Job market in France, don't bother unless you're an engineer and can get a job with Airbus or one of their suppliers before you come. If you're an intern, Airbus won't help you find accomodation. You're on your own so wobetide you if you don't speak ... Read More