The traffic-free roads of southwest France could have been designed with classic car road trips in mind. Stunning scenery, picturesque villages, hill top towns and dramatic coastal routes, perfect for classic car drivers. When classic car devotees Lyn and Graham Peek from the UK were looking for a home in France, they knew, as soon […]
Camping in France with kids is all about having fun and adventure. Making memories and eating delicious French food – freshly baked croissants for breakfast, scrumptious picnics with crunchy baguettes and piquant cheeses. It’s about escaping from your daily routine, experiencing the freedom of the great outdoors and enjoying great activities, wonderful scenery and nature. […]
In 2010, UNESCO awarded French cuisine ‘World intangible heritage status’, reflecting the importance of great food in France. A nip across, or under, the English Channel to northern France reveals a wealth of gastronomic delights. From lush produce at street markets, to tasty treats at the supermarket, cheese shops, wine shops and boulangeries that smell so […]
For over 159 years, millions of the faithful have flocked to the small village of Lourdes. Here, nestled at the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains in southwestern France, it’s said that miracles happen… Sue Aran of French Country Adventures says of Lourdes: “Before the Virgin Mary appeared to local girl Bernadette Soubirous in 1858, this […]
You will be surprised by how much you can experience in Provence in one day. When you have a private driver and local guide that is… Whether you’re based in Marseille or Avignon, Aix-en-Provence or off the beaten track, a day trip with a knowledgeable guide means you can get to see so much more […]
Welcome to the winter issue of The Good Life France Magazine. It’s a bumper issue and will definitely satisfy your French fix through the winter months! There are loads of fabulous features about some of the best places to visit in France including marvellous Marseille, home of Pastis, and brilliant Bordeaux which you can […]
When I was a little girl, I had an idea of what a fairy tale castle would like. It would have towers and turrets and pointy bits. My dream chateau would have grand doors and huge rooms for dancing and partying. It would be filled with flowers. And it would have the most beautiful gardens […]
A short ride from Sarlat, in the gorgeous countryside of Dordogne, you’ll find the Chateau and gardens of Milandes. It’s the former home of Josephine Baker, legendary entertainer of the early 20th century… History of Chateau des Milandes There was a fort on the site for hundreds of years in the village of Les Milandes. […]
Travel like a local! We’ve picked 14 fabulous tours in France where the experience is built around the things YOU want to see and do. Small Group tours in France Each and every private tour is different and they are all typically for less than ten people. Enjoy the trip of a lifetime… Tour at […]
At some point in history, it just became a fact that everything is more stylish in Paris. Of course, lot of other cities have their own version of “cool”, but there seems to a be a special way in which the Parisians do things that make everything seem so effortless and so… chic. Coffee is […]
Nothing characterises French cuisine like cheese and wine! Both have been made for centuries in France, it is said that Cantal cheese from the Cantal region in the Auvergne has been enjoyed for at least two millennia and it’s mentioned by Roman historian Pliny the Elder in a document dating back to 1 BC. There […]
Profiteroles, the airy light pastries we all love (called cream puffs in the US) have been around for at least 500 years! The history of profiteroles No one can know the real origin of profiteroles but it seems they’ve been around for at least 500 years. The French writer Francois Rabelais (1494-1553) mentions profiteroles in […]
In 2015 I went to the Lille for the opening parade of Lille3000. I had no idea what to expect. I’d heard from friends that it was a quirky and incredible art “event” but nothing prepared me for the reality. Held every few years, Lille3000 is a huge event with what seems like a strange […]
Wherever you go in France you’re sure to come across a Place Jean Jaurès, a rue Jean Jaurès, Avenue Jean Jaurès, schools and even metro stations of that name in Paris and Lyon. Every French school child will learn about Jean Jaurès. He is one of the most well-known figures of French history, though he […]
Genuine Marseille soap is made by artisans with the provenance, passion and long-standing tradition in their blood to lay claim to makers of genuine Marseilles soap. A bar that contains 72% olive oil – and once tried, you will always be loyal to its soapy concoction. History of Marseille Soap In 1688 Louis IV passed […]
Most visitors to Bordeaux keep to the left bank where historic Bordeaux is located, but head to the right bank for a different vibe and more fun! Rive Droite Bordeaux | Right Bank Bastide, or “rive droite” was until recently a sleepy neighbourhood on the opposite side of the centre of Bordeaux, across the Garonne […]
With so much going on in Normandy in 2019, it really is THE place to visit in France… 1) 75th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy All eyes will be on Normandy this year, as Thursday 6 June marks the 75th anniversary of the D‑Day Landings and the Battle of Normandy. The D-Day […]
Valence is in the department of Drome, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes (formerly Rhone-Alpes). Just an hour south of Lyon, Valence is a beautiful and surprising city. It’s known as the gateway to the south of France. From Paris, you can be there in a couple of hours on the TGV which steams its way through and on south […]
France is the world’s top destination for tourists as well as a major destination for foreign students, workers, and expatriates from all over the world. An unfortunate but significant number of these visitors may get sick at some point in their stay. As any long-term resident of France will tell you, the French have an […]
We asked the experts at CA Britline, who specialise in Banking and Insurance services in France, to explain French mortgages: Mortgages are available to residents in France, UK and Ireland. Buying a property in France whether to use for holidays, longer periods or to rent out whilst still residing in the UK is possible with […]
The experts explain the main changes to French tax for the year commencing January 2019 that may affect expats in France or those intending to move to France. The main changes to tax in France in 2019: PAYE in France The big change in France for 2019 will be the full introduction of PAYE (pay […]
I’ve been renovating my farm house in Pas de Calais on and off for 14 years. 99% of the work has been done between myself and my husband, the only exception being when we first bought the house and hired a builder to make some sagging and enormous wooden beams safe. It was a disaster, […]
The French Riviera, AKA Cote d’Azur, has been the summer playground of choice for the rich and famous for over a century now. It has the best climate in France and some of the most stunning coastal scenery. So, it’s not suprise that this area has attracted artists and writers such as F Scott Fitzgerald […]
When it comes to looking for your ideal home in France there are a few things that are key to getting it right. It’s astonishing how many of us buy a French home on a whim (me included). It’s something we generally wouldn’t dream of doing normally. Somehow, we see a picture online and we’re […]
There have been many famous families in history. Take the Curies, for example: Marie Curie won two Nobel Prizes and her husband, daughter and grandson each won one. Quite the talented family! And then there are the Wright brothers and the Brontë sisters. And let’s not forget those comic masters, the Marx brothers. But imagine […]
“They are NOT babies, they are chickens” remonstrated my French neighbour Jean-Claude. He had come to inspect the eight point of lay hens and two “babies” with which I had returned from the local street market. “I’m going to call that scrawny baby one Eaglet” I said “Non, non, non” came the emphatic response “You […]
Bonjour, Hope you had a great week. Strangely the weather has been okay here. I’ve been seeing photos of snow in some parts of Europe as winter arrives, but there’s nothing like that in my bit of northern France. I keep reading that colder weather is on its way, (the Beast from the East some […]
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There have been many famous families in history. Take the Curies, for example: Marie Curie won two Nobel Prizes and her husband, daughter and grandson each won one. Quite the talented family! And then there are the Wright brothers and the Brontë sisters. And let’s not forget those comic masters, the Marx brothers. But imagine […]
“They are NOT babies, they are chickens” remonstrated my French neighbour Jean-Claude. He had come to inspect the eight point of lay hens and two “babies” with which I had returned from the local street market. “I’m going to call that scrawny baby one Eaglet” I said “Non, non, non” came the emphatic response “You […]
“When I move to France I only want to have French friends”. This was a line in an email I received from a couple of Brits. They wanted advice on where to move to in France and this was one of their criteria. They also wanted to be near a town that has a market, […]
June 2005 was a difficult month for Peter Friend and his partner Mark. After a change of jobs, relocation and redundancy they decided they didn’t want the sort of stressful lives they were leading in marketing and business development for much longer. Considering their skills, passion for travel, good food and wine, setting up their […]
Stephen Solley, an expat from the UK lives in Beaujolais, Burgundy and says, not only is it a great place to live but it also offers opportunities for would be wine-makers… There must be so many couples, frustrated by all the stresses of daily life, who in an ideal world would like to move their […]
The Hunchback of Notre Dame is one of the most famous characters in French literature. But how did he get the unusual name of Quasimodo? For centuries, French law strictly limited the names that families could give their babies. They had to come from an approved list made up mostly of Catholic saints. The laws […]
We talk to Suzanne Sutton who left the UK for Languedoc Roussillon, southern France. She’s an agent for the award-winning Leggett Immobillier French Estate Agents and says this sunny area is great for expats to live. Where do you live in France? I live in a little village of around 90 residents, called Granès, in […]
Mike Collins from the UK went to France as a young man to study languages. He got a job with a large company and in his job he travelled a lot around France. He loved discovering new places and new tastes and developed a penchant for snails, the very French foodie favourite. On a whim, […]