Expat Experiences in France

Carey is an American expat living in Toulouse, where he moved in 2015 to study for a Master's degree in Musicology. Learn more about his expat experience in Toulouse.

Aga from Poland moved to Lyon, France with her French partner. From a girl who didn't know a word of French or anything about French culture when she arrived, she has now settled into Lyon's way of life and shares her experiences with other new arrivals via her blog. Read more about her expat experience in Lyon.

Rita is a Russian-born expat living in Paris, France, She moved there with her husband and children for a job – although the job didn't work out, she now owns and runs an inspirational website giving advice to expat women who are struggling to settle in. Read more about her expat experience in Paris.

Jenny Lovett is a British expat living in France. She moved from Manchester to the northwestern department of Finistère, in the Brittany region, with her partner John in search of a different and easier way of life. They both left careers and businesses behind and now spend their time renovating a derelict house in the small village of Heulgoat. Read more about her expat experience in France.

John Krueger relocated with his family from the United States to Paris, France, when his wife was offered a job there. John is a stay-at-home dad who has thoroughly enjoyed helping his two children settle into Parisian life. He enjoys learning about the history of the city and exploring its chateaus and restaurants. Read about his expat life in Paris.

Liene Kukainis is an expatriate from the United States living with her family in Clermont-Ferrand, central France. After earning a degree in forestry and working as a wildland firefighter in the US, she is currently working on raising two boys, learning French, travelling Europe and writing her blog, Femme au Foyer. Read about her expat life in France. 

David Downie is an award-winning writer whose insightful account of Paris has inspired many a journey to the City of Lights. He has written many books, hundreds of articles for international publications, and now, he has written his impressions of life in Paris for Expat Arrivals. Read David's eloquent take on expat life Paris-style.

Anne Marsella is better qualified than most expats to write about her experiences: she is an award-winning novelist who has published in both English and French, the latter achievement proof of her thorough enculturation into French life after two decades in Paris. Read about her impressions of life in Paris.

Sholu Pande and her husband bought their French house in a beautiful village in southwest France in 2004 and are running a bed and breakfast as well as painting holidays, gourmet breaks and day trips into the stunning Pyrenees and rolling hills of the Gers, the Tuscany of France. Read about her expat life in France in this interesting interview.

Cynthia Caughey Annet fell in love with a Frenchman who she met during a train ride in Provence in 2005. After 2.5 years of a long-distance relationship between Los Angeles and Chambéry, she sold her house and business and moved to Chambéry, in the heart of the Savoy region of France. Read about her expat life in France here.

Wendy Johnson is an English 42-year-old mother living with her French husband in a small village near Montpellier. She has lived in France for 11 years now, spending her time helping people move to France and settle in. Read about her expat life in France.

Kimberlee Mancha describes herself as a somewhat contrary, 40-something woman who decided to leave corporate life in the USA behind and reinvent her life in France. She runs a small business, The Bohemians, a petite boutique in Brantôme with gifts, clothes, and décor items for the home. Read about her expat life in France here.

Dedene Nelson-Court lives in central France between Orléans and Gien near the Loire River and Sully-sur-Loire. She grew up in Oregon and moved all over the US before finally settling in France in 1989. Dedene says she came for work and stayed for love. Read about her expat experiences in France here.

Julie Mautner was a founding editor of Food Arts Magazine in New York and was its executive editor for ten years. She is now a freelance food, wine and travel writer who lives most of the year in Provence, France. Read about her experience of being an expat in France.

Mark Greenside was originally from New York, moved to California, and then was dragged by his girlfriend to a tiny Celtic village in Brittany at the westernmost edge of France, in Finistère, where he wrote his book, I'll Never Be French (No matter what I do). Read about his experience of being an expat in France.

Gillian Green (aka Olga Swan) is a writer originally from England who moved to southwest France with her husband five years ago upon retirement. They now spend their days in the fresh country air of the French countryside. Read about her expat life in France.

Heather Markel is a culture transition specialist who spent a sweet year in Paris working for a French telecommunications office.  Though now back in her native New York, she reminisces about expat life in France.

Jennifer Greco is a food-loving expat living in a small village in the heart of the south of France. She blogs extensively about the cuisine and culture of the region and shares with us some of her insights about expat life in France.