Are you an expat living in France?

Expat Arrivals is looking for locals to contribute to this guide, and answer forum questions from others planning their move to France. Please contact us if you'd like to contribute.

There’s no one-size-fits-all rule for settling into expat life in a new country, but here are a few helpful articles and personal stories that may help make your move a little easier.

Interview with Dorian – A Canadian expat living in Paris

Dorian Cliffe is a non-binary writer, artist, community organiser, and agitator of systems. They have performed at World Pride, Paris Pride, organized Ulsan’s Pride for 3 years, and considers lip syncing Born This Way on a float a major life milestone. Their published work includes poetry… Read more

Interview with Carey – an American in France

Originally from the US, Carey moved to Toulouse to pursue his Master's degree in Musicology. In his interview with Expat Arrivals, he talks about his experience as a student living in France. To learn more about Carey, follow him on Twitter @That_Musician. About Carey Q: Where are you… Read more

Interview with Aga – a Polish expat living in Lyon, France

Aga, originally from a charming village called Tarnowskie Gory in Poland, moved to Lyon almost two years ago. She made the move from rural to urban with her French husband, not knowing a word of French or anything about French culture. In her interview with Expat Arrivals, she offers insight into… Read more

9½ Things You Need To Know Before Moving to France

Got an interview lined up for a great new job in Paris? Dreaming of Alpine life and acres upon acres of snow? Then don’t go anywhere before you’ve read this.  1. Insist on Speaking French Because if you start chatting in French, they’ll often switch… Read more

Book Review: My Moving Booklet by Valerie Besanceney

More than just an expat guide aimed at children, My Moving Booklet by Valerie Besanceney is a workbook that aims to prepare children for a move to a new location. Moving can be scary, confusing, exciting,  or a complex mix of these and other feelings. This book offers an opportunity… Read more

Interview with Jenny – a British expat living in France

Jenny is a British expat living in France. She moved from Manchester to the northwestern department of Finistere, 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… Read more

Planning a Wedding Abroad: The Experiences of a British Expat in France

Most people say that planning a wedding is probably one of the most stressful things you will do in your life time, along with either buying a house or having a baby. And just think…some people actually do it more than once. People say it’s stressful, so imagine when you decide to marry abroad!… Read more

Interview with Liene – An American expat living in France

Liene Kukainis is an expatriate from the United States living with her family in 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 more

Interview with Anne – an American expat in Paris

Paris-based writer Anne Marsella is the author of the award-winning collection of short stories, "The Lost and Found and Other Stories" and the novels "Remedy", "The Baby of Belleville" and "Patsy Boone", an epistolary narrative written directly in French. Her work has appeared in numerous… Read more

Interview with Jennifer – an expat in the south of France

Jennifer Greco is an expat living in a small village in the south of France. She shares regular photos of the stunning scenery and charming vignettes she captures with her camera, and blogs about French cheese tastings, the delicious food and wine from France and the Languedoc-Roussillon region,… Read more

Interview with Gillian – a British expat writer living in the south of France

Gillian (aka Olga Swan) is a writer originally from England but moved to France with her husband five years ago upon retirement. They now spend their days in the fresh country air of the French countryside. Her book Pensioners in Paradis gives a humorous, ironic account of… Read more

Interview with Andy – an expat adventurer in France

Andy H is a young American expat with hopes of enjoying the good life in France with her Frenchman for many years to come. She worked as an English teacher for two years but is currently studying to get a masters degree in the cultural field, so she can eventually work in the very… Read more

Interview with Mark – an American 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. It was here, in Finistère, where he wrote his book 'I'll Never Be French (No Matter What I Do)'.Read more… Read more

Interview with Julie – an American expat living in France

Julie Mautner is a freelance food, wine and travel writer who lives most of the year in Provence, France. She was a founding editor of Food Arts Magazine in New York and was its executive editor for ten years. Since she resigned in 1998 to freelance, Julie has produced hundreds of articles for top… Read more

Interview with Dedene – an American expat in France

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 U.S. before finally settling in France in 1989. Dedene says she came for work, and stayed for love.Read more about the country in the Expat… Read more

Interview with Ashley and Jason – American expats living in Le Marche, Italy

Ashley & Jason Bartner live in the beautiful Le Marche region of Italy. They run a small guest house cum cookery school that combines searching for the best seasonal local ingredients, hands-on cooking classes, and the conviviality of the table to help guests connect with the people through… Read more

Interview with Kimberlee M – an American living 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 her… Read more

Interview with Wendy J – a British expat living in France

Wendy Johnson is an English 42-year-old mother living with her French husband near Montpellier. She has been living in France for 11 years and loves to help people move to France and settle in. Read her blog at www.moving-to-montpellier.com Read more about the country in the Expat… Read more

Interview with Cynthia C – an American living in France

Cynthia Caughey Annet never dreamed about living in France. In fact, she’s an Italophile, having studied in Italy as a college student, vacationed there for 20 years and lived there from 1998–2000. But as fate would have it, she fell in love with a Frenchman in 2005 who she met during a train ride… Read more

Interview with Sholu P – a Brit living in France

Sholu Pande has lived in many places and worked in a number of fields before settling in France. Sholu and her husband Mark 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… Read more

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