Moving to France? 5 Mistakes I Made So You Don’t Have To!

<p>Moving to France can be an exciting new chapter but there are a few mistakes that can make the transition considerably harder than it needs to be.</p><p>In this episode of France Made Simple, I run through five of the most common mistakes people make when they move to France and, as usual, I’ve made plenty of them myself so you don’t have to!</p><p>We look at why you really do need to learn French (and why “I’ll pick it up when I get there” probably isn’t going to work), why you should start thinking about your garden much earlier than you might expect, and why it’s surprisingly easy for a move, renovation and French admin to take over your entire life and even your relationship.</p><p>I also talk about the culture shock of moving to France, including the little social rules that can catch newcomers out, from saying bonjour and doing la bise to understanding why French people interrupt, wag their fingers and don’t necessarily mean to be rude.</p><p>And finally, we get to one of the biggest lessons of all: patience. French opening hours, August holidays, bank-holiday weekends, builders, paperwork and the general French approach to work-life balance can test even the most laid-back newcomer.</p><p>The good news? Most of these things can be anticipated, planned for and, eventually, laughed about.</p><p>If you’re planning a move to France or you’ve already made the move and are wondering why nobody warned you about some of this, this episode is for you.</p><p>And thank you, as always, to our long-term sponsors Fab French Insurance for supporting France Made Simple.</p><p>And as promised - here’s the link to my fabulous hairdresser! </p><p>https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61580217764838</p><p><br></p>