10 unusual pros and cons of living in France

After 20 years of living and working in France, I feel “qualified” to give you an insider’s view of 10 unusual pros and cons of living in France.

There would be very little value in me going over the usual points to be found in a list of the pros and cons of living in France, so instead I’m going to focus on some more unusual ones that have really stuck with me in my 20 years of living in France.

Pros

1. Native English speakers are in high demand

If you are a native English speaker and are looking for a way to get employment in France, native English speakers, especially ones with an English as a second language teaching certificate (ESL, TEFL, TESOL, etc.), are in higher demand than ever.

Due to the nature of French higher education English is mandatory in many undergraduate degree programs, and many institutions are private which gives them a slightly more relaxed view to hiring new English teachers.

Pre-Brexit France was swarming with British expats trying out life in France, and many of them became ESL teachers. It was fairly easy as there was no visa needed, or work permit.
Since Brexit, (well done UK – really not) the number of British expats looking to teach English in France has diminished and this presents opportunity for the motivated.

Be aware, post-Brexit it is more difficult for British expats, but still relatively easy, especially if you set up as self-employed.

You can find out more about how I got started ESL teaching in France in this article.

If you don’t want to teach English in France and you have a particular skill you may be able to find work in your field where they need a native English speaker, but you will find it difficult if you don’t speak French already (see cons).

2. Holidays are sacred

Yup, not just a cliché, the French take holidays really seriously, this includes in employment law. The minimum number of days you will get if you have a CDI contract is 5 weeks, and often can be more. In my last position I had a total of 6 weeks plus public holidays, and some of my friends have jobs where they get 9 weeks off in all!

One hidden con here though, if the public holiday falls on a weekend, it isn’t carried over to the following Monday (as in the UK) or the Friday before (as in the US). You can’t have it all I guess.

3. Some of the most accessible mountain biking in the world

I started mountain biking about 25 years ago in the UK and was always a little bit frustrated by the lack of right of way in some areas of the country and the attitudes of walkers generally to mountain bikers. This has led unfortunately to UK mountain biking becoming more trail-centered, which is fine but tends to be less “wild” and not always on your doorstep.

In France most regions have multitudes of marked trails and rights of way open to both MTBers and walkers, and there is a healthy level of respect and courtesy from both sides.

Oh, and did I add how peaceful some of these trails are?

4. Affordable skiing for families

I recently went skiing for the first time since arriving in the US in one of the Lake Tahoe region’s many ski stations. It was great – once I had got over my initial heart attack paying for the lift passes (165 dollars per adult!) Fortunately it was just my wife and I skiing that day, if my kids had joined us, I would have been ruined.

France has a great outlook on making sports accessible as family activities and there are many ski resorts that cater to family budgets and still offer great skiing. For example the La Plagne resort in France’s Savoie region has adult lift passes at around 60 euros a day (prices correct at time of writing)!

5. Nobody expects you to be on time

Odd one this, but no need to panic if you are late for a dinner invitation, or turn up 5 minutes after the Zoom meeting has started.

I am being a bit sweeping here because for things like job interviews and government agency appointments, it’s still best to be on time. What I’m trying to say is that in everyday social situations, the cultural conventions in France are not as hardline on lateness as Anglo-Saxon ones, and sometimes that’s a good thing.

Cons

1. Nobody is ever on time

If you are the kind of person who is a stickler for punctuality (i.e. British), you may find the French habit of not being on time a bit perplexing (and annoying). I certainly did at first, especially if I had another appointment to get to; pick the kids up from school, get to work, etc.

Just learn to accept it, and try and plan accordingly. Remember, it’s all about acculturation.

2. You need to learn French quick

Even if you get employment teaching English in France, you are going to need to speak French to deal with your employer, government agencies, contractors, estate agents and even just the local baker.

There are cities where you may come across higher concentrations of French speakers of English (Paris and Lyon for example) but just because someone knows how to speak English, doesn’t mean they will. The French are very proud of their language and expect you to learn it – and rightly so.

You will learn quickly once you are living there, but make sure you have rudimentary French skills to get you through the first months, otherwise it’s going to be tough.

3. Administration processes are stressful to say the least

Archaic is the word that comes to mind when thinking of French administration processes.

Although recent years have seen government agencies modernizing by putting place online services to process requests (passport renewal, driver’s license, etc.) many of the sites just don’t work well and many administration requests still require the sending of paper documents or government approved photos.

And, as with all government agencies, mistakes can happen. When they do, don’t expect a quick resolution or an apology, you will probably just have to start all over again…

To avoid complications, always take extra copies of documents to government appointments, even take relevant documents that aren’t requested – more often than not they will ask for a document that wasn’t listed (I speak from experience here).

4. Worst drivers in the world (some of them at least)

Some may say Italy, some West coast Americans, but trust me France wins here. The French win because of their sheer lack of anticipation or rationale when driving. Here are some of the key behaviors you should be on guard for;

• Gaps of more than 1 meter between a french driver and the car in front are not permissible it seems. Do not brake suddenly unless you want a Renault Clio parked in your boot…

• Roundabouts and traffic circles are also interesting experiences as the purpose of the French driver is to speed up on entering the circle so as to discourage other road users from daring to enter.

• You should also pay attention at traffic lights as if you remain stationary for more than 0.5 seconds after the light turns green, you will be treated to a symphony of car horns behind you.

It’s not just car drivers that behave badly, motorcyclists in France have one of the country’s most powerful lobbies, and behave accordingly…

5. Closed on Sundays

This may not be a con for some, but for many it’s quite inconvenient not being able to do anything but the most rudimentary shopping on a Sunday.

You can get bread and go to the supermarket on a Sunday morning and that’s it. Malls, high street stores, garages, and most other commercial ventures are shut on Sundays and this isn’t going to change any time soon.

So there you have it, 10 of the more unusual pros and cons of living in France.