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181 points feraligators | 2 comments | | HN request time: 0.439s | source

I've long considered leaving this country for a multitude of reasons.

I'd be curious to hear some first hand experiences of those who've made the move to Europe and what you think of the process and considerations one should make.

A few questions to start the conversation:

- Where do you live?

- What's the biggest sacrifice you had to make (i.e. pay, housing, friends, etc.)

- What have you gained?

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BrandoElFollito ◴[] No.30073830[source]
How come nobody mentions France in the comments? :)

I am French but have been working 12 years for a very large US company , spent a lot of time in the US, go friends there - an witnessed/helped several Americans moving to France.

Salary and healthcare were already covered. The fact that over a 3 days drive across Europe you visit 4 or 5 countries with vastly different cultures is a big plus. And by vastly I mean really vastly. We've been in constant wars for 2000+ years and this created a very nice and specific melting pot + cultural differences.

School will be very different. In France you will have a more formalized way of education (which is not a good thing), but also a very liberal one. Children will be drinking tap water starting at kindergarten and and stay like this their whole life. They won't (usually) go to school on Wednesday.

The office will be less politically correct. You will have people discussing politics and religion - though this became less outspoken the last 10 years or so.

You will have good baguettes and average bread - but still eons better than the average US bread.

Bureaucracy is mcu better than the stereotype. But not good either. You have to learn the power of the "pffff" sound you make with your eyebrows up - which means "I understand that this is the rule, but you know, I have to do/get/send that and it is a huge problem if I don't". Many foreigners foolishly assume that a "no" means "this is not possible".

See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pae2AMnmUVA for the more scientific approach to how to be French when you are not.

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1. scsilver ◴[] No.30074099[source]
How's southern France for long term tourists/expats? Would love to hear your thoughts.
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2. BrandoElFollito ◴[] No.30083517[source]
I am not a big fan of southern France so I am biased.

PROS

- the weather if you like hot weather. It can be quite windy, but going for a picnic on the beach in February has its nice aspects

- there is a techhnopole at Sophia-Antipolis where they hire on a regular basis

- skiing: the Alps are close, or the Pyrenées - depending on where you are

- the views are really nice and vary a lot

CONS:

- the weather, it is too hot :)

- road communication is complicated, public transports are not great either

- prices of housing are high (depends on the place, obviously)

My preference would be places such as Nantes or Rennes (western part of France), or the western coast of the Atlantic (below Brittany: Charente Maritime, Vendée, ...)