Nobody speaks English! (Living France)

Name: lellagrace

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Product:	Living France
Date:	26/07/07 (56 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Interesting magazine, for anyone who loves France

Disadvantages: None that I can think of

Been on holiday to France and would like to live there? Or do you just like all things French? If so then the magazine, Living France, could be very useful and interesting to you.

Published monthly the magazine is available at all major newsagents and costs 3.99 a copy. This is reduced if you subscribe and there are often special offers on with subscriptions. For example, last year when I took out my subscription there was a free book called The French Property Buyer's Handbook. Very useful - all I need now is to pluck up the courage to sell up in the UK and move there!!!!

The magazine is interesting to anyone who likes France, but as its title suggests, it is really aimed at those with a home there, or intending to move there.

Anyway, more about the magazine contents. It is a glossy magazine, but not too heavy and cumbersome. A list of the contents appears in the first few pages, with details also on the front cover of some of the features in that month.

There are regular features which appear every month. These include a readers' letters page, where readers comment on everything from commuting to buying a property in France.

Housing features largely in the magazine and there are often articles about where to buy and where property is a good investment. Estate agents specialising in French property also advertise in the magazine, offering homes to rent as well as those for sale.

Each month the magazine features a region or town of France and describes the area, what is there and what to do there. Sometimes this feature combines details of short break holidays, with adverts offering accommodation, so if you like an area it helps you book somewhere to stay.

There is a section dealing with legal aspects of living in France. This is particularly useful if you are moving there as inheritance laws, for example, are different from ours in the UK.

Every month there is a map of France in the magazine which shows the different departments, with their numbers. This is helpful as you may know the regions, but not the department numbers for each area within them. An alphabetical list helps locate the number for each area easily and the map is colour coded too. I have actually cut one out and laminated it, for easy reference as I travel to France quite often and it helps to know where I am going!

You could not mention France without saying something about their food and wine. There are often features about regional foods and wine, together with recipes. And there are sometimes articles about where to shop and what to buy. The French really take advantage of the seasonal foods and the magazine tells you about these too. Recipes feature in some of the regional articles, giving information about the specialities of each area.

Finance features in the magazine, with news about the exchange rate, where to bank, finance deals to help you with buying property and other useful information, such as tax.

If you want to work in the UK and live in France or set up a business in France, the magazine will be helpful as it often features articles on these topics. Sometimes there are features about ex pats who have set up in business or others who commute to and from the UK.

Maybe you are interested in sport. The Tour de France is a summer event and the magazine mentions where to go to see this. There are often articles on golfing, with details of the best golf courses.

Or maybe you just enjoy sightseeing and want to know where to go. The magazine covers everything from historical places to areas off the beaten tourist track. These features often include little known facts that you won't find in the usual tourist guides, so if you are going on holiday they are well worth reading beforehand.

For me the image of France conjures up a pretty rural village, found at the end of a quiet country lane, miles from anywhere and so peaceful. But for others the image may be a coastal resort. You can read about all these places in Living France and find out where you would like to go.

There are reviews on books and useful information about the language. It is no good going to France and then moaning that nobody speaks English!!!! French is the language of the country and everyone going there should make an effort to learn a few phrases at least! Of course if you are going to buy a property in France, or live there for a while, you will need more than a smattering of the language.

Every month Living France features an article about learning French. Often this takes up a particular theme, such as health care, where you can learn new vocabulary apart from the usual tourist phrases. There are also pieces with translations from English to French, which I find very useful as it helps with the language learning.

As the magazine is largely aimed at those intending to buy a property in France, there is lots of advice on this aspect. Over the last year these features have included everything from the initial contact with an estate agent, to the legal process and explain in great detail. Knowing about these things is essential if you are planning to buy in France. Useful vocab is also included to help you make sense of the property buying process.

The magazine does have a large proportion of adverts, everything from lawyers specialising in buying a property, to removal companies, language schools and learning materials to savings on cross channel travel.

Towards the back of the magazine the ads are mainly estate agents displaying the properties they have to offer. It can be a real eye opener to see just what you can buy for your money over there! Anyone living in a tiny terrace in the south of England could probably sell up and buy a chateau for the same amount in France! For anyone with the cash to invest in a second home or with building skills, there are some cheaper properties. I love reading the ads and one of these days I will go that step further and buy!!!!

Hope this review has been useful. If you love France then this magazine will certainly appeal.

Summary: If you love France, you will love this magazine