Where To Live In France

For many, the image of France and the image of Paris are one and the same…

Countless people have dreamed of moving to Paris over the centuries, and many hundreds of them have. Paris offers so many interesting neighborhoods to explore, and if your sights are set on the City of Light, no need to look any further, Paris won’t disappoint.

But France is so much more than her capital city…

Paris is only the beginning of this story. There’s good reason, after all, that tourists seek out France each year more than any other country on Earth—they don’t all stay only in Paris.

The regions of France can be generally divided into the following categories based on their geography:

• Mountainside Regions – Alps and the Pyrenees
• Oceanic Regions – Brittany, Normandy
• Continental Regions – Strasbourg, Paris, Versailles
• Central France Regions – Bourges, Lyon
• Southwest France Regions – La Rochelle, Aquitaine
• Mediterranean Coastal Regions – Provence, Occitanie, Corsica, Nice

If you’re looking to escape the capital, Pau, Carcassone, and Occitanie are three of our favorite regions that are worth a look. Pau is known for its gardens and affordable living. An inspiration for Walt Disney, the old-world enclave of Carcassonne is a picturesque place for history lovers and those who appreciate small town life. Occitanie, in the coastal region of southeastern France, is an oenophile’s Shangri-La.

The town of Dijon enjoys a lively atmosphere while avoiding the hassle, traffic jams, and the pollution usually associated with city centers. It’s a real city but retains a quaint, town-like charm, and its architecture is unique and well worth a visit. The Palais des Ducs et des Etats de Bourgogne is home to the Musée des Beaux-Arts and the market hall here is a wonder of glass and steel designed by Gustave Eiffel. If you enjoy shopping, food, culture and nightlife, Dijon has you covered.

The village of Carnac in Brittany is home to the seaside resort of Carnac-Plage, one of the most popular sites on this coast, with five beaches stretching for a total of nearly three kilometers. Saint-Colomban is a magnet for windsurfers and the area also offers a thalassotherapy center. (Thalassotherapy is a wellness regimen believed to have originated in Brittany utilizing sea water in hydrotherapy, seaweed wraps, and other applications.)

Burgundy offers many attractive bargains if an old stone cottage in wine country is your vision of life in France.