10 reasons why France could be a good relocation choice

In my last post, I shared with you the reasons that made me leave France in 2023, my perceptions and conclusions about life after relocation. So you are probably wondering why a French person who lives in the US is willing to help you on your relocation plan outside the US and trying to present a country she left?

Well, I would say that leaving your country makes you look at it in a new way, depending why you left it, in what state of mind you were, if you flee or not, if you had a terrible experience there and who you left behind. I personally did not flee France, we as a family, wanted a new experience that would open our minds, we wanted our children to speak a second language (and even a third if possible). We had a pretty positive experience in France even though we were critical of certain aspects. It is my nature, I am also critical about my parent’s country (Guinea), and I have an opinion on the US now that I live inside. I know that everything is not perfect anywhere, so I try too be fair with every place that I am speaking about.

Since the recent political events inside the US, and as a former journalist who always analyses what is happening, I am aware that more and more people in this country think about leaving it for several reasons that have to do with who they are, what value they believe in and if it aligns or not with the actual regime leading this country. As someone who as lived over 40 years in France, I feel legitimate to speak about life in Europe and France (which is the country that I know the most), and having been through relocation, I am also legitimate to speak about how to organize this special type of move. So here are the 10 reasons that might have you consider France in your potential exodus plans.

1.        France is a modern country that is central in western Europe, with all the commodities available for a modern-day lifestyle comparable to what exists in the USA. Its geography and size provides many advantages: You find every type of landscapes and environments (sea, mountains, forest, countryside), big, medium, small cities and villages. Its old colonial empire have lead to migrations movement that makes it a very multicultural country, with populations coming from Asia, the Caribbean region, Middle-East, Sub-saharian and Northern Africa. Its capital, Paris, is one of the first tourist destination in the World.

2.        After World War II, France created one of the best social system that allows its population to benefit from almost free healthcare, protection against job loss, retirement plans, and many other social measures that make life easier to its citizens and residents. The downfall is that it rises the cost of work with social taxes. But when you experience a country where this doesn’t exist, you value the generosity of this system that allow people to be taken care of when they are sick, or unemployed, whether they have money or not.

3.        If there is one thing that France is celebrated for, it’s the “Cuisine”, our cooking tradition with our reknown chefs. It infuses everything that we eat, and even the quality of the food available in supermarket. I knew when I moved that I was going to miss this aspect, but I didn’t imagine how much. When I connect with French expatriate in Miami, we share our tips on where to find the best croissant, the best baguette, or anything related to food. When you live in France, you don’t have to worry about it. Good food and good ingredients are available everywhere. And you can also enjoy multiple food traditions, not only the French one. You find great Asian, Arab or African food in every big or medium size cities. And the price is much more affordable than what we find here in the states. It is part of our “art de vivre” (way of life). We are known to organize endless lunch on Sundays, we take time for that. And our legendary “aperos”, which is a random occasion to share a little bit of food and drinks before the real dinner, makes it easy to connect with local people, because you get more easily invited to aperos than to formal dinner or lunch.

4.        Cultural life: In our art de vivre, the event dimension is important: going to the theater, cinema, concert, museums, bookstores, exhibitions, those are things we value a lot in France. Our cultural life is fairly affordable and there is always something happening, even in rural regions. We also have cheaper prices for students or elderly people in museums.

5.        One thing I noticed when moving to Miami, the cost of life is much higher than I had anticipated, probably because I came right at the period when real estate went wild (because of New-Yorkers moving in Miami and making prices rise). Paris is considered an expensive city, but it’s nothing compared to major American cities. And when it comes to buying groceries or other expenses such as car insurance, healthcare… it is twice to three time as expensive as in France. I could easily say that you can afford with 4000 euros the same lifestyle in Paris than with $10000 in a major American city. It is something to consider when you evaluate salaries in Europe. It may look short compared to what you can earn in the US. But you have to consider than you don’t make the same expenses there. I spend 50% more in groceries in the US than in France, for quite the same eating habits. I spend 4 times more in car insurance in the US compared to France. My phone and internet cost me 3 times what I would pay in France. My rent is 2.5 to 3 times what I would pay in France. For everything related to health, I pay 7 times what I would pay in France for private insurance and when I go to the doctor, I still have to pay 3 to 5 times what I pay in France.  Electricity and water is approximatively equivalent to France. The only thing cheaper is gas for the car. And you work a lot more in the US compared to France. So it is something to remember because the quality of life is equivalent.

6.        France has an excellent regional and international transport system that allows you to fly, take the train or drive to many major European cities. Paris is at 1 to 1.5 hour by plane to cities like London, Rome, Berlin, Brussels, Madrid or Barcelona. That means a lot of different countries with great traditions and fantastic food are accessible, even for a quick week-end.

7.        Every major and medium cities have a good reliable local transport system. People are not depending on driving a car to be able to go somewhere. In general, outside Paris and big cities like Marseille or Lyon, there is often a minimum of one car in each family, but people can do without owning 2 to 3 cars, depending on where they live. It is generally affordable.

8.        The majority of schools and universities are free in France. Of course, private school are available, but the cost is much more affordable than university cost in the US. School level tends to be less homogenous than it has been, so in general it is better to study in the center of cities than to study in the suburbs. You can also find international schools with many courses in English, but the general school level is quite good, even if it used to be better back in the day. And when you work, you accumulate learning credit that allows you to get on-going education during your professional life (for free).

9.        For those who work in tech, France has a quite dynamic tech ecosystem where it is possible to find interesting jobs or start-up funding. Speaking English may be seen as something very valuable in that environment. It may also be a good way to build a professional network.

10.  Paris in particular is a multicultural city. As New-York or London are, Paris has a long story of becoming the home of people from all over the world. It is also the case for Marseille, the second greatest city in France. So if you have diverse background, it will be easy to find people that look like you and with whom you may share some type of experience, even if it is different to be from the Caribbean or from Africa, than being African-American. There is a bond nevertheless. This dimension is probably important to nurture a sense of belonging and feeling welcome. There are probably places in Europe where is it more difficult to feel totally welcome with this type of background. It doesn’t mean that racism doesn’t exist in France, it does. But we also have this long welcoming tradition that lead to James Baldwin or Josephine Baker coming to Paris during Segregation in the US. It may be something to consider in an exodus plan.

I hope it will help you in your choice for future destinations outside the USA. If you need more insights, don't hesitate to download our free guide from our homepage, and to book a consultation with me for more precise elements.

Speak soon

Bilguissa