Removals to France: Top Destinations for British Expats

If you are arranging removals to France, you will have a whole host of reasons for wanting to move there – and these differ dramatically from one person to another. However, one of the motivations for moving to France, rather than elsewhere in Europe, is because it is just across The Channel so it is easy to return to see friends and family.

Hamiltons Removals offer high quality full or part load removals to France and we can also arrange specialist transportation for pets, horses, vehicles and even machinery or other similar equipment. Whatever your request, our dedication to customer service means we provide removals to France tailored to suit your requirements.

We receive regular requests for removals to France and most people who relocate here agree that it is a beautiful place to live with an incredibly diverse landscape: from the dramatic scenery of the French Alps to the glamorous Riviera. If you are considering removals to France, here we shall look at some of the most popular places for British expats to settle in France and why.

Removals to France – click here to find out more about our removals to France service.

Where British Expats Like to Settle in France

Recent statistics have shown that there are more than 135,000 British expats currently living in France and a third of these are pensioners. Big towns and cities are the most obvious places for British people to move to, but there are also Brits living in some of the more isolated and remote areas of France. Here we shall take a look at some of the most popular destinations for removals to France.

Three Most Popular City Destinations:

Paris

Paris is the top destination for British expats. It is thought that some 15 per cent of British people who buy property in France buy in Paris and more than 8,000 Brits have taken up permanent residence in the capital.

So what is the appeal of Paris? Apart from being a fantastic tourist destination and home to some of the Europe’s most visited attractions (The Eiffel Tower and The Louvre for instance) it is also where many people settle as part of a job move and it can be a great spot for a second home.

Be warned however; as with many European capital cities property prices in Paris are high and can be as much as £7,500 or more per square metre for property in the 1st arrondissement and around £5,000 a square metre if you are looking to buy in the 10th arrondissement.

Lyon

Lyon is within easy reach of Paris and Marseille – in fact it is between the two – so it is a popular place for British expats to settle. Paris is just a one hour and 55 minute train ride on the TGV and Marseille is one hour and 40 minutes.

Lyon is seen as the culinary capital of France and is the second most innovative city in the country, which are a few reasons why the city is so appealing. Some of the main industries here are banking, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, video games and it is also a prime choice for international businesses in France.

Property prices in Lyon are on average a third less than prices in the capital, which is another reason why it is such an appealing destination.

Strasbourg

Strasbourg is perhaps best known as the seat of the European Parliament. It is a beautiful place to live and work and is the capital of the Alsace region, on the border with Germany.

If you are moving here, settling in Strasbourg is less difficult than in other areas as you will find various monthly events organised for the English speaking community and this gives you the opportunity to meet with other expats. 

Prices for rental accommodation is about £380 for a one bedroom apartment in the city centre and about £320 for the same outside the city centre.

Popular Regions for British People to Settle in France

Midi Pyrénées

Just over 13,000 Brits have settled permanently in the Midi Pyrénées area of France. It is a mainly rural area in south of France and is the largest region in the country ­- larger than Switzerland. 

It covers as many as eight departments including Tarn, Tarn-et-Garonne, Lot and Haute-Garonne and Hautes-Pyrénées. However, a third of the population in the Mid-Pyrénées live in the metropolitan area of Toulouse, which is the capital of the region.

The average house price in this part of France is about £150,000, although property prices can start from just over £100,000 for an apartment in the cheapest department in the region, Ariège.

Aquitaine

This is another region bordering Spain, in South West France. It comprises five departments including Lot-et-Garonne and Dordogne. The region’s capital is Bordeaux, an area known for its fine wines and you will find many vineyards in this area where you can sample the local produce.

If you like fine food you will find plenty of this in the Aquitaine region as foie gras and truffles are among the specialities. And, with an average of 2,200 hours of sunshine a year, it’s easy to see why many Brits choose to settle here. The average property price in this area is about £170,000.

Poitou-Charentes

Poitou-Charentes is above Aquitaine in West France and nearly 13,000 British expats live here. It has 450km of coastline and is the sunniest region in France. Most of the region is rural and even the old city of Poitiers, which is the capital of the region, has a population of just 100,000. You can expect to pay an average of £200,000 for property in Poitou-Charentes.

Brittany

Brittany is situated in North West France and its capital is Rennes. It has long been a holiday destination, not only among the Brits, but the French too, and there are a number of French people with second homes here.

If you require removals to France to settle in Brittany, property prices can start from as little as £40,000 if you want to renovate an old building away from the coast.

Removals to France – click here for full information on our removals to France service or click here for a free European removals quote.