France Made Simple

Is France still affordable in 2026 and what should you budget if you’re planning to move in 2027? Well, affordable for whom? Living where? And doing what? In this episode of France Made Simple, I’m looking beyond bargain properties and inexpensive wine to explore what everyday life in France actually costs. From heating a large house to running a second car, paying for healthcare and visiting fami...

Moving to France isn’t all paperwork, language struggles and worrying about money. Sometimes it’s homemade ratatouille, freshly caught sea bass and a dog running around the bay lit up like a Christmas tree. In this episode of France Made Simple, I’m celebrating some of the everyday pleasures that make life here so rewarding. From growing our own vegetables and preserving the harvest to fishing in...

That gorgeous French farmhouse looks perfect online. But what can you actually do with it? And what’s happening in the field next door? This week, I’m joined by Philip, the software engineer behind French House Check, a tool designed to bring scattered property information together into a plain-English report. We talk planning restrictions, agricultural land, flood risks, septic tanks, energy effi...

That beautiful stone house might come with stunning views. But how far is the school, how much will it cost to heat, and are you about to become a full-time taxi service for your children? This week, I’m joined by my friend Natasha, who moved from Croydon to Normandy with three children aged thirteen, eleven and seven. We talk honestly about moving with older children, finding supportive schools,...

Need a French bank account but already stuck on the proof-of-address problem? Welcome to France. In this episode of France Made Simple, I explain what new arrivals need to know about French banking, from opening an account and gathering the paperwork to understanding your RIB, direct debits and the difference between immediate and deferred debit cards. We’ll look at traditional banks versus online...

That gorgeous French house might tick every box. But will you actually enjoy living there? In this episode of France Made Simple, I’m joined by Ben, who helps people moving to France find long-term rentals. We discuss why renting before buying can give you valuable breathing space, why securing a rental can be surprisingly difficult for newcomers, and how to look beyond the holiday dream to find s...

French home insurance is not quite as straightforward as you might expect, especially if you’re coming from the UK or another country with a different insurance system. In this episode of France Made Simple, Cat is joined by Fabien from Fab French Insurance to debunk some of the biggest myths surrounding French home and contents insurance. We look at what is legally required depending on whether y...

Moving to France can be an exciting new chapter but there are a few mistakes that can make the transition considerably harder than it needs to be. In this episode of France Made Simple, I run through five of the most common mistakes people make when they move to France and, as usual, I’ve made plenty of them myself so you don’t have to! We look at why you really do need to learn French (and why “I...

French Car Insurance: What You Really Need to Know Car insurance in France is one of those subjects surrounded by endless urban myths, conflicting advice and the inevitable “my friend down the road does it this way” stories. In this episode, I’m joined once again by Fabien from Fab French Insurance to cut through some of the confusion and explain how French car insurance actually works. We talk ab...

Buying a property in France can be exciting, romantic and, occasionally, a spectacularly expensive mistake… In this episode, I go back to one of the earliest topics I tackled on France Made Simple, finding a property in France, but with a rather different approach. After nearly 30 years of looking at French properties (and buying quite a few!) , I look at the five things you really shouldn’t do wh...

French health insurance can leave you facing a maze of unfamiliar terms, confusing reimbursement percentages and potentially expensive gaps in cover. Choose the wrong policy or misunderstand what it pays, and a hospital stay, dental treatment or even a pair of glasses could cost far more than you expected. So what exactly is a mutuelle? Is it private health insurance, or something different? What...

From playing Little House on the Prairie in a London garden to fishing for mullet in the Bay of Mont Saint-Michel… how exactly did that happen? In this rather more personal episode of France Made Simple, I tell the story of how a little girl growing up in Streatham, dreaming of ponies, vegetable gardens, chickens and a cottage in the countryside, eventually ended up living in rural France and, som...

If you’re moving to France with children, already living here, or simply trying to understand what happens when the long summer holidays finally come to an end… this episode is for you. In this 30-minute episode of France Made Simple, I’m taking a proper look at La Rentrée — how the French school year actually works, when children go back, what happens in those first few days, and all the things t...

This one’s a straight-up, no-filter Q&A. No polishing, no “France is perfect” fantasy, just me keeping it real! I’m answering your questions about what it’s actually like living here: financial woes, the weird social codes, the small-town dynamics, and the stuff people usually dodge because it’s awkward or not very Instagram friendly. I’m talking about the reality of certain expat pockets, the cli...

In this episode, I’m chatting with Julia a therapist who made the move to France three years ago—and hasn’t looked back, despite the inevitable challenges along the way…! This is a really honest insight into what it’s really like to rebuild both your life and career in a new country. Julia shares her personal journey of relocating to France including the realities of settling in, and how expectati...

Moving to France sounds straightforward—until your visa gets rejected! In this episode, I’m chatting to immigration guru (!), or immigration GP as he prefers to be known, Fabien from FAB FRENCH INSURANCE and we’re going through the most common mistakes that cause refusals, and more importantly, how to avoid them. From incomplete documentation to weak financial justification, small errors can have...

 Every year, people move to France looking for a better lifestyle. Some absolutely love it. Others quietly (or sometimes, not so quietly!) regret the decision. So what makes the difference? In this episode, I break down the 5 small (but critical) mistakes that can completely shape your experience of living in France—from finances and paperwork to language and choosing the right place to live. Bec...

Moving to France after 50 can feel like the start of something wonderful… until it doesn’t. Behind the dream, there can be quieter challenges—loneliness, loss of routine, language barriers, and the unsettling feeling of having to rebuild a life from scratch. In this episode — Your Best Life in France After 50: Staying Active, Social and Sane — I take a clear-eyed look at what it really takes to st...

What does it take to turn a simple idea into a product people genuinely rely on for recovery? In this week’s episode, I sit down with Ameline, the co-founder of Baume de Mont, a locally crafted cooling massage gel born near Mont-Saint-Michel. We talk about building a business from the ground up, the realities of launching in rural France, and how lifestyle, landscape, and love all shaped their jou...

Moving to France is often sold as a lifestyle upgrade—long lunches, beautiful villages, and a slower pace of life. And while all of that exists, the reality of building a life here is a bit more complex... In this episode, we’re taking off the rose (or should that be rosé !) tinted spectacles and looking at what it really takes to make a success of living in France long-term. Not just the logistic...

In this episode, we explore practical and realistic ways to make your French home more environmentally friendly, without losing its character or charm! From improving insulation in older properties to choosing sustainable materials, reducing energy consumption, and navigating eco-friendly upgrades in France, this episode breaks down what actually works. And of course, as ever I’m approaching this...

Taking down internal walls in a French property can transform your space—but it’s rarely straightforward. In this episode, we look at what’s really involved, from structural considerations to cleaning up the mess afterwards. And yes, that’s the worst part! A concise, practical reality check to help you plan smarter before you start swinging the hammer.

Designing a dream kitchen in a French home sounds idyllic—until you run into the realities of old stone walls, uneven floors, and workmen that move ant their own pace. In this episode, we break down what it actually takes to create a kitchen that works for modern life while respecting the character of a French property. From planning layouts and choosing materials to navigating French suppliers, a...

In this episode, I’m chatting to Ellen Hilton, a young American mum, who has made the leap across the Atlantic to start a completely new life in France. We talk candidly about the realities behind the Instagram version of expat life. She shares what surprised her most about raising a child in France, from cultural differences in pre-school and parenting styles to the practical challenges of health...

Navigating life in France is easier when you’ve got the right tools in your pocket. In this episode, we break down the most useful apps to have on your phone—from transport and banking to food delivery, healthcare, and everyday admin. Whether you’re a newcomer trying to decode the system or a long-term resident looking to streamline daily life, these apps can save you time, money, and frustration....