Moving to France

Top tips on how to fit into a French community

When you first move to France it can be quite daunting to mix with your new community. The assumption is that it is easy to learn the language by simply living in France and you will meet other like-minded people. Sadly this is not always the case.

The chances are you will limit yourself to just talking to your family most of the time, with the occasional ‘merci’ to a shop assistant. You will probably overhear other English speaking voices, however, this does not necessarily mean you will become friends with them.

Below are five top tips about how to fit into your new French community.


    Attend local classes, no matter how small or large your community is, there will be some sort of class. You will be able to find a local class that you are interested in, enabling you to meet people with similar interests to yourself. This is a fun way to get to know the locals.

    Use local businesses whenever possible, this can be frustrating trying to explain what you need; however, your local community will appreciate the business. There are also potential benefits for using local businesses.

If you have children send them to a French school. Children find it easier to pick up the language, this also gives you the opportunity to meet other parents, attend social events at school and get involved in fundraising activities.

    Shop locally whenever possible, even though France has lots of shopping centres just like the UK, part of the delight of living in France is using local produce. Using local shops will give more of a personal service also giving you the opportunity to pick up phrases.

    Learn the language, try to speak French as much as you can, avoid the habit of asking people if they speak English. French people appreciate when you try to speak French, even if you get it wrong. Listen to how people talk and you will learn the natural way of speaking French.


If you take the above tips into consideration, embrace village life and you will be welcomed into your new French community with warmth.

Moving to France