Hi
Having lived here for 2.5 years, I would say, in no particular order:-
Bring with you/stock up on return trips:-
Tights (upwards of 鈧�7 here)
Jeye cloths or whatever you use to clean your worktop - the only thing available here is those Spontex things with an abrasive side and a spongey side
Nuts, if you eat anything other than cashews or almonds, v dear, and brazil nuts v hard to find
Books! French books v v dear, a paperback can cost 鈧�20
Anything electrical, especially white goods, v v dear here and not a huge amount of choice, though supermarkets (especially Auchan) sometimes have good deals
DIY materials and paint, ridiculously dear here, a Spanish builder I know finds it worthwhile to buy all his materials in Spain and bring them up for jobs here. Brits also regularly go back to the UK to buy their materials
Curry spices or sauces, the French simply don't eat spicy food, period
For bargains, go to:-
LeBonCoin, like an online Exchange and Mart, or EBay, but includes holidays, property, clothes, furniture, you name it, and covers the whole of France. Beware of the odd con though, people asking for money upfront, occasionally happens (ditto with your phone, cold calling cons are quite common)
The French don't do charity shops to the extent that the Brits do, but having said that, there is:-
My favourite, Emmaus, yes the charity, huge warehouses all over France, some better than others, but the bigger ones sell clothes, books, furniture, building materials, prams, bikes etc for a fraction of full price;
Croix Rouge, usually listed on "Pages Jaunes" online, great for cheap clothes
Secour Populaire, not so common but again good for clothes
And "vide-greniers, literally "emptying the attic", more than a car boot as people literally sell barn contents etc at these events. Most villages will have at least one a year, and you can buy a book listing the year's vide-greniers in your area (buy at the tabac)
French supermarkets usually stock fruit and veg in season, they're nothing like UK ones in terms of ensuring you can get fresh papaya all year round! Also, check packs very carefully, their stock control is not great and it's quite common to find in-date produce which is mouldy/rotten
Customer service is an almost unknown notion to the French.....someone help me out here if they think I'm wrong! ...but it's sadly quite common to be treated with less than courtesy and promptness if you have a problem/complaint
French car mechanics are notoriously macho and are known to ignore female car-owners and speak only to their partners
Yves Rocher have lots of shops and sell good cosmetics/toiletries, many either organic ("bio") or benzo-free. They have a loyalty card entitling you to discounts, and some branches also have in-house beauty salons
Good hairdressers are surprisingly hard to find, though there are hairdressers everywhere!
If you're on a budget, go for the "formule" in restaurants, usually very good value, typically a 3 course formule meal can cost from 鈧�9-18.
"Cafe gourmand" is lush! As a dessert, you get a coffee plus 3 little desserts
Very important - wherever you are, whatever the situation, always start a dialogue with a French person by saying "Bonjour"......especially in shops, the French regard it as very rude if you don't, they are far more concerned about saying Bonjour, than with please and thankyou. Even at supermarket checkouts, make sure to say "Bonjour" when it's your turn.....and try not to mind when the cashier has a chat with other customers, who then rummage in their bags to write a cheque!
Also....the French are generally upbeat, a bit proud, and cheerful....moaning is not de rigeur....and it is normal to flirt!
If you're feeling stuck/lonely, there's loads of expat websites/blogs/Facebook pages, LIFT (ladies in France together) on FB is great, AngloInfo is good and carries a lot of small ads, Survive France is another, plus most departements that have significant Brit populations, have their own Facebook selling/courses/exchange page
Writing cheques is still common practice, and proof of ID is not usually requested
Credit cards are not used very often, "carte bleue" is more normal (bank debit card)
While on the subject of banks, they are very wary of money laundering, so expect to be quizzed if large deposits are made in your account
If you have a French bank account, it will have a daily/weekly/monthly withdrawal limit, which the bank may not think to tell you, so be sure to ask
If you're looking to rent property, the usual tenancy agreement here with a French landlord, is for 3 years. French tenants have much more rights than the UK equivalent
And talking of property, check before signing on the dotted line, that you can get a) mobile reception and b) broadband, it's not universal
Bureaucracy....haha, the minefield here! Be sure to bring (as you will regularly need them) birth certificate, marriage certificate, obviously passport, and divorce, decree absolute certificate, the French love their forms ( which drive even the French mad....a French friend of mine had to complete a 20 page form to renew an Hgv licence.....)
The French generally like the Brits, and consider most of us to be extremely pleasant and polite, and they love our accents when we speak French.
They (mostly) love that we buy up their old decrepit stone houses and restore them, while they (often) prefer newbuild bungalows which are insulated against heat/cold, and are low maintenance
What they DON'T like - Brits expecting them to speak English automatically (itis France, not the UK, after all?); lack of respect for their food/mealtimes (12-14:00 is sacrosanct), and excessive drinking. In general, the French will drink to appreciate a wine, but won't have more than 2 glasses. They look askance on public drunkenness
If you want to impress your new French neighbours, invite them in for "aperos", this is an early evening aperitif, you can serve pretty much anything to drink, but in Poitou-Charente, "pineau" is the local (very strong) aperitif.....and they will expect lots to eat, and you need to serve enough for everyone to be able to eat quite a lot, even though you're not cooking a proper meal, be sure to do several plates of snacky things.....they will love this
When the French entertain, don't eat all day beforehand!! It is quite normal to get 5 courses!
French women are pretty much always on a diet, if you watch them closely at these blowout meals, they nearly always have a glass of sparkling water, and maybe 1 glass of wine, and they eat and drink very slowly (I didn't realize this initially, and piled on nearly a stone in less than a month)
The French LOVE crumble! And roast chicken......
They always eat dessert with a teaspoon
And, surprisingly, pizza - no shortage of pizzerias here, they prefer thin and crispy
Hope that helps! Good luck and bonne aventure! It's a great place! (Blimey, think I should write a guide!)
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