The Connexion 250 - August 2023 e-Paper | Subscribers can find their copy in My Account
What's inside this month’s edition?
On the front page
'Data kiosks' to be put at borders for entry checks
Tech solution is part of efforts to reduce travel delays. Tablets have also been ordered for ferry passengers to give information
‘Proof of life’ certificates for retirees under review to go online
Currently certificates are posted to UK state pensioners in France to confirm they are still alive and, therefore, that their pension is still payable
French news explained
Rules and changes in France affecting residents and second-home owners
PLUS
Second-home owner survey
More than 700 responses: topics covered include selling up, visas, monthly budget for French trips and more
Fraud victim told she filed complaint too late for money to be returned
A reader tells how she has been left €4,000 out of pocket after a fraudster stole the identity of her builder in France
Advances made towards a French asthma vaccine
Developed in Toulouse, the vaccine diminishes the severity of allergic asthma attacks in mice and opens the way for clinical testing on humans
Fibre rollout in France
Where is it up to, which areas are now covered, what speeds to expect and what are the issues
France sets its sights on full employment
Figures for the first quarter put the unemployment rate at 7.1% but the country’s labour minister insists they can be lower still
'Over-tourism' issues and southerners go north to escape heat'
How France plans to cope, especially with the added pressure of those in the south holidaying in north to escape excessive heat
Guilt about moving away from family
Suffering ‘expat guilt’ over the family and friends you’ve left behind? See our tips for coping strategies
Profile off-pitch
Leading French footballer Kylian Mbappé
Comment: Is it really offensive to refer to ‘the French’?
The Associated Press Stylebook previously got into trouble for saying it is - but do you agree?
Make sense of regional languages
There are dozens of regional languages in France and they are often a source of pride despite a lack of official recognition
President Macron’s tax policies benefit more than big business
Efforts to make France more competitive have been extended to tax relief for ordinary households
How to spot industrial pastries
Not all pastries and desserts found in French bakeries are freshly made - how can you tell the difference?
The ‘postman’ changing the world one letter at a time
Vincent Berthelot cycles across France delivering ‘important but not urgent’ messages by hand
France first-hand: VAEs
Validation des Acquis de l'Experience. How to convert your professional experience into a recognised qualification in France and a real-life experience of doing it
More from the August issue
- Language: Why mastering French idioms is worth the effort. Plus, the surprising allure of French grammar
- Everyday life: 14 things you can do at a local tabac apart from buy cigarettes
- Consumer: Large chains still refuse to join repair bonus scheme
- Food and drink: Five things they don’t tell you about wine in France
Practical advice and updates for living in France
- Help to find good insurer for a French holiday home
- France can be a 'tax haven' for retirees moving to France
- Make your own moustiquaire for a mozzie-free summer
- New warning over renovation scams
- Must I revoke French will after selling my house?
- Does lack of pool safety equipment leave me exposed to fines?
- Tenant or landlord: Who pays what when renting out a French property long term?
Our financial writer answers your money queries on page 33
You can find more information on managing your money in France in our Money and Tax section on pages 33 and 34, and online
Reader questions answered
- How do you pay a free-flow motorway toll in a rental car?
- Why do towns need permission to raise tax on second-home owners?
- How much do we pay for cataract surgery in France?
- Why do the French say Pékin and not Beijing?
- Do I need to change the address on my driving licence to receive speeding fines?
- Is it legal to use a VPN to watch TV in France?
Subscribers can also find answers to reader questions in the 'Your Questions' section online.
French Living
‘Musée du Débarquement - the D-Day museum in Arromanches (Calvados)
As the number of survivors from WW2 dwindles we speak to the director of the museum about how to keep the memories alive
Climate change and the winemaker
Our writer looks at how dry weather affects a vigneron’s work and the finished wine
Charles Meryon’s Paris in black and white
Art historian Dr Julia Faiers shines a light on Charles Meryon, a little-known artist whose etchings captured the essence of 19th-century Paris
Inspirational potagers: grand designs and rich pickings in the Loire Valley
Château de Rivau and Château de Valmer: visit their magnificent vegetable gardens this month