British couple on why they moved to Alsace for more space and quality of life
Moving from Basel in Switzerland also meant their money would go further
Tom Smith, from Halifax, Yorkshire, and Julie Telford, from Edinburgh, moved to Basel, Switzerland, in 1991, after four years in Papua New Guinea. Tom, then a researcher in tropical disease epidemiology, was taking up a position as a statistician at the Swiss Tropical Institute, while Julie worked in a multilingual children’s library.
But 20 years ago, the couple realised that by moving just a few kilometres out of the city and switching countries, they could make their money go further.
“We moved one kilometre along the road and into France,” says Tom. “Our lives were still in Switzerland, but moving across the border allowed us to afford a house with a sizeable garden.”
The couple moved to Saint-Louis, in the Haut-Rhin department of Alsace, four kilometres from Basel. “We appreciate the climate here, with much more sun and warmth than miserable Yorkshire and Scotland. We spend time in our large garden, which is an attempt to emulate Giverny, and at the local pâtisseries, and in summer we swim in our local outdoor pools nearly every day,” says Tom.
They are also surrounded by the rich natural history of the Upper Rhine Valley, with the Jura Mountains, Vosges, Black Forest and Alps all “almost on our doorstep”, as well as picturesque Alsace wine villages.
The couple appreciate the global feel of living so close to two other countries.
“We love the international aspect of this location; we can still enjoy all the joys of French living. Germany, which is generally less expensive, is a short drive away, and the Swiss have kindly built a tram line that crosses the border into France less than 200m from our house and takes us directly to the centre of Basel’s amazing cultural offerings.”
One challenge of swapping countries was that it proved harder to learn French.
“Fluency is hard to achieve when you are surrounded by people speaking other languages,” says Tom, who volunteers in a nature reserve where he hears a host of different languages.
“Many of our neighbours are Italian; when working in the nature reserve, the language shifts seamlessly between French, Alsatian dialect and German.”
Another unexpected discovery was that, despite their history and attractive style – and being a common sight in Alsace – traditional half-timbered houses are not worth buying. “We first considered buying one, wondering why there were no British people moving here to live in them, until we realised that it is almost impossible to get tradespeople to work on renovations because the area is booming and there is much more money to be made from new construction.”
Integrating, Tom says, can be “challenging” in a medium-sized town. But he has made friends through volunteering at the nature reserve, while Julie volunteers at a library in Basel. They enjoy living close to their daughter and grandchildren, who also live in Basel.
The couple have noticed several major differences between living in France and the UK. “Having lived here for many years, we feel the quality of life is better here, not just for ourselves but for the people around us, too,” says Tom. “Each time we return to the UK, we feel that the difference has become greater, with more people in Britain struggling, becoming depressed or becoming cynical. Perhaps we are in a bubble of prosperity here in southern Alsace.”
And for British people considering moving to France, Tom advises moving sooner rather than later.
“The sooner you move here, the better. As we grow older, we increasingly appreciate the importance of having family close by; we wouldn’t recommend retiring here after a full working life in the UK, leaving family behind.”
