Moving to France – what we wish we had known

Some time ago, we asked readers to tell us what they wish they had known before moving to France. The Connexion readers shared a variety of experiences; here are a couple that stood out: 

Driving

Dear Connexion, 

One thing that surprised me about moving to a rural area in France is just how much driving I do.

My friends live anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour away, church is a 30-minute drive, and the nearest large shopping centres are at least an hour away.

Even though fuel costs are high, I still find myself driving frequently.

A.M.

Patience

I wish I had known how long administrative procedures can take in France. Registering a UK car here is particularly difficult, almost impossible, especially when the DREAL (Direction Régionale de l'Environnement, de l'Aménagement et du Logement) is involved.

There were no problems before Brexit, but now it’s a very different story.

J.B.

Driving licence

We moved here in June 2024. My UK driving licence expired in October 2025. I applied for a French licence at the end of August, and I’m still waiting.

In the meantime, I can’t drive and we live in the countryside, where having a car is essential. It’s incredibly frustrating.

Moral: Make sure your UK licence has plenty of time left before you move, and apply for an exchange as soon as possible. Nowhere does it warn you that the process can take months.

S.R.

French bureaucracy 

What do I wish I had known? Well, French bureaucracy is the main one. Why have just one piece of paper when you can have ten? That said, once you accept that it’s the French way, it becomes less of a problem.

I now drive about half the annual mileage I did in the UK, probably because we didn’t buy a house in the middle of nowhere. There’s so much useful information available—through The Connexion, the French government website, and the British embassy—that with just a little research, potential problems can often be avoided.

Bringing a UK car, unless it’s a collector car, is usually pointless, it’s often better to buy a French car with the steering wheel on the right side. I know of people caught out by an expired UK licence, but my experience is that persistent follow-ups with ANTS by email usually do the trick.

The overriding thing is this: France isn’t the UK. 

A.S

If you have your own experience to share, you can send feedback here: feedback@connexionfrance.com