Prepping for move from Calif./Looking to make friends in advance

Moving to or from France
1

I’m a Californian heavily researching for a move and looking at towns of Excideuil and Belves. My French is good, but I’d love to meet some English-speakers in the region before moving. Also looking at Mayenne/Normandy region pending a scouting trip next year. May not have a car for a while and would like a small but still vibrant town with weekly market, hopefully creative options (I’m a writer and artist). Would also love to chat with those still in U.S. also prepping for a move so we can share progress.

2

Hello @PBroussard and welcome to Survive France.

We have quite a few members not all that far from your “target” towns and they will probably reply later.

I live in Normandy, but not the Mayenne, but there are quite a number of English speakers (and Americans!) in the Villedieu-les-Poeles area of southern Manche. Villedieu is known for its artistic bent but whether it would be too small-scale for you, I don’t know.

3

There is an American family already living in Excideuil I think they run a coffee shop in the center of town

4

A bit of a curveball, but north Allier is very arty, including from the US. Lively towns such as Moulins and Montluçon, very rural if you want solitude. The sea is a bit far away though!

6

Oh that’s great! I will keep that in mind.

7

I am pretty much settled on Excideuil and now looking for a house in the village center as well as trying to make some connections in advance.

8

Visiting with family in Texas at the moment but when we get back I will try to find you some contacts

9

Thank you so much! Very much appreciated!

10

I’m American. I live in the Charente.
There seem to be several Excideuils in France, one of which is about an hour or so away from us.

Good luck with your move.

11

Thanks. Yes, this is the village simply called “Excideuil” alone.

12

To avoid confusion in France, where there’s often several places with the same name, it’s worth adding the département number (first two digits of the zip code)

13

Yes, thanks. This is in Dordogne, 24.

14

Our second home is 5 K from Excidieul. Lots of anglophones in the area ( far more than we expected when we bought 10 years ago). The weekly market is good and there is a thriving choir as well as ‘bands’ who gig in the area. We like the proximity to historic sites, Lascaux Caves etc but with fewer tourists in our neck of the woods.