As someone contemplating a move to France, I’d be curious to hear what’s great about your particular area. (Am currently trying to narrow down potential search areas. All information welcome.) Can be limited to discussion at département level if you don’t want to be too specific in identifying your location.
Thanks all 
Everywhere. 
So much depends on what you are looking for and what stage you are in your life - tranquil countryside or lively town/city or near the sea or near stunning views or easy access back to UK or hot, hot, or temperate or steeped in history or good local community or away from the madding crowd or move on a budget or have a project or, or … And of course it doesn’t have to be or, or, but and, and, and.
We’re retired, been here 15 years in a large old farmhouse in Lot et Garonne countryside but only 10 minutes drive from a local town that offers us everything. We chose this part of Franc e as not having extremes of weather or being too expensive and being reasonably accessible back to the UK. (NB: the climate is changing so the weather thing is less certain now, as everywhere.) We’re surrounded by rolling hills, woodland, and beautiful gentle views, no near neighbours , lots of land (which we couldn’t afford in the UK) lots of wildlife, especially birds of all kinds, so we have beautiful tranquillity that every day feeds the soul. We are in a part of France that is not expensive or too touristy (but enough to get business for our gite) and not overrun with Brits, but enough to give us a couple of close friendships plus French acquaintanceships. 2 hours from the sea for when I need a day on the beach. 3 - 4 hours from mountains. In an ideal world I’d like to be nearer to sea and mountains but they are within easy reach. Otherwise, just bliss. And, we are under the flightpath of the cranes.
As @SuePJ suggests, what is “best” will depend on you.
Climate; cultural life; countryside, hamlet, village, town, city; size of commune; type of commune; size (or lack) of expat community; availability of healthcare are some of the things you should be considering.
If you’d like to tell us more about yourself, then the advice will be better!
The best bit of France is, well, the French!
We spent years touring France… looking for “that special place”…
France is so vast and varied… the quest went on and on.
Finally, we bought a second-home within xyz hours of Calais/tunnel and decided that would do as a launchpad when we finally retired and wanted to find our “forever home”.
Well, years later, we’re still here, in that erstwhile second home … seems we hit it lucky… and wouldn’t change a thing, let alone go trotting off to live elsewhere… not fulltime.
We love touring France/Spain/Portugal et al… but coming back home is always the best part of any trip/holiday… Covid stopped us touring, but merely meant we got even more involved in local life than before (if such is possible)…
We’re all so different, other Brits might be horrified at our quaint/quiet (very French) village life… but it suits us just fine…
But even then, there is lots of variation across France - accent, culture, interests, character, attitudes. A Breton de souche and a Provençal and an Alsacien will likely have very different traits. Not to mention a Parisien.
I haven’t laid out a wishlist or too much about myself as I didn’t want to restrict responses - I’m happy to hear all brain burps about your corner of heaven whatever they may be
PS I’ll probably share a bit more once I’ve caught some of your very welcome responses
Oh, I think we definitely should mention “a Parisien”.
My grandmother was a Parisien, cultured, highly educated and the kindest soul one could wish to meet. 
Since we’ve been here full time, we have formed many friendships with folk who live and/or work in and around Paris. They are longsuffering re my accent and language skills and extremely kind and thoughtful.
We’ve enjoyed their hospitality and been glad to reciprocate when they’ve dropped down South…
Just like everywhere else… Folk in Paris (Parisiens) come in all shapes/sizes/behaviours… 
let’s not tar them all with the same brush… please.
I spent a year in Paris for my French/Spanish degree and certainly met all types. The hugely abrasive and the very kind. In that sense, people everywhere are the same.
Many thanks for your thoughtful reply.
I have a list of nine départements under consideration, Lot et Garonne being one. I like the look of the towns along the Lot between Fumel and Cahors. I do like uppy-downy countryside with views and river valleys. I currently live in the UK within a half hour’s drive of the seaside but never go there!
Although I love the look of a lot of French countryside, I’m thinking more along the lines of being in a moderate-sized town for the practicalities of life. The great views will hopefully be but a short drive away!
Climate is certainly a big consideration. I’d love to be able to grow more than I can here in the UK, but it’s even been unusually dry where I am now, and I’ve heard all about the drought situation in regions of France (Gironde wildfires, etc).
Being a train journey away from Spain and Italy, as well as exploring France itself has a lot of appeal. Access to the UK not so much, I’m trying to get away from it! 
Settling on a suitable location is the tricky bit.
The bit I’m in.
Manche Departement is great as I’m not a huge fan of intense heat and would struggle, I think with anything south of the Loire.
The scenery is great - I’m half an hour from the sea and an hour gets me into Brittany.
The people are friendly and accepting and we have no intention of moving.
Downsides? Close to the UK and very full of Brits. Location has to be picked carefully so not too far from a good hospital - we’re half an hour each way from two.
Having spent many years criss-crossing France climate was the first consideration for us, as we wanted a continental climate with 4 distinguishable seasons not a mediterranean or oceanic one. But equally not too cold, so not above 1000m. So that cut out a lot of France.
We also wanted interesting topography and views, which ruled out more that for us is just too flat. And a lovely landscape.
Then we wanted access to the rest of the world, and the rest of France, so wanted to be within reasonable access of a city.
So we have ended up about equidistant from Lyon, Geneva and Dijon (Geneva is only 50km but with the mountain in the way takes as long.) And Italy & Germany are easy to get to - as is Switzerland of course!
In hindsight we should have selected the next but one village, rather than ours. So once you’ve found your area take time about the detail. Microclimate is important as overall climate, and the make-up of an town/village is critical. For out next move we will rent before we buy!
We have a maison secondaire in the Morvan national park. The area has been somewhat depopulated in the 20th century, meaning that unlike so much of the popular bits of France, there is very little new building going on, no estates springing up, and lots of managed woodland around. There’s a substantial number of homes in the village owned by other europeans, mostly Dutch, and the locals have made us generally welcome because we’re keeping their village alive and in good repair. Climate is remarkably similar to where we live in Oxfordshire! which is slightly disappointing, but unlike some areas water was much less of a problem last summer and it doesn’t get tremendously cold in winter.
There are other parts of France that are definitely prettier or more exciting, but it’s a nice place to stay, and possibly to live in time to come.
You might like up river from Cahors, where IMO the scenery becomes more varied and interesting, I think Figeac, the Lot’s sub-prefecture town on the Célé is a more attractive place than Cahors . We live about twenty minutes from Figeac alongside the Lot in the NE Aveyron and the surrrounding countryside is certainly uppy-downy and there are three major river valleys. Despite global warming the Aveyron remains very green even in mid- August, again in contrast to depts to the immediate south and west.
The Aveyron’s less well-known to Brits, possibly because of its distance from Calais, but its cheaper than the Dordogne. We often visit Spain, it’s an easy drive from here, leaving after breakfast, we can have lunch in Spain and be in Barcelona by mid-afternoon.
I have only lived in France 27 years which is a mere novice to some who write here.
Too areas BRITTANY near Rostrenen 10 years and the Lot near CAHORS 17 years.
By far for me Rostrenen is the top, Amazing local doctor speaking English, near the coast, the ferries, lovely walks on the canal banks
But its a personal thing, good luck.
absolutely!
We chose to build a new bungalow (Charente, 16) with retirement in mind in our late 50’s so everything we did had that requirement in mind - walk in showers easy care flooring and accesses for example.
Whilst now you may be ambulant (and I wish for that to continue for a long time to come) you must consider the future whilst you can.
We did, and are extremely pleased that we did so as age and decreasing health has taken its toll!
Whilst they can be extremely pretty, old stone houses can easily become a money pit!
I think a lot depends on what stage of life one is, as to what is important. The Morvan is quietly and undramatically lovely, but we found it had little active economy and lacked “life”. Ideal for a second home, but raises many questions as a permanent place to live.
Places that have a high percentage of second homes can be problematic for full time residents.
Definitely a good idea!
We moved during le confinement in '20 to beat the Brexit deadline. We wanted to be near Bordeaux due to its good transport links back to Blighty but hadn’t necessarily considered the Medoc beforehand (my OH is French but neither of us knew this part of the country beforehand). We didn’t have much choice other than to rent, but it worked out well for us as we have got to know the area very well over the past 2.5 years.
Would I recommend the Medoc to people looking to move to France? Maybe, but only as long as they’re happy living somewhere incredibly rural (albeit with great coastlines and a nice climate). It’s almost certainly not where we’ll buy our forever home, but it is convenient for us both for now.