What is it like raising a family in rural France?

Family life is at the heart of everything in rural France and by choosing the right location for your family, you will have plenty to enjoy.

The long summer evenings, the conviviality of the village square with an atmospheric buzz as locals and tourists alike enjoy an apéritif and children of all ages run around after each other laughing to their hearts’ content… It’s enough to make anyone dream of leaving the hustle and bustle of a busy life and long commutes behind them in the hunt for a more relaxed lifestyle in rural France where family comes first, isn’t it? France represents in many ways an idyllic family life. Family is at the heart of everything here, particularly in rural France, and the French often spend their weekends savouring regional produce bought at a local market with extended family members. Bedtime is routinely much later here and children are regularly included in family gatherings, outings to restaurants or a visit to a local night market in the summer. The lengthy school holidays mean children can make the most of their time off school and enjoy other activities, like swimming and canoeing in the summer months or making new friends at the local centre de loisirs.

A new language and school

For many families with children who are thinking of relocating to France, education will be a top priority. Parents in this situation will likely have many questions and wonder how their children will adapt to a new school, language and culture. It’s important to know that, despite the differences, the education system in France has a very good reputation and an impressive literacy rate. There will be adjustments though: say goodbye to packed lunches and say hello to three course meals in the school canteen, gone will be the 3pm finishes as the French school days are much longer and after-school activities will require a new type of organisation! Most villages or their neighbours will likely have a school for younger children, this could be a maternelle - so, from ages three to six, or a primary school which accommodates ages six to eleven. The distances between home and school often means children are not within walking distance of their school. The likelihood of this increases when children head off to collège between ages eleven to fifteen, or lycée between ages fifteen to eighteen, as these establishments tend to be in larger towns and it isn’t uncommon for children to travel for up to an hour every morning and evening! The school days can therefore be quite long, but it is rare for children to have school all day on Wednesdays. Depending on their age and which school they attend, some children may not have school at all on a Wednesday whereas others may only have school during the morning. Your village mairie will be able to provide you with information about local schools and how to register.

One of the things that might surprise you is the list of school supplies you are given at the beginning of the school year. It’s an extensive list of notebooks, stationery, reading books and it may even include slippers and a toothbrush! Whilst you will likely be able to purchase these supplies in a large local supermarket, it might be the perfect opportunity to have a day out shopping in your nearest city. You may also need to stock up on back to school clothes as children in France don’t wear school uniforms, and even the slightly larger towns in rural France don’t tend to have shopping centres or high street stores like you would find in the UK. It isn’t really a case of popping to the shops here but more of a full family day out!

City shopping or traditional markets?

Cities like Angoulême, Périgueux, and Toulouse are all of a good size and offer a range of high street shops and independent boutiques for a nice day out shopping. The larger city of Bordeaux also offers excellent shopping facilities with several shopping centres on the outskirts of the city and wonderful city-centre shopping. Bordeaux is home to the longest shopping street in Europe - the Rue Sainte Catherine, which is 1.2km long and definitely worth a visit! Shops in France tend to do very good sales which are tightly regulated by the government and happen twice a year between set dates so don’t forget to look these up. It is also wise to bear in mind that many shops in France are closed on Sundays, so always look up opening days and times if you are planning some Sunday shopping! If you would rather stay local though, most villages and towns in rural France will have a weekly market, they are often very popular with residents and vary in size from one place to another. Some of these markets, like the marché de Ribérac in the Dordogne, are very well known and aren’t just an opportunity to pick up local produce but also a social event which your children are likely to enjoy as well. These markets offer the perfect opportunity to enjoy a hot drink and freshly baked pâtisserie at a local café whilst catching up with neighbours, local news and purchasing fresh and regional produce.

Extracurricular activities, sports and the great outdoors!

As there is rarely school on Wednesday afternoons, these are normally reserved for extracurricular activities, along with Saturdays. With sports like football, tennis and horse riding being universally popular, you won’t struggle to find a local club to sign up to. The South-West of France is also renowned for being rugby territory! It is home to some very successful rugby teams, and the further south you go the more popular it is with places like Tonneins and Castres being the birthplaces to some very famous rugby players such as Philippe Sella and Yannick Jauzion! Sports like cricket, hockey and netball are not very well known in France and are very rarely played by French people. Whilst you may be in luck and find a relatively local cricket team, such as the ones in Eymet or Catus, for you or your children to join, netball teams are often only found in the larger cities and hockey teams are very few and far between. You will likely discover new sports though; handball is far more popular in France than it is in the UK and despite there being a debate about whether pétanque is a sport or not, you’ll likely have the opportunity to play it. You will quickly notice that most villages and towns in rural France have their very own pétanque court where generations play together throughout the summer!

The large outdoor spaces in France are brilliant for families who love the great outdoors. The South-West of France is home to stunning landscapes filled with lakes, rivers and rolling hills which give children plenty of opportunities for swimming, walking and cycling. So for those who don’t enjoy club sports, there is still plenty to do to keep active. Family life in France may look different to family life in the UK, and whilst it may not suit everyone and the distances between activities and friends can be an adjustment, it definitely has its perks. The education system is of a high standard and very affordable, there is an abundance of sporting activities and the local markets make it easy to consume regional and sustainable produce. Many parents also feel their children benefit from greater freedom than they would in the UK, providing them with opportunities to discover the outside world!

A few of our top tips when moving to France with your family

• Do your research - look into local schools and the support they can offer your family.
  
  
• Try not to be surprised if the local school suggests keeping your children back a year. Depending on their age, it is common for children learning French to be kept back a year so they don’t fall behind in their schoolwork (this is even common for French pupils).
  
  
• If you or your children have a hobby which is not particularly common, ensure you are within a reasonable distance of where the lessons take place.
  
  
• Choosing a location which caters to all of your needs will contribute to making your move a great success!

Written by Jessica Randell at Beaux Villages Immobilier for French Property News magazine. Published in in the May/June 2023 edition.