When my husband Phil and I moved to France, our plan was to buy a car after a couple of months. We knew we wanted an electric car, and not being fans of new cars, we wanted to buy used. I began researching online in February 2022, only to find that used EVs were rare, and nothing of interest was available. Our research had convinced us that a Hyundai Kona met all of our criteria, and by April, we’d resigned ourselves to buying a new car, so off we went to the dealership.

In more and more cities in France, public transportation is becoming free. Some cities have free transport only on weekends and some are planning on providing a completely free transportation system over the coming years.

So how does it work and how can you benefit from it?

Due to the health and ecological concerns from fine particulates, the French government is moving forward with a mandatory, nationwide program, called the Zone à Faibles Emissions (ZFE) or Low Emissions Zones. These ZFEs have been designated in 35 urban areas to reduce pollutant emissions and improve air quality. The ZFE will be subjected to a certificate system and use a “Crit’Air” sticker to prove your vehicle’s emissions class. This program concerns all motorized vehicles: two-wheels, passenger cars, utility vehicles, buses, big rigs, etc.

Usually at this time of year, we begin talking about income tax filings. But the French tax authority (le Fisc) has decided to spice things up and throw a new declaration into the mix. It concerns all property owners in France and must be filed by June 30, 2023 to avoid a €150 fine per property.

When my husband Phil and I moved to Montpellier on January 22, 2022, the day after I retired from my U.S. healthcare career, we had a rough plan: wait a month or two before buying a car, make learning French our top priority, and rent a furnished apartment for the first year–both to give ourselves time to confirm Montpellier was where we wanted to be and decide whether to rent long-term or buy. As plans tend to do, ours morphed over time; we finally got a car a year later, our French is coming along VERY slowly, and we’ve had our lovely furnished apartment over a year now. 

So you’ve decided to take the leap and look for a nest in France? You’re about to embark on one heck of an adventure! We’ve put together this special insider guide to help you decipher the many ads you’ll see during your search. Whether you’re looking to purchase or to rent, the list below will help you feel confident whilst improving your French vocabulary!