At the age of 55, Barbara Brown found herself retired and wondering what else was ‘out there’. After taking up French lessons in her hometown of Illinois, USA, Barbara soon found herself travelling to France to study the language in depth for a month at a university in Dijon.

 

That month soon passed, and Barbara went again for a semester, then another, then another. Eventually realising that Dijon was the place for her, Barbara made it her second home. She now spends half the year there, and the other half in the US.

The impressive and affordable public transport in France means Barbara doesn’t need a car in France; she also walks a lot of places and has enrolled in weekly hiking, language and cooking classes to keep occupied.

Barbara describes living in Dijon as “perfect for retirees” as a resident visa (without the right to work) is easy to obtain, and there are no prohibitions when it comes to buying or renting a property. Barbara now rents an apartment and is free to come and go as she pleases.

She now fills her days in Dijon with trips to the local markets, walks, cultural visits, course lessons and planning trips to nearby European cities.

To understand the full step-by-step process to buying a property in France, collect The Overseas Guides Company’s ‘France Property Buying Guide’