# property search in the Limousin



## pasturisedpete (Oct 5, 2008)

We are going across to France and then down to the Limousin/Charente area to look for property there as we have sold the house and are now homeless!We plan to take our time to look around the area in our motorhome and assess what the options are.Then we intend to move south through the south west of France into Spain and down to Alicanti/Murcia and compare the two countries with a view to buy.Any thoughts or advice about living in either region would be most welcome.We intend to spend as much time as is required and are quite happy to return to the charms of Yorkshire if not convinced of the wisdom of a move abroad


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## Garcia (Mar 5, 2010)

Well you're doing pretty much what we did B4 we finally moved to the Languedoc......
We'd had a holiday home in the Herault for 20 years, wanted to leave UK . thought of Spain etc etc......
a few things to ponder ...........
1. both the areas you cite, in both France and Spain, are FULL of Brits so if you want to find locals you'll struggle . If you want "UK overseas" you'll be fine (UK grocers , UK bars, ex-pat clubs etc).
2. We finally chose Languedoc to live full time 'cos we had aging parents , kids and grandkids. Here, there are 4 or 5 Ryanair type based Airports so you CAN get back if there's a need without driving more than 2 hours.
3. Even in the van we can make Calais in a day if nec. (1000km).
You cannot do that from MUrcia.
4. The winter climate in Murcia is the BEST in Europe!!!Without doubt IMO.
4. Legally it's easier in France. In Spain there are still scams , so you have to be careful about buying where you shouldn't !!
5. Consider the health service and learn all you can.....you never know. ! Our GP here speaks NO ENGLISH at all....it can be stressfull.
There's prob...other things I'll think of later....
Garcia


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## Garcia (Mar 5, 2010)

I've thought of another..................What do you do in your spare time...?.......rural France/ Spain can be quiet.
I'm a musician...back home I could play in pubs and bars 7 nights a week if I wanted.........here , If I hadn't started my own band I'd have never played AT ALL.!!!!!!!!
In low season rural France is QUIET....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!!!
Garcia


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Rural France suits us as it is quiet but we chose to live near one of the few small towns that keeps functioning throughout the year.

We went inside about 70 houses - some were examples of where you wiped your feet as you came out, others were totally black - which lead to some hilarious efforts as the vendor tried to find a light switch in the dark...... Most were over-priced and they expect to take 10 - 20% less than the advertised price and in many cases considerably more - it is taking typically 3 - 4 years to sell a house around here at present....

NB the purchaser pays the (expensive) estate agent fees (often 7.5% of the sale value) and the notaire (another 7.5%). So budget that in and then negotiate - we reduced both of ours considerably......

Our health practice has one Doctor that speaks English (who I use) and others who speak some English but work mainly in French. The Health Service so far has proved to be more reactive and much faster than the UK........

We can drive to the channel ports in about 7 - 8 hours, or the local regional airport in 35 minutes with flights via Flybe or Ryanair to many UK airports with flights available most days.

Do we miss things from the UK? Yes, the grandchildren but we Skype them often, other than that not really, although there is little voluntary work that we could c/w the range in the UK. The cost of most items is higher than the UK except gasoil and of course there is no VED and "rates" are much lower (about 20% of the UK) and water is much cheaper (about 30% of UK costs). So we are happy.....

Sadly, internet access is more expensive.......

I would be very happy to give advice about our experience if anyone wants - feel free to ask.

Dave


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## harveystc (Sep 20, 2008)

*property search in limousin*

Hi, The place to stay is park verger campsite,you will meet the english people who have moved to this little village and they will give you lots of help, lovely rural France,but with a small amount of English who meet on a tuesday in the local bar,houses are quite cheap here andeasy to get to airport,and large towns,you will also find that a lot of the English stayed at this campsite and then decided to stay,so worth a visit.regards H


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## Easyriders (May 16, 2011)

Rural France is lovely, but France is an expensive place to live - their average wage is higher than the average wage in the UK, and prices reflect that. And remember to factor in the cost of heating n the winter - much of inland France is very cold in the winter, colder than the UK.

Living costs are cheaper in Spain, especially if you avoid the coast, but be very careful looking for a property. Much of Spain's present troubles came because of an unsustainable housing boom. Many houses were built illegally, and will end up being demolished. Avoid anywhere in Valencia province, eg round Alicante: they still allow "Land grab", and many people, both Spanish and ex pats, have lost their homes because of this terrible practice. You don't hear so much about it now that the housing boom is over, but it could easily happen again.

Even cheaper living costs can be found in Portugal, if you avoid the Lisbon area and the Algarve. Houses, food, wine, fuel etc are cheaper, but furniture and household goods are more expensive than in the UK (though this is true of France as well). People are very friendly and helpful in Portugal, and the crime rate outside Porto, Lisbon and the Algarve is very low.

The last consideration is the language, unless you want to live in an English enclave. Many people have learnt French at school, so have a grounding, even if they think they've forgotten it all, it will come back to you. You will need it, because the French are generally fiercely protective of their language, and will not speak English even if they know any. Fewer people have learnt Spanish at school, but it is an easier language to learn than French, far more regular and easier to pronounce. Portuguese is also an easy language to learn to read and write, quite similar to Spanish. Pronunciation and comprehension of Portuguese is a different matter, it's quite difficult, but Portuguese people are generally helpful and friendly and will do their best to understand and help you.

Good luck, whatever you decide. Our advice would be to take your time, maybe rent a property for a while before you buy, so that you get to experience the highs and lows of the area, what it's like in winter etc.


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## 91502 (May 1, 2005)

Hi
We have a house for holidays not full time in Provence (Cote D'Azur) which we chose for the weather, I agree that running costs are less in France and some household items are slightly more but most are about equal to the UK.
We have friends who have several houses in the Limousin where property is much cheaper than the UK. 
They have an amazing house, the sort you dream about that they renovated from a ruin and I think last time we spoke cost them about £45,000 finished.
They now buy, renovate and sell or rent as a hobby, they sold a fully done 2up 2down terraced house for £19k !!!
It is a lovely area, a cross between Derbyshire and the Lake District but they don't get the all year round weather but it is very French.
We looked at a B&B in a small town in the area, 5 letting rooms and owners accommodation, proffesional kitchen and dining room with further loft space to convert, it looked lovely with a small courtyard type garden and would have made a lovely home and it was £110k fully furnished.
We eventually went south as we like the sun and sea.
If you want any help with the Limosin I can pass your details on to our friends for a chat.
Happy hunting.

James


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## damar1 (Sep 29, 2012)

Hi, we left England after selling our house and travelled not knowing what or where we wonted to live, and spent about 6 months looking. You have some big decisions to make, far more than we did 10 years ago when every thing was rosy with a good exchange rate, and a stable economy. We ended up buying a finca in a small village in the Sierra Nevada, no English there so it was living in the real Spain, the people were lovely and made us so welcome we are now called family.
From here we travelled in the m/h around Europe, and I can say that it was the best time of our lives. After 7 years our circumstances changed, missing family, then illness in the family, so we sold up and returned to England. We were very lucky that we were able to sell and not loos money as so many people have. there are so many that can not sell and return, many that if the truth was told would love to sell up and come back to the uk. If I hade money that I could afford to loos then I would buy again in Spain as I think it is a wonderful country and wonderful people. We still have friends over there and when they tell you things it is frightening, the chemists in a lot of places have run out of drugs, because they have not been pain by the government for months. I hope things improve there but I would say spend a long time looking and get lots of advice from people already living there, but do be a where a lot of ex pats look at things through rose coloured glasses, Good luck and have fun on your trip.


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## Scattycat (Mar 29, 2011)

Hi pasturisedpete,

My best advice is to read all the relevant comments made, both positive and negative and then head off and make your own mind up.

We are quite a way north of Limoges so can't comment too accurately regarding prices and life style but friends who moved from this area down that way feel that they made the right move pricewise although they have found the winters a lot colder and the summers are pretty hot. They tell me they can use their outdoor unheated pool from mid-April to early October

In general, our opinion is that living over here is slightly cheaper than the UK, but that fluctuates with the exchange rates. We were getting over 1.50€ to the £ when we first came over.

In the main most of the folks we know who have moved back to the UK have come over expecting to make a living odd-jobbing and there just isn't the work around. But if you're lucky enough not to have to depend on finding work then the chances are no matter where you end up in France you're unlikely to regret it.

This October we will have been here 11 years and out of choice would never move back to the UK, okay, at times we miss our families but in reality they have their own lives to live. . . . . . and so do we  

Good luck with your search


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

Scattycat said:


> ...................................................... okay, at times we miss our families but in reality they have their own lives to live. . . . . . and so do we


I've been trying to convince my missus of that for years but kids and grandkids are too much of a pull for her.

In a previous life I did spend many years living and working abroad amongst other Brits who came and went - by far the most common reason for them returning to the UK was the wife missing her family.
Even though the life style was way beyond what was possible in the UK, the pull of the family usually won.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

I agree with rural France being lovely but can't agree with it's expensive or quiet. 
We are always so busy almost every day we are turning down invitations or events. Even in winter we dine with friends three or four times a week.
The odd visitor seems to think they have just dropped in to brighten our dull and boring existence. When we drag them out and about walking, dining, socialising, fetes, concerts, all the time the phone is going and other friends dropping by, they go home fully enlightened.

Food shopping might be slightly more expensive than UK but dining out is far cheaper other than the big cities and Paris.

Remember also central France gets extremely hot in summer and bl00dy freezing in winter. Minus 15c. for weeks on end.

Apart from food my house and vehicle expenses are less than family costs in UK. Security is not an issue and my internet, all inclusive phone, line and mobile for €29.95 is cheaper than I can see in UK.

We did try The Dordogne near Bergerac but realised quite quickly that after the first flush of family and visitors they found it too far to just pop over. Plus the extremes of weather. 

Many Ex-Pats we know have returned to Blighty usually due to family and them not integrating into French way of life. 

Ray.


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## damar1 (Sep 29, 2012)

tonyt said:


> Scattycat said:
> 
> 
> > ...................................................... okay, at times we miss our families but in reality they have their own lives to live. . . . . . and so do we
> ...


So so very true, this I think is definitely a female thing and in a good marriage it has to be respected.


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## Garcia (Mar 5, 2010)

There's been a lot of important comments on this thread:
1. The weather ....too many moving over don't realise how cold it can get, think it's hot and sunny all year. We're only 30 miles to the Med but it can hit -17 for several weeks in winter. That's cold.
2. The cost of things does vary....I find some cheaper than UK , some more pricey. I wonder sometimes how families survive here with the cost of shoes and clothes, ( good job I don't buy'em!!)but we find food generally cheaper..and we grow a lot of it.....And the WINE...seriously cheaper!
3. Quiet??? Well I think it's quiet. But then again in high season, I sometimes pray for the tourists to go home and give us some peace.Best bet, as someone suggested.....find the area you like and take a low season rental for three months. get some idea what it' s really like to actually LIVE there. It's not "just like your hols....only all year!"
4. It might be a woman thing but my misses likes to go back a few times a year to help out in the half terms with the gran kids. I prefer to stay here with the dogs. So access to airport is important. Now all the aged parents have departed, we only drive back once a year at most.
Garcia


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## salomon (Apr 20, 2011)

There is quite a difference between the Limousin and Spain...
Garcia has covered most of it...you need to decide what you want / need.
For me languages are important. If you want to fit into a local community then you need to be able to communicate. 
If you have hobbies then be sure you can continue with them. 

Rural France is quiet in winter. Yes there are events and stuff going on, but that needs language skills, and sometimes accordian music really does not qualify as entertainment IMO.

We live in the mountains in winter which gives us more than enough to do. We also get out in the van in the winter months. But what we cannit do is leave our French house unattended. It needs heating constantly as the weather can get very very cold.

You have given yourself a huge search area, I would suggest to decide on the required climate, just to narrow it down a bit


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

I know I have posted this before but the OP might not have seen it..... Ray.

Dear Editor,
Sitting out here in rural France contemplating my navel and watching the seasons slowly pass by. (Now we don't have a motorhome.)
Watching the results of all these recent TV programs where they show how the quality of life can be much improved by relocating to cheaper, sunnier, more spacious and alcoholic environment. 

We see many Brits and other nationalities move into their dream homes in the 'sun.' Usually enormous great old houses of charm and character with acres of grass or trees. These homes usually only a small fraction of the cost of similar properties back 'home.'
Initially in a euphoria of smug joy that they have made it to where others can only dream of venturing on their summer holidays. Life now is just one long extended vacation. Casually sitting astride the new ride on mower trimming the lawns and waving to the neighbours.

The summer is spent making friends with like minded ex-pats all comparing the value of their recently acquired estate. Comments like "This would have cost a million or more back home." Are often heard and "Now we can afford a cellar of 100 bottles." 

But reality starts to sink in with the cool of autumn. Where there was appreciation of the old character doors and windows, the stone floors and gaping fireplaces. This now turns to questions like "How on earth did they heat these places?" The 300 year old original single pane windows, the nicely weathered oak doors all permit a howling gale to blow through and up the gaping chimneys.

Realisation that those enormous piles of logs neatly stacked alongside the neighbours barn are not just for decoration. Logs here, like the wasteful fountains down south are a sign of wealth and affluence. 
Central heating is an option and often installed and run flat out to try and compete with the gale coming in round the front door. It's a toss up weather to keep spending on fuel or invest in new sealed windows and doors. 
A new 'insert' or heat exchanger log fire is considered. These have outputs of some 12kw. to 15kw. and really do heat the place up to a comfortable temperature but eat logs by the cord and die an hour after the last log has been added.
Now we realise why there are logs for sale in almost every hamlet. A very expensive and desirable commodity.

Most make it through the winter getting involved in various restoration projects. Creating a more comfortable environment for next winter. Temperatures in the ever popular Dordogne plummet to -10c. every winter and not just for a few days but weeks on end. Now we see why the previous owner has moved into that modern, new, featureless bungalow just up the road.

But signs of spring are appearing everywhere, Primroses and wild Orchids line the lanes and hedgerows just like it was 60 years ago in UK. The grass is growing and suddenly those neat hedges have doubled in size. These acres of flora and fauna now need constant attention. 
This usually coincides with the first visitors from back home in the old country. Frantic efforts are made to trim, prune and clear just before family and friends descend for their free holiday. It's amazing how popular you suddenly become with a "Home in the sun."

"What do you do with yourselves since retiring out here?" Or the like are asked in all innocence as the manor has been manicured to perfection awaiting their arrival.

We are fortunate that we have managed to buy an already modernised, converted barn. Rebuilt, lined with thermal blocks and considerable insulation throughout. Double glazed plastic windows, modern doors and a south facing conservatory all help to maintain a comfortable environment through the worst of winter. 
Which here in Normandy rarely drops to freezing point. But we do get rain, lots of rain through January and February. It's at this time other quaint old characteristics can manifest themselves in these old houses. Several days of rain and the drainage ditch previously referred to as "Our stream" overflows into the back door and out the front. Now they realise why the gap exists on some doors.

Often the prevailing weather coming the West carries the rain sideways into the gable end wall. Previous attempts to keep the weather out by tiling the whole outside of this wall are not pretty but very effective. Other methods like paneling the inside always result in a horrible damp smell and occasionally mushrooms at the seams.

Other ex-pats seeking a quieter life without the work and worry of a large country estate opt for a small cozy village house. Often very modest but easily modernised into a comfortable home. Many of the conveniences like the boulangerie, bar and bottle bank are literally a stones throw away.
At first this is regarded as a plus but if you can imagine a constant stream of cars and mopeds arriving from 07.00 am. banging doors, leaving the motors running, greetings called across the street, all day and every day. This plus soon becomes a minus. 
But not as bad as living beside or near a bottle bank. Imagine the din a dozen empties being dropped into the bin one at a time while the engine is left running at any time of the day or night. It happens.

Well, I hope I haven't put anyone off seeking their Shangri-La or home in the sun but I do hope I have made you aware of just some of the more practical aspects of moving to a more tranquil setting.

Ray Nipper.


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## Garcia (Mar 5, 2010)

Actually you are so right Salomon........the language is the key.
Spain or France, if you don't have any more than holiday standard language, you'll be stuck with an expat community.
We've been here 12 years now, people say we have good French tho, to me, I still feel like I struggle.
"Official" letters....the tax man and the like, insurance, the social security, the doctor, registering your car etc....and still after 12 years I hate the phone!!!
Moving to France or Spain you GOT to take some lessons
Garcia


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## salomon (Apr 20, 2011)

Yep.
If you just want sun and not the hassle then move to Florida or Australia !
I learned French as a child and worked for a French firm for many years , the last 5 in Paris. Although officially fluent, we will never truely fit in ...we are foreigners !
BUT. It does keep the brain turning. We have to manage in Catalan too. OH is not English, so French is his third language and catalan fourth.We can travel Europe in the van without too much bother though


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## carol (May 9, 2005)

I see Penquin had responded, and as he knows, it is something I have considered for around 7/8 years, but OH would likemthenweather but not living away permanently, as he travelled the world all his working life.

I think if I really pushed he would give in, but that isn't really fair, our kids - probably for reasons already said - see it as a free holiday, as they have also sent through properties with annexes - for them, no doubt!

What puts me off, language above all else, although. Did French for 8 years, I am not anywhere near proficient, can read it and not speak it, as we never ever did spoken French, so my pronounciation is awful. (I also have problems with remembering words these days). I fear all the legal aspects, if emergencies happen or you need hospitalising. That has always been my biggest fear.

Friends tell me it is easy Ish, but am not convinced, so we have moved again, back down to Cornwall. Be just have to avoid the tourists. Kids still have their free holiday. 

Best of luck, but do remove those rosé coloured lens we all have and seriously put on your head, leave the heart out of it. Also remember the exchange rates are not static, and have been from around 1.65 to 1.05 that I recall, means your pension goes up and down too....

Carol


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## damar1 (Sep 29, 2012)

I think we now have a very good compromise, although I miss Spain very much, we now travel from about April to September ( not this year unfortunately ). By doing this we are seeing a lot more of Europe and meeting different people, and putting up with England the other months. although it has been known for us to go of in the winter for a few weeks.


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## VanFlair (Nov 21, 2009)

Hi

We have friends who are selling a very modern bungalow between Limoges and and Confelons close to Bussier Boffy, nice place but personal reasons for selling.

PM if you wanted any more info.

Martin


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## pasturisedpete (Oct 5, 2008)

Well,lots of food for thought with all those informative replies.Hopefully we will travel with our eyes and minds wide open and our purse strings tight shut.As there is no pressure on us to make our minds up quickly and also have said we would compare France/Spain and Portugal with all their different merits then hopefully we can reach the right conclusion but as was already stated that if not convinced of a move abroad,then the default position was to return to the sylvan fields of Gods county and then continue to spend some three months in the U.K. and the rest in Euro land.Thank you once again for your thought provoking replies


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## weldted (May 1, 2005)

*House in France*

Hi all,
We have just bought a house in Beauliue, near Chalus about 45 mins from Limoges.
What is the best deal for telephone/Internet anyone has found, we will not be living there full time but expect three to four months a year, still keeping house in UK plus travel in mh.

If its any help will be traveling back to UK leaving Chalus 07/09/13
Will be in Plymouth 08/09/13 then Yeovil fom 09/09/13 with an 8x4 virtually half empty trailer and can take 500 kgs


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## TheNomad (Aug 12, 2013)

We moved to Spain permanently some 12 years ago now; and for us at least, we've found it the best theng we ever did in our lives. Living in the Uk was an accident of birth...our parents decided that's where we'd grow up!....but thw rol is a very big place and we've only got so many years to experience it.

Couple of thoughts - all personal and based on our own experiences - which may or may not help.

We DID NOT want to live in a Brit-infested coastal white concrete tower-block strip. 
We moved to actual Spain, which can be had, on the Costa Blanca, simply by living in an inland village. 
Go 20 or 30 kms in from the coast and it is idyllic. 
Pace of life is glacial, people are all incredibly friendly and welcoming, property prices are half what they are on the coast; and no vomiting teenagers/rave music/crime whatsoever.

I'd STRONGLY advise that if/when you pick your initial favourite country, and then region, you then RENT for an extended period before even thinking about buying. I mean for at least 6 months, ideally for a whole 12 months; and make sure that rental period includes winter.
Everywhere looks lovely when visit it on balmy summer days, on holiday. But if you live there, you ain't on holiday, and you need to understand what it's like in Jan/Feb/March as well as July.

But the biggest thing, by a country mile, that I'd urge you to do, is LEARN THE LANGUAGE.
I don't mean get a phrase book, then spend all your time sitting around and interacting with other Brits whilst you all moan, in English, that it's so difficult when you're older, before you retire to your house to which English TV, and catch up on reading English newspapers.
I mean learn the language. Total immersion. For example, ONLY Spanish TV. Only Spanish newspapers. Only Spanish bars. And an intensive 1-teacher-to-the-2-of-you 6 months course, with 2 lessons per week and homework every night. And you try only to speak in Spanish together.
As soon as you have picked a country, start the process, whilst in the Uk. Watch TV only in that language...read internet stuff only in that language, speak it to each other round the house all the time. You really can do it, if you put the effort in.
The people who, after years of living here in Spain can still only order a coffee, simply did not put the effort in.

If you can't speak and read the language you will suffer terribly from a lack of integration, you'll lose out on making fiends and contacts amongst the locals, you'll fail to get the social culture, you'll get ripped off (often by fellow Brits!), you'll feel isolated, and you'll be in real trouble with any sorts of officialdom/ paperwork/ medial emergencies etc.

Here's maybe a different approach just to consider:

We were very lucky in the sense that we had properties back in the UK when we first moved here, so we kept a "lifeline" back there for a while just in case we found that living in Spain rather than regular visiting wasn't for us. But after a year we sold them.

For us it really wan't sensible, or economic, to have two home bases. Spain had/has become our permanent home. 

So what we do is base ourselves here, but then use our motorhome to do 4 or 5 extended trips to other parts of mainland Europe, for 4 to 6 weeks at a time each year. 
Thus we can spend a month in the Dordogne (when the weather is good), then a month in Italy, then 6 weeks in Portugal, then visit northern Spain, then a month in Normandy then Belgium, etc etc, as the mood and the seasons dictate.
For us this works far, far better than having 2 fixed bases - we can go where we want, and not get bored with an area; and the capital we would otherwise still have tied up in a second property is invested instead and more than pays for all the costs of running our MH and touring in it.

Good luck whatever you decide.


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## javea (Jun 8, 2007)

*Re: House in France*



weldted said:


> Hi all,
> We have just bought a house in Beauliue, near Chalus about 45 mins from Limoges.
> What is the best deal for telephone/Internet anyone has found, we will not be living there full time but expect three to four months a year, still keeping house in UK plus travel in mh.
> 
> s


I am not sure about internet in France but, having got fed up with paying the high cost of internet in Spain when we are only there for a total of about 4 months a year, I have bought a Huawei mi-fi which my son has been testing out using a MasMovil sim. He tells me that up to 6 people in his party have been connected to the device at a time and although it slowed things down a little they were all able to do what they wanted. When only one or two are connected he says the signal strength is excellent. I was thinking of installing wireless internet which is now available locally at very reasonable cost, and which can be active just when the house is occupied, but I am now thinking that the mi-fi will be quite adequate.

Perhaps you could search for a similar setup in France.

Mike


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