Nine weeks have gone already, and this week's episode is all about France. What's the vibe like, what is the overall experience like, and would I recommend it for other people interested in travelling around Europe. Spoiler alert: I wouldn't recommend it, but it's been a good experience overall and a gentle introduction to the challenges of living internationally.
France is a huge country, covering over 550,000 km 2 , and with a population of ~68,000,000 people there is going to be a broad range of goods and services available at different prices. The region I've been staying in is called the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur , which is unfortunately one of the most expensive areas in Europe to live (outside of Switzerland). For context, there is a restaurant 100m away which charges €30 for a hamburger, and the majority of house prices in the area outside of sheds or large wardrobes can be purchased for around €1M+. If you're planning on staying here, I would mentally prepare to pay roughly the same as you would in London for things like cocktails, dining out, and other experiences, although local prices (whilst still high) are more reasonable if you know where to look.
For the someone travelling to live as a local (as I am) rather than as a tourist, there are many options just like any other town. The trick is mentally mapping equivalents (if there are any) to shops, and identifying where locals would get resources like clothes, medicine, transport, and so on. For shops you have a supermarket tri-opoly in Aix of Carrefour, Utile, and Monoprix. Carrefour is like Tesco, Utile is like Sainsburys, and Monoprix is like Waitrose or M&S. There are also local butchers, lots of bakeries and patiseries (of course), and more, but don't be surprised if you're invoiced for 1.5x-2x the supermarket cost of an item because it's from a small business - same as the UK - although the increase in quality for baguettes in particular is massive. I recommend Hats Boulangerie if you are looking for baguettes, not sponsored but they're really good.
My experience with French people has been mixed - there have been some friendly encounters but also some racist/anti-tourist moments which to be honest have tainted the trip and which contribute most strongly towards my overall non-recommendation. This is in the context of growing anti-unsustainable-tourism protests which happened across the border in Spain in 2024 and earlier this year, and it's easy to see that while there haven't been protests in France under this cause (that I'm aware of), I would be very surprised if that remains true over the next few years. As a white British (/Dutch) man, I'm also very aware that my particular demographic has an incredibly bad and internationally recognised reputation; poor treatment of service staff, over-consumption of alcohol, a high petty crime rate, ignorance of local culture, and so on. While I don't personally contribute to these stereotypes, I can't blame locals for painting me with the same brush. After all, you'd only know I'm not a complete degenerate if you subscribed to my newsletter. Strangely, this experience hasn't only been felt by British nationals, it seems to be more specifically against non-French-speaking people I've spent time with, so that's something.
To end this section on a positive, I will say that small encounters with the public have been generally good . For example, I was in a bakery trying to order a specific raspberry cake from a display cabinet with many raspberry cakes*, and an elderly French lady after hearing my scuffed French asked if I needed any help (which I did), so that was nice**. Similarly, a drunk middle aged Frenchman on a beach in Marseille gestured for me to be careful of burning in the sun on account of my complexion, which was wholesome, I think.
Aix-En-Provence is to Paris what York is to London in the UK, with a direct train link there are many Parisians here and unfortunately a similar approach to public spaces. It's very common to find human/animal waste in the streets, and although garbage trucks tour the streets daily (yes!) this is somehow still an issue. The approach to waste management is one of 'put it in the street after 20:00 and it will be gone by morning', which admittedly takes some getting used to coming from either industrial/residential bins collected weekly, but on the flip side it is impressive that one day you might go to get some drinks from the supermarket in the evening and see half a wardrobe, a mattress, four bin bags, and a 5ft tall teddy bear, and then come by the next morning and they have all disappeared.
One positive of the public spaces in Aix specifically is that there are many many fountains, statues, and other nice architecture to look at. I'm not any kind of architecture nerd (no judgement if you are), but even to my simple eyes it sets a nice scene for the markets, outdoor concerts, cafe tables, and more. There are also many museums, galleries, and that kind of thing if you're into that. Again not really my main passion but they're nice to have around.
Aix-En-Provence is exactly what you might expect it to be if you've heard people talking about the south of France. It's expensive to be a tourist, not as expensive to be a local, and there are many opportunities to be extorted if that's what you're into. If you're considering travelling here, I would strongly recommend staying in a less culturally influential/touristy town, but would say that you should definitely come here for a day trip to see what it's like - just as someone in Leeds might go for a day out in York. If you're a local reading this and are displeased with my assessment, then please anchor your yacht and get in touch , I might re-assess after a few vineyard tours and boat trips.
See you for the next one, which will be back to technical & business things as usual!
Thanks and all the best,
Oliver
* A relatable and exciting challenge I know
** Cake was successfully acquired (for €20)
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