She might want to research Lyon, Toulouse, Montpellier, Bordeaux, Lille and Strasbourg. Having access to rail will be easy for her to travel.

seagrass

She might want to be wary of covid. We don't know what the situation will be. We have been spared the worst in Brittany. It is also not as expensive as many regions. We have the city of Rennes as the capital - very beautiful, plus St Malo, and not far, Nantes.

For 700e per month, anywhere, she'll need a lot of help. For example, I've just sold a small one bedroom flat in rennes where I rented it for nearly 400e per month, to give you an idea.

France is wonderfully varied. If you want the best seafood to be had, then it's here. Beautiful countryside and the best beaches in France. But, we don't have the best climate.

The west coast is great. More expensive for housing, better climate...

Eastern parts have easier access to other countries....by the way, Brussels isn't in France.....you made it sound as if it is above, but I'm sure you know lol

It she likes skiing, then the alpes, Haute Savoie, Vosges.....endless choices.

If she prefers the sea......here!, west coast...

I'm suggesting nowhere on the south coast, simply because of her budget.

Marseilles has a terrible crime rate.....I wouldn't want a single daughter of mine going there, especially on a tight budget.

How much choice will she have as to where she can go? Once you have more info, we can be helpful.

Not much choice - she’ll state her preferences then get sent to wherever the government chooses. However, she can probably have some influence on the general region she’s sent to.

I love Marseilles, it’s one of my favorite cities in France. Yes it is dirty and sometimes threatening. But there’s a great art scene, a cool melange of North African and French cuisine, a comicbook scene, and its on the Mediterranean.

I think she might ask for Brittany.

I wish I remembered place names. I think maybe in the NE. Many years ago. The smaller towns were so very charming and the people were very nice. I hope she has a great time! There's a lot to be said for having a car, even a total beater, so long as parking isn't distressing. Feet and public transit are still available, but the option to drive, especially accompanied, opens up all sorts of possibilities...

The Bordeaux area would seem to be a good idea. Fantastic food and wine. Has 2 hour fast train to Paris and like wise into Spain. The San Sebastian area in Spain near the French border has many excellent restaurants and seems to be the center for innovative Spanish cooking.

Strasbourg. I've never been there, but my grandmother was from a small town just outside Strasbourg in Germany, and I've always wanted to go there....

Well, when she has a better idea, I'll get you as much info as I can. A car is really a good idea as most cities have fantastic public transport, but once you're in to the smaller towns, it's seriously limited and she'll want to make the most of her time off.

I keep thinking of her budget. Any big city will be a struggle on that. For example, Strasbourg which would be amazing costs this.

https://www.seloger.com/immobilier/locations/immo-strasbourg-67/bien-appartement/type-studio/?cmp=RP-GOO-SL-location-FR-67&gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=CjwKCAiArbv_BRA8EiwAYGs23OPLz1u4JxqaqnMiIZOnWG0w_bwTpsUUsg55HAguKdb8oA-SlK7fBRoCJo8QAvD_BwE

Bordeaux here

https://www.logic-immo.com/studio-bordeaux/location-studio-bordeaux-tous-codes-postaux-49_99.html?xtor=SEC-546807936-GOO-[dpt33_Location-Departement_Studio]-[0]-S-[]&xts=492234&gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=CjwKCAiArbv_BRA8EiwAYGs23AqtXVjAza2wrE3XfnwobPj69hKRjCg07DUDo9Alma_hHiHiMlHqTRoCodYQAvD_BwE

So you're looking g at between 400e and 500e for a studio.

Even here, https://www.ouestfrance-immo.com/immobilier/location/appartement/binic-22-22055/

Marseilles is even worse when you think these are student rentals https://www.loueramarseille.com/fr/location-etudiant.htm

So might i suggest your contribution is her studio and car and hopefully she'll manage with the rest.

Thanks Islay. Yeah, I’ll pay for as much of it as needed. Budget isn’t going to be a major problem. She’s very frugal too. What does a cheap old used car cost? In the US, you can pick up something functional for $2K.

Here's a link to a website that sells mostly one to one also professionals but it will give you an idea.

https://www.leboncoin.fr/voitures/offres

What an exciting opportunity/

Does she have to specify one of the six "Regions" or departments? I agree Brittany could be a good idea, but I would not overlook Toulouse and the rest of the Occitanie (which also includes Montpellier), especially through the winter. The Grand Est (includes Strasbourg, Nancy, Mulhouse) gives her easy access into Belgium, Germany and even Switzerland, if she has a car or by rail. Certain cities are also better connected with discount airlines, and that is a real option besides rail travel. PACA has the ready access to Italy and good rail/air links but can be expensive along the coast. However, if she is willing to live in a small studio (150 to 300 sq ft) the price premium is not too severe or nonexistant (relative to what IC posted above). I've found rental premiums are lower than purchase price premiums (we own in PACA). Some of these more expensive cities in any Region may eliminate the cost of a car, as IC noted, so the total cost won't be as bad.

"Mobility Professional" and student rentals are a special category in France and can be appealing for landlords, so ironically the prices can be pretty good. Also, since you are not requiring a summer stay you might be able to score an offseason lease from a seasonal rental in the coastal areas.

For cars, you might consider a lease that includes insurance, from Peugeut. They have special terms for non EU temporary residents, including a special extended for teachers and trainees (normally they are limited to 6 months but are extended for certain categories).

My senior year in Rome most of us just rented rooms in locals apartments. Never home having studios and a big kitchen at school so they loved us. Rented cars for the occasional weekend or holiday breaks. No need for upkeep or cost of breakdowns. Side trips via train or cheap flights. Did really wanted a moped. But I was kinda dirt poor at the time.

Stayed a few months after graduation and found a cheap gorgeous apartment because I took care of a cat. Then spent the following fall/winter in Greece. Really nice home being off season. Another cat babysitting. Lots of options especially with the internet now.

She needs to learn to drive a stickshift . . .

I don't know if it's still a thing, but those basic Citroëns had a manual choke, too.

Car=freedom and safety, so long as it's reliable.

Oooo I so dream of a 2CV. We had a 2CV camionette when I was a kid, loved that car/van.

There are in fact 13 regions in mainland France and 95 mainland departments.

• Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
• Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
• Bretagne
• Centre-Val de Loire
• Corse
• Grand Est
• Hauts-de-France
• Île-de-France
• Normandie
• Nouvelle-Aquitaine
• Occitanie
• Pays de la Loire
• Provence-Alpes-Côte

Saw this today and thought it might be fun for your daughter.

https://www.euronews.com/amp/2021/01/01/7-fantastic-cities-in-europe-you-don-t-have-to-fly-to

Great list, IC! I haven't been to Europe for too long, but most of those are favorites.

I admit to romantic memories of France, including how nice the people in small Northern towns were (like compared to Nice, which was just like any city anywhere). :) And Paris wasn't like any other city anywhere, and was neither as cold and mean as some would tell you, nor as delightful and romantic as others would insist, but like many California cities, a concatenation of neighborhoods, with their own characters, and the quality of the visitor experience dependent on the weather, one's attitude, and willingness to meet Parisians on their own level, understanding that their city is overrun by transients, and it's enervating dealing with the cr@p brought by people who won't be there tomorrow. All of which might have changed vastly.

Does the program provide any housing assistance? Safety warnings? Better to be in a safe slum than a ‘nicer’ genteel area with more predators. Cheap and ugly, with no pests, is better than charming with roaches and rodents. Easy commute is better than anything, and good wi-fi should ease a lot of potential homesick nights potentially alone.

IslayCorbel -- I'm sorry I wasn't clear. I wasn't trying to imply the 785E pay would anywhere be sufficient. I cannot believe how much below SMIC that is. Essentially, some supplement will be needed except in certain areas or a very frugal existence. And I tried to call out how small these spaces are -- but for a young person it is workable for nine months, in my view preferably 20m2 or more. I was simply cautioning that outside of Paris, some of the more expensive locations may only be 100E per month more at this low end. I looked at some of the PACA listings in the link you posted and most are located in safe locations in Nice or surrounding towns.

I checked the site -- it appears she must chose among "Academies". These are definitely smaller than Regions, which are huge. But they are still pretty diverse, from city to country. Per the FAQ
"Certain Académies are more "competitive" than others. Paris, Lyon,
Strasbourg and Grenoble always receive many requests for a very limited
number of spots."
She seems highly qualified so she could have priority.

Bordeaux and Montpellier could still fit the criteria cited above -- but you could end up being very remote as these are pretty broad. Strasbourg as well. And Aix-Marseilles, Nantes, Rennes, Nice I'm looking at the Reddit threads on TAPIF and it is pretty informative. One noted they chose Aix-Marseilles and ended up in a small town to the north of the academie. It seems you may be able to chose a size preference, but with no guarantees. Being in a remote town would be safe but pretty isolating, especially as a young foreigner.

And for the others, the French real estate listings are in area in Loi Carrez -- this includes open surface areas but excludes anywhere under 5'9" and small closets, or balconies. This can make some of the attic spaces feel a bit more spacious

@John Liu, do you know there is another John Liu on Houzz? I tried to tag you in a post because I wanted to tell you I had used beurre manie to thicken beef bourguignon. We talked about this some time ago when you asked about ways to thicken stews and such. I tagged the other guy!

An impostor! Oh no. If I start posting about the glories of Velveeta and canned soup, you’ll know it’s not me.

DD spent 6+ months in rural France working on farms and in a bakery (WOOF), so she would do okay in a small town, especially if she had a car. She’d paint and write and search for the perfect oyster. She would do okay in a big city too. She’d find artists and music and books and search for the perfect oyster.

The oyster is the common denominator here. DD has been reading “Consider The Oyster” by MFK Fisher, other books on oysters, going to markets and fishmongers to get different types of oysters, and learning oyster recipes.

Last night we had cornmeal dredged, pan fried oysters - a Southern sort of dish - along with steamed mussels and lingcod that I cooked in butter and cream. Today we are going to try again at oyster stew (and also try making a cioppino). She has found oyster farms not terribly far away in Washington State that allow visits, and we are planning some mini-road trips.

I’m hopeful that her current obsession with the literary, culinary and environmental aspects of oysters will lead to more writing. DD has been doing a lot of painting during her Covid lockdown - in addition to working full-time - but writing, being so much harder than painting, requires a special urge.

I have two of her larger paintings in my office.

Your daughter has so many talents. Those are really nice.

If she so obsessed with Oysters, then perhaps the best academies are Bordeaux, Rennes and then maybe Poitiers or Nantes. That would keep the prime oyster areas in reach. IC can tell you all about them.

The great oyster areas are the west coast.....think īle d'olėron. Then, of course the best, Brittany, then further east going towards le mont saint Michel, Cancale. The most beautiful coastline by far is the breton coast. The west coast is flat and boring, Normandy has its qualities but nothing can compare to the variety of our coastline.

Brittany is made up of 4 departments. Furthest west is Finistère. Wild and stunningly beautiful. Most south, Le Morbihan. It means little sea, the gulf which is wonderful.

Rennes is the capital, a big university town and is in Ile et Vilaine...2 rivers. St Malo is also there.

Les côtes d'Armor le between Finistère and ile et vilaine andis where we live. Think Armorica, land of the gauls and Asterix lol. Lots of artists as we have wonderful light contrasts and dramatic views and skylines.

Oysters galore!

Rennes is a great town. A good hub with a good road network, rail network and an airport. My son lives there some know it quite well. Really well designed to be a pleasant place to live. There's an Franco American institute there that could be really helpful for her. https://ifa-rennes.org/

I'll keep thinking....

There are deals to be had in expensive locations, but you have to hunt, know the location, and have some local connections. For example, I got a job in a hyper expensive tourist location once, roomed with someone from the organization until I found a place. Ended up seeing a "For rent" sign a block from work in a store window. Perfect apartment above the store which was a real estate office so no noise. Was saturated with smoke smell and film, took me quite a while to clean it off, but after that, it was great. Landlady was a kook though, she eventually got busted due to code violations on the stairs leading up to the apartments and the deck that provided access, and then she hired and equally kooky guy to build a cover over the deck that violated even MORE codes. I moved just in time . . .

A single woman is a desirable tenant I have found, and often can get a better rate. I pay my rent, am relatively clean, so I've found that often works in my favor.