Wanting to spend 6 months in the French Countryside
 

Hi All, I'm hoping you can help me. My husband and I are planning to spend 6 months in France in 2016. Was wondering if you knew an area in between Vierzon (Loire Valley) and Paris that we could look into renting a house. He has family in Vierzon so it would be awesome to be close, but not too close :). We want to rent a house in the country and be close enough to a town and shops that we could walk or bike. We want to be surrounded by nature but not too secluded. I was looking at Tours and around but I'm not super familiar with the area. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Also, if anyone knows of a good contact for longer term rentals, I'd surely appreciate it.

Your first order of business will be obtain the necessary visa for your stay unless your husband has French citizenship. It is my understanding is that you will need proof of the visa before you can do a long term rental.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...he-sologne.cfm

The Sologne is a wild countryside between Vierzon and Orleans and abounds in places you can rent long or short term.

check out Gites de France

http://en.gites-de-france.com/

many of these are in small villages or towns - country homes that folks rent out - kind of like moving in with the locals - self-catering facilities saves money!

In the Loire valley, I like Blois.

Are you sure that you are both eligible to spend 6 months in France? Assuming you have confirmed that - I would go for a couple of weeks to explore 4 or 5 likely places - no way I would rent for 6 months without knowing what the area is like.

We want to rent a house in the country and be close enough to a town and shops that we could walk or bike. We want to be surrounded by nature but not too secluded.>

then eschew Tours a huge conglomeration with the country a long way aways.

Blois is a better choice for what you want but still a big city.

I think you are looking for a smaller town or village - I would French villages are so so romantic to Americans - the local cafe - the local boulangeries - like moving in with the locals. Look for a Gite or similar long-term accommodation in a small village where the countryside will be at your door step.

Cheverny is one such village with in it one of the most famous castles of the Loire= Cheverny! Or any small town or village. But Tours is a huge city not what you are looking for I think.

The Tourraine though the country around Tours is great - lots of old villages there.

I really love Amboise-I am a city person so not sure I could spend 6 months there-but it fits the bill of what you describe.

Never rent a place until you have spent a week there to know whether it is to your liking, how friendly. the locals are,
are there shops for you, like bakery, butcher.

If you don't let people know that you have the legal ability (i.e. the necessary paper work) to spend 6 months in France they will be hesitant to respond to your request.

I doubt a gite would do such a long term rental. They can make more money from weekly and fortnightly lets as they can vary the weekly rate according to season.

Do not have too romantic an idea of French village life. Many no longer have any form of shop, never mind the café and boulangerie. The locals all head of to the nearest hypermarché. A car is essential, and that presents another problem for you.

But first decide where you want to live, by actually going somewhere for a couple of weeks. Then sort out any visa you need then find a place to live.

Just a thought...Do either /both of you speak French? Living in small towns may find few English speakers which can be an issue from daily living to social life.

jewels - ou est vous? Ily a des questions tres tres important for vous - the visa pur six months - the maximum comme un tourist vous connaisez est troise mois maximum! Vous parlez francaise?

please stop writing French gibberish

hey C - do you need a ladder to get down from that horse of yours??

hey DebitNM - I think Christina might have a good point.

PalenQ - you´re a brave soul.

Well, that would be a first.

Franglais; alive and well in Fodors.

Christina, get over yourself, it was a joke! Or perhaps you realised and your response was your version of funny?

Me thinks the OP has lost interest. Who can blame her?

If you are a U.S.citizen you can only stay in France or the entire Schengen Treaty countries for 90 days then you cannot return for 90 days. The alternative is to get a residence card (Carte De Sejour). That process must be started at your French consulate in the U.S. That will take you 6 weeks plus about 5 weeks to get a FBI finger print and criminal record verification. Then 3 interviews in France within 90 days to complete the process. Also you will need proof of medical insurance that covers you in France, a French bank account of at least 12,000 Euros, a series of disease shots and a physical exam in France and many other docs too numerous to detail here. Total cost including certified French translations of all docs will be over 1000 Euros each. Trust me, just stay 90 days and go home. It will be the hassle of your life dealing with French red tape. It did it 7 years ago but had I known what was involved I would have settled for trips of less than 90 days.

Bonne chance.