Archive

GR, GRP, PR: What do the French hiking signs mean?

What are the coloured symbols on French hiking routes? Who paints them there and why?

Miss France: glam - but not sexy

Miss France organiser Geneviève de Fontenay fears she is fighting a losing battle to protect her 'Cinderella dream' from vulgarity

Normandy Landings visit for Queen

Queen Elizabeth has confirmed a state visit to France, ending rumours she is handing over duties to Charles

news

Health warning on cold remedies

Consumer group says many over-the-counter remedies have side-effects that are ‘too large a risk for a simple cold’

You need to die in Paris to get here

Père Lachaise is the busiest graveyard in the world, with two million visitors each year

Call to make snow chains compulsory

Last weekend’s travel nightmare in Savoie has prompted one MP to demand a change in the law

School in France: your experiences

Limited and uninspiring, or intellectually stimulating? Parents with experiences of both UK and French schools compare.

Is UK inheritance taxed in France?

My wife has received an inheritance from aunt. Where is this taxed?

Ken Follett: I love France but I couldn’t be an expat there

The multiple best-selling author tried living in France after his first big success but left after three years as he missed the “all the sort of pleasures of life in London”. Yet, there was a more fundamental reason

Andrew Neil on news, politics and life in France

From the Archives: The Connexion speaks to former Sunday Times editor and Daily Politics Show presenter about politics, papers and life in the Côte d’Azur.

Asterix creator on his life's work

Albert Uderzo, the co-creator of of the world-famous Asterix books, talks about the impact of his little Gaulish hero.

Employing people to help at home

Hire a handyman, cleaner, nanny or teacher at home the legal way by using the Chèque Emploi Service Universel

Mickey and friends celebrate 20 years

Zidane and Salma help Disneyland Paris mark 20th birthday

Making Asterix funny in English

Anthea Bell has been translating Asterix for 40 years. She talks to Oliver Rowland about what's involved

Peter Mayle: 20 years in Provence

Two decades have passed since Peter Mayle's A Year in Provence was published - but what does he think of it now?

Paris has 3D twin city online

Virtual reality project brings the city of light to life over 2,000 years of history to show how capital was built

53% want DIY shops on Sundays

Leading store in new plea as it faces €19million fines if it defies court ruling to close in Ile-de-France

Tramp has lived at airport 26 years

Court told that 46-year-old speaks like a child and lives off scraps from rubbish bins and petty theft

We're poorer but happier in France

What prompts British people to give up jobs in the UK and move to France? We speak to families who made the move

Do we really need top-up insurance?

Costs are rising, incomes are dropping, so can we dispense with top-up and rely on basic state cover?

How to choose a good campsite

France has the most campsites of any European country and bookings are rising. But how do you pick the right one?

"Reduce taxes to help the economy"

Former US presidential candidate Steve Forbes thinks France could build the next Microsoft if it changed its taxes.

New union for auto-entrepreneurs

Easy-to-join body aims to avoid ‘political overtones’

Equity release in France - the facts

Scheme is limited to over-65s who can only get 18% of the value of their home to begin with.

Boiler computer could save 30%

Regular adjustments and reducing your thermostat setting can cut fuel bills.

Under the surface of lobster fishing

Lobster labelled "Bretagne" could may actually be imported from Britain and Ireland.

Save on your UK rail journeys

A pass from www.britrail.com could save you money and give extra convenience

Gite owners’ tips for messy guests

Many readers responded to a cry for help from one gite owner over a nightmare family. Here are some of the best:

Eco-prêt: 0% loan for renovations

An interest-free loan of up to €30,000 is available to carry out environmental improvements to your home.

Removals brokers cut moving costs

One firm can liase with lorries travelling across Europe to secure you a good deal

Get your home under police watch

With Operation Tranquillité Vacances you can put your home on a regular patrol by officers through August.

Best way to get UK pension in France

There are two main options of tranferring your UK pension across the Channel.

Franchising – a hand to go solo

Sally Stone and husband Mervyn founded Les Bon Voisins in 2002. Five years later they have 33 franchisees across France

How does planning permission work?

You can only oppose a plan after permission has been given

Battle for future of wildlife

WWF France celebrates its 35th anniversary this year but what challenges does it face?

'Channel crossing is mythical'

Fusion Man Yves Rossy on flying the English Channel with a jetpack ahead the 100th anniversary of first Channel flight

Why do we pay for healthcare?

There are only two occasions where healthcare is completely free in France; pregnancy and poverty

Starting out as an auto-entrepreneur

The auto-entrepreneur scheme is tended to give those thinking of working for themselves an easier way to set up

When must you pay social charges?

A definitive guide to which pensions attract charges, the exemptions and the links with healthcare.

What does a notaire do?

A full guide to the role of the French notaire, when you will need one and how much they charge

Inheritance: no contact with us

We know longer have contact with children. Can we sell our house and move to UK without giving away half our house?

Grants for green home improvements

Read our August issue for details on eco-grants and click here for a link to find out income thresholds.

Attacked by flies but what kind?

Also – what is the real threat behind the tiger mosquito as it spreads to France.

Health service shake up details

In early March MPs will debate massive restructing plan for healthcare across France.

Incapacity benefit pensions and cover

Those who lost 100% incapacity level of cover in France when they became OAPs can now challenge the decision

Auto-entrepreneur simplifying setup

From 2009 new status brings easier system for social charges and more help for starting your own business in France.

Expat wins care benefit appeal

An Briton from the Mayenne has won an appeal case against the UK to have his disability living allowance restored

Business start-up help in Brittany

Last few days to sign up to an English-language business course for the self employed.

UK holiday let tax break ‘overrated’

A UK tax break on holiday lets extended to second homes in EU will not be helpful to expats.

Protect your home as a sole trader

While plans are in hand to make protecting your assets easier, the current process is a déclaration d’insaisissabilité

Cost of passports is a disgrace

If Embassy cannot make the passports for less than €140 they should send them by to London to be made at half the price

Simpler way to get foreign VAT back

Reclaiming VAT on goods or services bought from another EU country is now to be easier

Holiday homes under police watch

With Operation Tranquillité Vacances you can put your home on a regular patrol by officers through August.

Changes to the law could help

The Loi de Modernisation de l'Economie is aimed at making life easier for business.

Where communism meets democracy

Parti Communiste Français leader Marie-George Buffet believes in ending Europe's dogma of competitivity.

Keep an eye on price of glasses

While confusion reigns over the legality of selling glasses and contact lenses online, buyers can pick up good deals.

Disappointed we're not martiens

How residents of the village of Mars in the Ardèche actually refer to themselves.

Burqa is 'walking coffin' – minister

Muslim minister Fadela Amara, head of urban estates, says she is fighting a new brand of fascism disguised as Islam.

Just don’t call it French mustard

As the leading Dijon mustard producer is set to pull out of its home town, we take a look at a bigger mustard misnomer.

Soutien Scolaire- tax back tuition

The cost of certain home tutors and firms can be claimed back against tax.

What to do when someone dies

One of the most important formalities involves getting copies of an acte de décès

Fight for UK carers' benefits

The UK government is dragging its heals restoring certain benefits to residents in France after a court ruling. Sign the petition here.

Bergerac Airport- the big take off

Passenger numbers have risen nearly twenty times in six years and 95% of fliers are British.

Clive James still Channel hopping

TV presenter and critic loves Paris and the Eurostar but keep him away from the weather in Normandy.

Embracing a new mixed France

Miss France Chloé Mortaud, 19, is the first to carry two passports and one of them is American.

The Frenchman who almost outran Bond

Sébastien Foucan is the founder of freerunning- the sport he showcased in the opening of Casino Royale

French media -read all about it

A forum on the press is due to conclude, while public broadcasters strike over funding – we examine the issues.

State will pay for French lessons

Free tuition previously reserved for non-EU immigrants has been made available to all after a legal ruling.

We know Dakar Rally dangers

Former competitor Gilles Algay gives insight into desert driving challenge.

Support group for cancer baldness

English-speakers in France with permanent hair loss after cancer provide mutual support

Networking is key to finding a job

Finding employment in France depends more on your energy, drive and contacts, not necessarily your level of French.

Medical records to start voluntarily

Plans to create voluntary online medical records have been relaunched but have not impressed health workers.

Frost vs Sarkozy - one day maybe

Veteran broadcaster would like to add a French president to the eight UK PMs and seven US presidents under his belt.

Template letter for unpaid wages

In our February edition we said the first step to tackle late wages is sending a letter - find a French template here.

Use a Qrops to free UK pension

Qrops enable you to take your private pension fund away from the tax regimes of the UK and France.