Apr 14 • General discussion
A Day in the Life: What Everyday Living in France Actually Looks Like
Spoiler: It’s not all pastries and vineyards. But it’s close!
When people imagine life in France, they often picture dreamy Parisian mornings or long afternoons in the vineyards of Provence. And hey, those things can be part of it. But most of the time? Life in France is just… life. But slower. Calmer. And somehow still more delicious.
Here’s what a real, regular day looks like for someone living in a French town or village:
☀️ Morning: No Rush Required
You wake up with sunlight filtering through the shutters (yes, they still use those here), and you’ve got time.
Not “hustle out the door with coffee in hand” time—actual time. You:
- Take a stroll to the bakery for fresh bread & a café crème (your boulangère knows your order)
- Sip coffee slowly—like, actually sit down to drink it
- Read, stretch, or just stare out the window and people watch for a while without guilt
The morning is yours. And it sets the tone for everything else.
🧺 Midday: Real Breaks, Real Meals
Lunch is a thing. A real thing.
Shops close. Schools break. People go home or meet friends. No sad desk salads or “lunch” at 3pm in the car. In France, you pause to eat—and often, you eat well. There are even picnic tables scattered along the sides of highways.
Simple, fresh food. Wine if you want it. Conversation if you’re lucky.
And if you’re working remotely? You might find yourself adopting this rhythm pretty quickly. Because it just feels… better.
🧘 Afternoon: Errands, Work, and Walks
Afternoons include:
- A bit of remote work or freelance life from home or a café
- A quick grocery run (because everyone shops daily, not weekly)
- Bureaucratic errands (this is France, after all—there will be paperwork)
- A walk—no purpose, just movement and fresh air
Everything is more local, more personal. You recognize the cashier. The pharmacist knows your name. There’s a rhythm here—and you’re part of it.
🌇 Evening: Stillness, Not Scroll
Dinner happens later, but not rushed. You eat around a table. Not in front of a screen. Not in a drive-thru.
Maybe you sit outside if the weather’s nice. Maybe you open a bottle of wine.There’s time for books. Time for talking. Time for a bit of nothing.
You go to bed not feeling wrung out. Just… content.
Real Life, But Better.
Life in France isn’t a constant vacation. It’s laundry and bills and forms and rainy days.
But it’s also:
- Prioritized pleasure
- Protected rest
- Shared meals
- A culture that values being, not just doing
If that’s the kind of life you want more of, you’re not alone.
Inside Retire to Europe, we help you go from “maybe someday” to “this is my real life now.”
We talk visas, costs, regions—and yes, we talk about the boulangeries too!
Come build a day-in-the-life you enthusiastically want to live.
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A Day in the Life: What Everyday Living in France Actually Looks Like
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