Menu
Expat.com
Search
Magazine
Search

Moving from mainland France to La Reunion

R
#1

Hello, My wife and I are both English, retired and living in the south of mainland France for a few years now. Now that we are assimilated into the French 'System' (i.e. bank accounts, Carte Vitale, Mutuelle, etc,etc.) we are wondering if a 'Final' (?) move to la Reunion might be good for us for our 'Twilight Years'. Any comments, experiences or suggestions from those who may have done this would be welcome.

Thanks,

Robert Hopkin

See also
champacs
#2

Hello @Robert Hopkin

A few brief thoughts:


  1. do you speak passable or fluent French? It's difficult to get by in Reunion if you don't
  2. bear in mind that the cost of living is higher in Reunion than mainland France (food is on average 37% more expensive)
  3. also bear in mind that the flight to Europe (Paris) is 11 hours long and is relatively expensive depending on when you travel. This is not necessarily an issue if you won't have a lot of family members visiting you, or if you don't need to "pop back" frequently to the UK or elsewhere.

If you've not yet visited Reunion I would recommend coming for a few weeks, and seeing what you think.

Essential services for your expat journey

Choose the best health insurance
Choose the best health insurance
Protect your health and get easy access to treatment for expats in Reunion Island.
Plan your international move
Plan your international move
Facilitate your move to Reunion Island by getting a quote from our top rated movers.
Open a bank account that suits you
Open a bank account that suits you
Discover the best international banks to manage your money securely.
Send money overseas at the best rate
Send money overseas at the best rate
For fast, safe and secure money transfers to and from Reunion Island.
Other discussions on living in Reunion Island
Ask your questionOther discussions about retirement in Reunion Island