This southwest France travel blog is written from inside the region rather than about it, by people who live in the Duras area and deal with the same notaires, markets and Februaries as everyone else here. This page is the way in — every guide organised by theme, with a note on what each is actually for.
At a glance
Most writing about south-west France is produced by people who spent a fortnight here. That is not a criticism — a fortnight is what most people have — but it produces a particular kind of article, one that is very good on castles and very quiet on what a Tuesday in February is like.
This blog is written from the other side. It comes out of the Duras area, where Lot-et-Garonne, the Dordogne and the Gironde meet, and it draws on living here through the whole year rather than the pleasant third of it.
This page is the index. Every guide is grouped by theme below, with a note on what each is actually for.
If you are thinking of moving here
Moving to France from the UK: A Post-Brexit Guide — Moving to France from the UK after Brexit: who can move and on which visa, the timeline, money and tax, and the mistakes that catch people out.
Moving to France After Brexit: What Britons Need to Know — Moving to France after Brexit is still achievable for British citizens, but the rules changed. The visa routes, the timeline and the paperwork.
Retire to France from the UK: A Practical Guide — Retiring to France from the UK — the visa route, pensions and tax, the S1 and healthcare, inheritance rules and the practicalities to plan for.
Visas and Residency in France: A Complete Guide After Brexit — Visas and residency in France explained — the routes for every nationality, why buying a house grants no right to live there, and the timeline.
Healthcare in France: How the System Really Works — How healthcare in France actually works — registering with CPAM, the carte Vitale, what the state reimburses, and why most people add a mutuelle.
Schools and Education in France: A Guide for Moving Families — Schools and education in France for families moving over — how the system works, the stages, and what to expect when your children start.
Self-Employed in France: The Micro-Entreprise Explained — The micro-entreprise explained: how self-employment in France works, the thresholds, the social charges, and whether it suits your plans.
Driving in France: Exchanging Your UK Licence — Driving in France as a resident: exchanging a UK licence, the rules that differ, rural fuel and roads, and what catches newcomers out.
If you are buying property
Buying Property in France: Process, Costs and Pitfalls — How buying property in France really works — the notaire, the compromis de vente, the 7-8% costs on older homes, and the pitfalls that catch buyers out.
Property for Sale in South West France: Where to Buy — Where to buy property in south west France — how the areas compare on price, what drives the differences, and how to narrow a search sensibly.
Property for Sale in Eymet: A Buyer's Market Guide — Property for sale in Eymet and the surrounding villages — what your money buys, the real costs of purchase, and what to check before offering.
Farmhouse for Sale in France: A Buyer's Guide — Buying a farmhouse in France — what your money buys in the south-west, the real cost of restoration, land, septic tanks and what to check first.
Cheap French Property for Sale: What You Really Get — What cheap French property really costs — the roof, the fosse septique, the artisan queue and the bills that are never in the asking price.
Property in Lot-et-Garonne: A Buyer's Guide — Buying property in Lot-et-Garonne: what the money buys in south-west France's best-value corner, the process, the costs and the pitfalls.
Property Taxes in France: What Owners Actually Pay — What French property owners actually pay — taxe fonciere, taxe d'habitation on second homes, purchase costs, and the surcharges to watch for.
Renovating in France: Costs, Permissions and Pitfalls — Renovating a house in France: what it costs, which permissions you need, finding artisans in a booked-up region, and the pitfalls to avoid.
Fosse Septique & Septic Tanks in France: The Buyer's Guide — The fosse septique is the costliest surprise in a rural French house. What SPANC inspects, who pays, and how to handle it before you buy.
The Real Cost of Living in Lot-et-Garonne: An Honest Guide — What it actually costs to live in Lot-et-Garonne: groceries, utilities, eating out and a realistic monthly total for a couple in south-west France.
If you are choosing where to live
South West France: A Complete Guide to the Region — A complete guide to South West France — the départements, landscapes, climate, food and wine, cities and where the best value is found.
South West France Map: How the Region Fits Together — How south west France fits together — the departements, the rivers, and realistic driving times between the towns, cities, coast and mountains.
Living in the Dordogne and Lot-et-Garonne: An Honest Guide — An honest guide to living in the Dordogne and Lot-et-Garonne — the landscape, the towns, the costs and the realities behind the daydream.
Dordogne Market Towns: Which to Live In — The Dordogne market towns assessed as places to live: amenities, year-round life, character and property, from Bergerac and Eymet to Issigeac and Duras.
Duras, France: A Complete Guide to the Town — A complete guide to Duras in south-west France — the château, the Monday market, the Côtes de Duras wine, amenities and what living there is like.
Moving to Eymet: Life in the Dordogne Bastide — Moving to Eymet: the bastide with the largest international community in the area — property, amenities, the social scene and an honest appraisal.
Eymet, Dordogne: How It Compares to the Périgord — How Eymet compares with the rest of the Dordogne: where it sits, real distances, airport access, and the contrasts in cost, crowds and community.
Eymet: The History, People and Character of a Bastide — A profile of Eymet: how the bastide was founded, its long contested history, its architecture, demographics and the character of the town today.
Live in Monségur: The Quiet Gironde Bastide — What it is like to live in Monségur — the Gironde bastide above the Dropt: amenities, community, property, wine country and access to Bordeaux.
Eymet Weather: The Climate Through the Year — Eymet weather month by month — hot inland summers, mild wet winters, and what the climate means for visiting or living in south-west France.
If you are visiting
Best Time to Visit Southwest France: Month by Month — The best time to visit southwest France, month by month — weather, crowds, prices, closures and events, with honest advice for each season.
Southwest France Itinerary: One and Two Weeks — Worked southwest France itineraries for one and two weeks, built around a single base, market days and realistic driving rather than a circuit.
Southwest France Weekend Getaway: 48 and 72 Hours — Southwest France weekend getaway itineraries for 48 and 72 hours — flights, where to base yourself, and days built around markets, wine and long lunches.
Southwest France Day Trips: Where to Go from Duras — A practical guide to southwest France day trips from the Duras area — bastide towns, vineyards, castles, markets and cities, with realistic driving times.
Things to Do in Southwest France: A Local Guide — Things to do in southwest France, organised by type of day — outdoors, water, food and markets, heritage, wine, and the village events nobody advertises.
Southwest France Attractions: The Ones Worth It — The major southwest France attractions assessed honestly — painted caves, gardens, Sarlat, Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux and the coast, with real distances.
Southwest France Off the Beaten Path: Quiet Corners — Southwest France off the beaten path — the quiet bastides, minor appellations, empty valleys and small sites that the Dordogne valley circuit misses entirely.
Southwest France Insider Tips: What Locals Know — Practical southwest France insider tips from people who live there — timing, closures, etiquette, driving, money and the conventions nobody explains.
Southwest France: What to Pack, Season by Season — What to pack for southwest France by season — hot inland summers, wet mild winters, and the things visitors forget whatever month they come.
Where to Stay in Southwest France: Accommodation — Where to stay in southwest France — chambres d'hotes, gites, hotels, camping and long-term rentals, what each costs and how to pick a base.
Southwest France Guided Tours: What Is Worth It — Which southwest France guided tours are worth paying for — wine, prehistory, walking, food and private guides — and which you can do yourself.
Getting around
Southwest France Transportation: Getting Around — How to get around southwest France — airports, trains, buses, car hire, roads, tolls and fuel, plus what is genuinely possible without a car.
Southwest France by Train: Routes and Realities — Train travel in southwest France — the TGV, the regional lines, which market towns have stations, and how far you get without a car.
Southwest France Bike Tours: Routes and Practicalities — Cycling in southwest France — the empty back roads, voies vertes, route types, hire, and how to plan a self-guided or guided bike tour.
If you want to get outside
Southwest France Walking Tours: Routes and Practicalities — Southwest France walking tours and routes — waymarked village loops, GR footpaths, pilgrim ways and vineyard trails, with maps, seasons and safety.
Southwest France Photography: Light, Places, Seasons — Photographing southwest France — the light, the best hours and seasons, the subjects that reward attention, and where to be for each.
Southwest France Castles: Which Ones to Visit — A guide to the castles of southwest France — Beynac, Castelnaud, Biron, Bonaguil, Duras, Monbazillac and more, and how to visit them well.
Southwest France Cultural Sites: Reading the Layers — Southwest France cultural sites by historical layer — prehistory, Roman, Romanesque, medieval, Renaissance — and how to read them in the landscape.
Southwest France Local Experiences: Joining In — Southwest France local experiences worth joining — the vendange, village fêtes, night markets, vide-greniers, harvests, cookery and the associative life.
Southwest France Festivals: The Calendar Year — A calendar of southwest France festivals — the named annual events worth planning around and the village programme that carries the rest of the year.
If you are here for the food and wine
Southwest France Food Guide: What to Eat and Buy — What southwest France actually produces and eats — duck and goose, walnuts, prunes, cèpes, truffles and cheeses — what each is for and when to buy it.
Southwest France Restaurants: How to Eat Well — How to eat well in southwest France restaurants — the menu du jour, service hours, types of establishment, regional dishes and how to order confidently.
Côtes de Duras and Bergerac Wine: A Vineyard Guide — A guide to Cotes de Duras and Bergerac wine — the appellations, the grapes, visiting the domaines, and why the value here is so hard to beat.
The Dordogne Wine Region: Appellations and Terroir — A guide to the Dordogne wine region: the Bergerac appellations, Monbazillac, Pécharmant, Saussignac, Rosette and Montravel, and how they relate to Bordeaux.
Southwest France Wine Tasting: A Practical Guide — How wine tasting really works in southwest France: booking, dégustation etiquette, useful French, buying at the door, and driving limits.
Four reading orders, depending on why you are here
The index above is comprehensive, which makes it a poor place to start if you do not already know what you want. These are the paths most people actually take.
"We are thinking about it, vaguely"
Start with the region rather than the paperwork. Read the guide to living in the Dordogne and Lot-et-Garonne for the overall picture, then the cost-of-living guide for the numbers that make people either serious or relieved. Then the market towns guide, which is where the abstract idea of moving to France turns into the concrete question of which village.
Leave visas and inheritance law until you have decided the place is worth the trouble.
"We have decided, now what?"
Reverse the order. Visas and residency first, because the immigration route determines the timeline and everything else hangs off it. Then healthcare, then the property-buying process, then taxes. Then the specific guides on septic tanks and renovation if you are buying anything old, which in this region you probably are.
The single most useful thing in this sequence is not an article: it is renting for a season, including a winter, before committing.
"We are coming on holiday"
Best-time-to-visit first, since it shapes everything else. Then the day-trips guide to understand what is within reach, and the weekend guide if you have only two or three days. Insider tips before you travel rather than after, because the things in it — the bonjour, the lunch hours, the Monday closures — are the ones that otherwise cost you an afternoon each.
"We came on holiday and now we are thinking about it"
This is the most common path of all, and it has one specific piece of advice attached: come back in February. Everything else on this site is secondary to that. A summer visit tells you the region is beautiful. A winter visit tells you whether you want to live in it.
What this blog does not cover
Worth stating, so you know where the edges are.
The Périgord Noir from the inside. Sarlat, Domme and the castle country of the eastern Dordogne appear here as places to visit, and the guides are honest that this is a different market with different prices and a different summer. We do not pretend to know it as home.
The coast. The Atlantic beaches, the Bassin d'Arcachon and the Landes are covered as day trips, not as places to live.
Legal or tax advice. The guides explain how things work and what to expect. They are not a substitute for a notaire, an accountant or an immigration adviser, and on anything with a real financial consequence you should have one.
Current prices. Deliberately. A figure quoted precisely today is wrong within eighteen months, so the guides give ranges and benchmarks and tell you where the number comes from.
Anywhere we have not been. If a village is not mentioned, it is generally because we do not know it well enough to be useful about it rather than because there is anything wrong with it.
How these guides are written
A few principles, stated plainly so you know what you are reading.
They are long. Each is written to be the most useful page on its subject rather than a summary, which generally means several thousand words. If you want a quick answer, the questions at the top of each guide are there for that.
Figures are given as ranges. Precise prices date badly and vary by property, commune and year. Where a benchmark is useful it is given as one; where a number would be invented, it is left out.
They are not sponsored. Nothing here is paid placement. Where a guide argues against something — a town that fails the winter test, a way of spending a weekend, a purchase that will not pay off — that argument stands.
They are honest about the downsides. Rural France has a GP shortage, an artisan queue, quiet winters and real bureaucracy. A guide that omits those is selling something.
They assume you might be anyone. Nationality is mentioned only where the rules genuinely differ, which is mostly visas.
The recurring themes
Read enough of these guides and the same handful of arguments keep surfacing. They are worth stating once, in one place.
Come in February. A summer visit is not evidence. The question that decides whether people stay is whether a quiet, wet Tuesday in a small French town reads as peace or as isolation, and only winter answers it. Look for an open bakery, someone in the bar, a school in session and shutters open on the houses in the centre.
The name on the département is worth less than the drive time. Property is marketed by département, and "Dordogne" carries a premium that a kilometre of countryside does not justify. Searching geographically — a circle around the towns and services you will actually use — turns up better houses for less money than filtering by a name.
Lunch is not negotiable. Roughly midday to two, and it closes shops and offices as well as kitchens. Almost every wasted afternoon in this region traces back to ignoring it.
Join something in the first year. The people who settle happily are almost always the ones who joined a walking club, a choir or a language exchange early. The ones who struggle usually waited for a social life to arrive.
Say bonjour. On entering any shop, bar or waiting room, before anything else. It is the cheapest possible investment in how you are treated and the most consistently overlooked.
Budget for the artisan queue. Good builders, roofers and plumbers are booked months ahead across the whole region. A cheap house that needs a roof is only cheap if someone will come and put one on.
Everything good is offline. The village calendar, the walking circuits, the growers worth visiting and the restaurant that is actually the best in the area are all found on a mairie noticeboard, in a tourist-office booklet or from someone at a market — not through a search engine.
Why the Duras area, specifically
A fair question, since the guides keep returning to it.
The country framed by Sainte-Foy-la-Grande, Bergerac, Villeréal, Lauzun and Marmande sits where three départements meet — Lot-et-Garonne, the Dordogne and the Gironde. That junction is the whole argument. You get the Dordogne's markets and Bergerac's airport at about thirty-five minutes, the Gironde's wine and Bordeaux at around an hour and a quarter, and Lot-et-Garonne's prices, which remain among the better value in the region.
The famous places stay accessible without being on top of you: Saint-Émilion and Bordeaux an hour and a quarter, Sarlat and the great castles about ninety minutes, the painted caves of the Vézère under two hours. Close enough to see properly. Far enough that their August never arrives on your doorstep.
And there is a British and Dutch community here that is decades deep but not concentrated, which turns out to be the useful configuration — somebody who can explain the tax form, and every reason to be talking to French neighbours rather than only to them.
None of which makes it right for everyone, and the guides say so. What it does make it is a good vantage point from which to write about the region, because it is close to most of it and beholden to none of it.
If you have read a few of these and want to talk to an actual person rather than a page, Tina lives in the Duras area, works in local property, and will give you a straight answer about whether this part of France suits you — in your own language, and without any interest in persuading you that it does.
Why this matters if you're looking at Duras
Everything here is written from the Duras area, by people who live in it. Tina is the local expert behind the practical side of it.