Beyond Nantes - finding an apartment in France

We moved to France a few years ago with no illusions that we’d find the “perfect” place right away. Like a lot of people who leave the U.S. hoping for a different rhythm to their lives, we knew it might take a few tries. We’ve stayed in cities, in the countryside, in places that surprised us and in others that confirmed what we already suspected: where you live really shapes how you live.

TL;DR:
We’ve been in Nantes, but it was never meant to be forever. Now we’re planning a move and looking for a place in France that better fits how we want to live. Here’s a bit about what we’re looking for.

Rethinking Where We Live

Nantes has been kind to us, even if it never quite felt permanent. We landed here by choice, but also by practicality: good transit, decent housing, enough going on without being overwhelming.

it’s been a good home base while we got our footing. But now, as we look ahead to the next stage, we’re starting to ask harder questions about where—and how—we want to live long-term. What kind of place fits us now, not just what was available when we arrived?

[ed note: what’s funny to me now is that we’re still around Nantes, even though we didn’t plan to stay.]

It’s funny how where we want to live has become such an existential question.

• If this is the right choice now, will it still feel right in 10 years?
• Can we even plan that far ahead?
• Are we building a life here or just trying it out?

and it gets really quiet out in the country in France - and fast.

so more questions:

• Do we want to be around more people—or more space?
• Can we handle the quiet when it’s not just peaceful, but really empty?
• Will we miss the rhythm of a city, or are we craving the stillness of rural life?

So we’ve been working through it.

Below, you’ll find the evolving criteria we’re using as we think about our next move—not just a new apartment, but a new way of anchoring ourselves in a place that feels a little more like home.

So… Why Nantes?

We get asked this every time we meet someone new. And honestly, we don’t have any real connections to the city.

What brought us here was mostly practical: a good airport, strong train links to the rest of France, and a city that felt manageable—active without being overwhelming. We liked the vibe right away. And over time, Nantes surprised us. It turned out to be a better fit than we expected.

Still, when we moved in, we gave it 12 to 18 months—unless something really changed. A lot has changed, but the bigger question remains: is this still the right place for us?

Is It?

So Much Country, So Many Countries

France feels very different in places that aren’t even that far away from each other. The landscape 2-3 hours to the east of here feels totally different to the extended delta that we’re in.

The lowlands and marais to the south are beautiful, but radically different to the desertlike interior or the massive winegrowing regions further up the Loire or the rain drenched coast of Bretagne.

Somewhere in our minds is still the intensely rural Auvergne region and the Central Massif, formed of ancient volcanoes and truly beautiful, but also one of the least populated. It’s inside what is sometimes called the “empty diagonal” of France.

Search strings

We’re looking to move in about six months—which, in some ways, isn’t a lot of time to plan. We’ve started putting together a list of things we’d ideally like in a new place, and we think we might be able to find them here in France.

We’re not just looking for somewhere to live, but for a place that aligns with how we want to live—and maybe even pushes us to live better.

A small anglophone community nearby wouldn’t hurt - for whatever you might tell yourself about assimilating, you might still want to have some fellow English speakers nearby.

France is surprisingly diverse for its size. A move just a few hours away could mean a completely different rhythm, landscape, or local culture. I’m even open to staying somewhere near Nantes—just not quite in it.

We’ve stayed in all kinds of places here, from city centers to tiny villages that felt like the middle of nowhere. There are a lot of options, and we’re still figuring out what kind of place feels most like home.

Musical interlude

L’appartement - Katerine / Philippe Katerine (1999)

Katerine’s lo-fi chanson blends deadpan humor with minimalist production, making the mundane details of apartment life into something strangely hypnotic and subtly absurd—very Katerine.

Apartment Criteria (…or possibly a house)

Many of these are a bit subjective & are meant to be - they’re things that we look for. I hope it helps, but you really need to make your own list.

For example, “safety” was a big concern, but for us, it’s not really a concern in most of France. Not like it was for us at home. I am from NYC and my wife from Chicago, so what feels safe to us may be different than for others. There are people who say Nantes is not safe and I just don’t see it - at all

Other things included how the neighborhoods felt, how easy it was to get around, and what the overall cost of living might be. Then I added other things—parks, cafés, and spots that make daily life feel enjoyable.

Our last neighborhood had all of those things, but it still felt oddly too sterile for us, while being overpriced with a squat down the block.

So no squats nearby, thanks - although I support your fundamental right to squat.

I talked to people who already lived in different areas and browsed some expat websites for insights, but they’re less helpful than you might think.

Then, we gave each place a rough score based on how well it matched what we were looking for. It’s not a perfect system, but a simple one of a list of things we want, then try to put them in order, then try to give them a weight, or importance. It’s amazed how helpful it is.

And more places start to check the right boxes, I’ll share what we find.

A bit of the list:

• Prettier or at least a more attractive apartment
• Safe – not so much of a concern for us here, but important
• Character – living in a huge apartment block isn’t it for us
• Some cultural interest nearby
• Anglophone community - this has been less important for us than I thought it would be.
• Mixed age groups – this has been more important for us than we first realized. A University nearby seems helpful

Mass transit

• Airport
• Trains - intercities
• Buses & local transit
• Bike rentals like naolib

Nice housing stock overall?

• 2-3BR apartment
• Under €1000/month
• Lower utilities cost - heat and power will kill your budget here
• Good Wi-Fi
• Semi-furnished
• Cheaper utilities
• Storage
• “Outdoor space” – we’re liking balconies these days
• Parks & Green spaces
• Amenities
• Supermarkets
• Farmers market
• Bakery
• Cafe

Thinking of moving within France—or just curious how others are doing it?

tell me abotu it. Anything you want to add to this list? The weirder and more specific you can be, the better, in my experience.

Let me know your own odd criteria for places to live.

Follow along as we figure out what comes next, where we might land, and what it really means to find a place that fits.

Subscribe and be part of the whole confusing adventure.