Brian,

First of all, good for you! It is indeed an agonizing decision to make at any point in your life, to leave a place so familiar called 'home' and strike out on an adventure. But no matter what happens, you're sure not to regret leaving and trying something else.

Here are some very quick answers/thoughts to your various questions, but I think each one begs further questions before they can really be answered thoroughly.

1. Theoretically, you can't arrive in France on a tourist visa with the idea that you want to then start working here. You'll have no problem crossing into France as a tourist, but as soon as you start looking for work, any potential employer will seek documentation showing you can legally work here. That said, I know several individuals who have worked in France without proper legal authorization, and it is common knowledge that there is a hidden labor market for illegal immigrants...but great risks involved as well. That said, I seriously doubt that all farm works, grape pickers, and construction workers in France are properly declared and can legally work in France. I know that organizations such as Council Travel organized in the past work/study programs in Europe. Not sure if that is still the case...perhaps someone else reading the forum will have other ideas.

2. Not sure what you mean by country lifestyle, but just about ANY lifestyle is possible in France, in or out of cities. France has quite a diverse geography and the choices are endless if you don't necessarily want a big city or town. Let me know a little more about what you mean here.

3. This should not necessarily cause you great concern (see question 1 if you want to be concerned about something!) You might not want to transfer money immediately to France as opening a bank account can sometimes be tricky if you haven't established some semblance of residency in France. For my first year in France, I got by with no local bank account. Instead, with a simple ATM card linked to my US savings account I was able to withdraw money whenever I needed to from any ATM machine here, and they are everywhere. If you want more details, I'll be happy to provide them to you directly.

4. A hostel is certainly a low-cost solution for a short stay in a city, but considering your second question, I'm not sure you'll find too many hostels out in the country. Depending on your budget, hotels can be very reasonable options. Even the one-star hotels in the country are clean and safe, and I've had rooms from around 20 euros/night in some small towns. If you want particular recommendations for youth hostels, let me know for which cities and I can ask around here.

5. Just one final thought concerning your 5th question. The harvest season begins here very shortly...for some regions it has already begun. I know there is always a shortage of workers in certain regions. I think last year the national employment agency www.anpe.fr even had an English section talking about these temporary jobs. Not sure, but there might be organizations in the US who work to send people over to France during this period to help supply workers. It's a bit of a long shot given that you are not already here in France, but might be worth a shot. If you were already in France, I think your chances of finding harvest work for a few weeks between now and middle October would be pretty good.

I'd be happy to speak with you more concerning your plans and to answer any further questions. I too made the decision six years ago to leave a lot behind in the US and come to France...it's been quite an adventure but I don't regret it for a minute. Feel free to contact me directly at tbonsall@*nospam*alumni.middlebury.edu, just wipe out the *nospam* from the address.

Good luck!
Trent

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Thanks a bunch to Trent for the advice. From what I have heard from him, and from what I have read in books and the internet, it unfortunately seems that I may have to work illegally at least for awhile until I can get situated on my own. I guess what I need now, as far as information goes, is a way to find a "sponsor family" that I could work for and live with. Understandably I wish to bring consequences to anyone, thus any information anyone can send about doing what I inquire about would be greatly appreciated. If you wish to contact me directly, my email is squeeknormand@*no spam*hotmail.com (just take out the *no spam*) I am really looking to make this process happen a.s.a.p. so any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance, Brian.

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Brian,

I can't lie to you, it's not easy. France is a very rigid country when it comes to skills and education. Basically, people learn a skill very early in the education system, or they start on the path to univerisity.

It is extremely hard to enter into a certain field and it is even harder to switch from one to another (even if it would be considered a step down). It is one of the reasons I would consider moving back to the states.

Every job requires some form of educational certification, no matter how humble (at least in my experience).

Also, you must be warned that it is expensive to live here. Cost of housing is high, the price of food is high (agriculture isn't enormously subsidised like in the US), the price of gas is high (~$5/gallon) and on and on.

If you do come, make sure you have a valid driver's license from one of the 14 or so states with exchange agreements with france (look on the american embassy in paris website).

Even under the best circumstances, settling down in france can be tear-jerkingly frustrating. But if you do come, I wish you lots of luck. It's a fabulous country and europe is a fabulous experience.

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