Finding Our Place in the Vienne: A Move Towards a More Authentic French Life

We spoke with Simon and Sarah, who started a new life in France in 2017, after deciding life in the UK wasn't for them anymore. They went looking for an authentically French lifestyle, and found it in the Vienne.

"When we moved to France in 2017, we weren’t chasing a postcard version of the country. We weren’t looking for somewhere polished, busy, or overly geared towards tourism. What we wanted — quite simply — was an authentic French lifestyle.

After years of living in the north of the UK, we had begun to feel a bit boxed in. Our house was comfortable, but space was limited, and the idea of having land, outbuildings, and room to properly enjoy our retirement projects felt increasingly appealing. We didn’t want to just slow down — we wanted to change how we lived.

Why We Chose the Vienne

We spent a long time researching different regions, and eventually found ourselves drawn to Vienne.

It ticked boxes that, at first glance, don’t always grab attention but proved incredibly important to us.

Firstly, the transport links. We wanted to be able to travel easily within France and back to the UK when needed. The Vienne is well positioned, with good road networks, rail connections, and access to nearby cities like Poitiers, which made getting around far simpler than we expected in a rural setting.

Secondly, and just as importantly, was value for space. Compared to many other regions, the Vienne allowed us to find a property with land and outbuildings without stretching our budget beyond reason.

But beyond the practicalities, there was something about the feel of the place. It was unmistakably French, not curated, not overly influenced by tourism, just everyday life, lived at its own pace.

Finding the Right Property

We knew fairly early on that we didn’t want a finished, picture-perfect home. What we were looking for was potential.

After several trips and more viewings than I care to count, we found it — a traditional stone house set in the countryside, with a good amount of land and, crucially for us, a collection of outbuildings.

To some, they might have looked like old barns in need of attention.

To us, they were workshops waiting to happen.

That was a big part of the dream - having space to tinker, build, restore, and finally spend time on all the projects that had been put off for years.

Settling Into French Life

The first year was, as you might expect, a mixture of excitement and adjustment.

There were practical things to navigate - paperwork, language, understanding how systems worked, but also the slower process of settling into a new rhythm of life.

What struck us early on was how unhurried everything felt.

In the UK, life had always felt structured and time-driven. Here, things seemed to happen when they happened. At first, that took some getting used to. Over time, we realised it was one of the greatest advantages of living here.

Creating Our Space

The house itself didn’t need major structural work, but we made steady improvements such as updating rooms, improving insulation, and gradually shaping it into something that suited us.

The real transformation, though, happened in the outbuildings.

Over the years, we’ve converted them into practical workshop spaces — somewhere to work on wood projects, maintain tools, and generally keep ourselves busy in a way that feels productive but never pressured.

Having that space has completely changed how we spend our time.

Living an Authentic French Life

What we’ve come to appreciate most about the Vienne is how genuinely French it feels.

We shop at local markets, use small independent businesses, and have slowly built relationships within the community. It wasn’t instant, these things rarely are, but consistency goes a long way.

Neighbours acknowledge you, then chat to you, and eventually you find yourself part of the fabric of the area.

There’s a quiet satisfaction in that.

Daily life here isn’t about constant activity or entertainment. It’s about routine in the best sense; the rhythm of the seasons, the changing landscape, the small, regular interactions that make a place feel like home.

Life Now, Nearly a Decade On

Now, several years in, we can honestly say we’ve found our feet.

The projects we dreamed about are part of everyday life. The space we wanted has become something we genuinely use and appreciate. And the lifestyle we were searching for — slower, more grounded, more intentional — is exactly what we’ve built.

The Vienne may not be the most talked-about region in France, but for us, that’s part of its appeal.

It hasn’t tried to be anything other than what it is.

And for a couple looking for space, authenticity, and the freedom to shape their own days, that turned out to be exactly what we needed."