CROSS-CHANNEL COMMUTERS
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| Peter and Josie make their journey
to France |
A number of South Easterners are moving to Northern
France, yet are continuing with their jobs in England.
The French way of life is worth the commute,
they say.
Peter Lambert, who has commuted cross-channel for the
last seven years says, "The food, the drink, the choice - it's marvellous."
Peter and his partner Josie Clarke live in a beautiful
farmhouse in the village of Preures in Northern France, 40 miles south
of Calais.
| Peter and Josie's Commute |
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Distance work to home: Approx. 103 miles
Time work to home: Approx. 3.5 hours
Commutes per week: 4-5
Cost per channel crossing: A day return crossing for two adults and one car can cost around
拢25 with P&O, but frequent travellers receive discounts.
Verdict: Peter and Josie say it is well worth it.
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They run a small business buying and selling electricity,
based in East Sussex. Josie says, "The people are absolutely fantastic.
Our neighbours are wonderful."
Ex-pat community
France is only 21 miles from the South East of England.
There are plenty of ferries and a railway tunnel to make the journey.
Many South Easterners have taken advantage of these transport
links and have moved across the channel. There is now a small British
ex-pat community around the town of Hucqueliers, in northern France.
Practicalities
Red tape and practicalities may deter some would-be channel-hoppers
from tasting a new lifestyle out in France.
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| Commuters can
see the Paris sights at weekends |
Colin Schrader from French Property News says the red
tape in minimal.
Cross-channel commuters pay PAYE in the UK, because that
is where they work. They then pay the equivalent of council tax in France
for local facilities.
For parent鈥檚 woried about French schooling, Alan Cox
who commutes from France to Colchester in Essex says his children have
settled well, "Even our little girl who's four speaks a reasonable
amount of French."
Housing shortages
Sir Sandy Bruce-Lockhart, Head of Kent County Council
suggests that cross-channel commuters could ease the South East鈥檚 housing
shortages.
He tells Inside Out, "We are under pressure from central
government to provide more housing. They want us to build 120,000 new
homes by 2031."
"If people commuted across the channel, we wouldn鈥檛 need
to build as many houses."
Tempted?
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| French delicacies
are enough to tempt some |
The following checklist includes just some of the factors
for consideration, for those who are tempted to follow in Peter and Josie's
footsteps...
- Estate agents
- Solicitors
- Schools
- Doctors
- Dentists
- Pets
- Builders
- 成人快手 and garden maintenance
Some of the weblinks at the top of the page offer further useful information,
for those wanting a taste of life in France.
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