Today, we’re going to talk about organising a successful scouting trip to France. And more precisely WHY you may consider a scouting trip & HOW to make the most out of this trip to France
I can hear some of you saying, “Valerie, I don't have the time or money to plan a scouting trip to France!”. I get it to - You’re busy with work, saving for your future move. But here's why it’s important:
- Picking the wrong region of France is probably going to have the biggest impact: too cold, too wet, too remote, too far from the sea or airport. These are common mistakes and are difficult to assess by looking at a map of France.
- If you’re planning to buy a property, this is worth doing to see what you get for your money. And assess the area where you would enjoy living based on your needs and lifestyle.
- And if your business project is based on a property (retreat business, wedding venues, biking holidays), you will need to own the property before you apply for a business visa.
A side comment at this point - it’s important to say that you could move to France for a year on a long-stay visitor visa, buy a property with some renovation work to be done, and then switch to a business visa. But expect at least 18 to 24 months' delay, as you will need to renew your visitor visa at least once in France, before you can switch to a business visa.
And when I say switch, it will be more at the end of the next renewal deadline, after much fighting with and hassling the local prefecture… Or you could plan to go home after one year and apply for your business visa from home to save time.
1 - Surprising Benefits of Organising a Scouting Trip
Over the last year, I've been surprised by the number of people who snatched their dream property called “coup de coeur” while on a scouting trip to France.
- Sophie & Lee, a British/ Australian couple moving to Dordogne.
- Marshall & Lauren, an American couple moving to Dorgogne (yep, it’s popular with expats!).
We had a first call to discuss their move to France and debrief on business projects. Both had planned a trip to France and wanted to brainstorm before their holiday, to know what to look for and what to ask for. We were to catch up 3-4 weeks later. For both, we talked about having their finances ready and having an idea of what they were looking for in the property relating to their projects (size, spare rooms for workshops, side buildings with potential).
Fast forward 4 weeks later and both had put an offer through on a property. One was rejected, but they had a 2nd property on their list and that one got accepted.
Which means that a project planned for 8 to 10 months down the line, suddenly moved up to the business visa preparation stage. For Sophie & Lee, we built the business plan and visa talent application while the sale process went through. And we submitted it when they signed the final “acte de vente” as they got the key 3 months later. YES - you need to own the property first when your business project is based on a property.
And then it was all about painting and building work, while finishing the business visa application. At least for this British couple, they could pop over to France to keep an eye on the restoration, knock down a few walls or do some painting, as part of their 90 days out of 180 days allowance.
2 - Scouting trip to France: Reality check and Gut Feeling.
The next reason to plan a scouting trip to France is that hours of searching online and talking on forums or Facebook groups can't replace your gut feeling. You know the feeling - when you walk into a property or around a village and you feel at home or at least that you belong here?
It's also about meeting people you get on with, meeting the headteacher at the international or local school for your kids, checking sports facilities, discovering local shops and knowing that it will fit your needs and lifestyle.
It’s also about going to a local cafe or restaurant and asking the waiter or owner about the village’s life. So insightful! How do they feel about the village? What's nice to do around the area? I love hearing the owner of my local bar Casimir, talking to tourists. He is a real board of tourism and you just can’t avoid nodding, thinking “Yep, here’s right - we’ve got a lovely village, lively with small shops, many sporting activities and people always keep an eye out for each other”.
I have another couple from the UK coming to France for 10 days in September to test their two favourite areas. Then they’ll be back for a full month in May 2026, to fully test it, carry some market research as they are moving an existing business.
Before closing their UK business and selling their beloved property, they want to confirm that it looks feasible and that there is enough potential. They are applying the reality check + gut feeling approach!
This is the typical example of a couple planning 1 to 2 years ahead, with a couple of scouting trips.
3 - 15 Must-known tips for a Successful Scouting Trip to France
I’m not a travel agent, so I won’t focus on the flights, packing or insurance. But here are 15 things I would consider for a scouting trip to France:
- Plan 10 to 15 days in France to give yourself time to get a feel of the place and the cost of living.
- Plan to visit your favourite top 3 towns or areas in France.
- Try to come over out of the summer season to get a better feel of what it’s really like once the tourists are gone. No more tinted classes…
- Book property visits with an estate agent. Agents immobiliers tend to be specialised in one area, so you might need to book several. Make sure that your finances are ready before you leave. It will be necessary to secure visits. And as I mentioned before you might find the dream property sooner than planned.
- List your ideal property criteria + prepare a visit spreadsheet. I know it sounds boring, but believe me, you will forget the details once you’ve visited 4 properties. You want to write your impressions down.
- Stay at a local bed and breakfast or gite owned by expats. Ideal to get some feedback and tips, as they’ve done it before. I like “table d’hôtes” as you can chat more easily over dinner.
- Have dinner at a local restaurant and chat to the owner. Would you see yourself coming here, or sending your guests or visitors?
- Go to the Mairie and ask about the school registration process. Gite owners, check what you can do. Get a name or email, so you can contact them once back home.
- Check the sports facilities. Can you find a club for your favourite sport activities, yoga and biking or tennis? France tends to have lots of non-profit clubs for this called “associations” or “ les assoc”. It’s a great way to make friends for kids & grown-ups.
- Go to the grocery store - Oh yes, it can be eye-opening for cultural differences around food habits
- Visit or drive by the touristic sites, which could interest your customers
- Check the internet or fiber optic “ la fibre” coverage if you plan to work from home. Some rural areas aren’t great.
- Where’s the nearest hospital? Is there a local doctor or dentist? It can be hard to find in rural France, so nice to know in advance.
- How easy is it to go back home from where you are? Or to other parts of France and Europe by car, train or plane.
- What are the school's facilities from nursery up to University? Will you have to drive your kids to school, or will they take the bus? High School “le Lycée” can be further afield, are you ok with it? For instance, my kids’ lycee is 30 minutes away, and they have to take a 7 am bus. Pretty long days.
And finally, just sit down at a terrace and watch the world go by. One of my favourite French habit! What’s the atmosphere like? Do people look friendly, take the time to say hello to each other? Are people meeting up for a chat?
Take some time to ask yourself what your daily life would look like if you lived here. Would you work from home? Where would you go to meet up with a friend for cafe? Would you have to go far to go to the movie or to see a show? How easy would it be for friends and relatives to come and visit you?
It might seem obvious, but it could make a difference between two different properties or areas.
4 - Your Scouting Trip Checklist
If you’ve enjoyed these tips, download my Socutig Trip Checklist. A simple resource to use, no follow-up emails from me.
