Magazine

Why French inheritance law is causing stress: our stories

Connexion readers share their experience of living in France while legal uncertainty surrounds their wills

Experiences: Why I love living on the Côte d’Azur

Connexion reader highlights the community spirit of his home in Alpes-Maritimes and the surprising lack of crowds

Letters: French people struggle to say my name - or translate it

Connexion readers share their anecdotes of cross-cultural confusion

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Letters: French recycling rules just lead to more waste

Connexion readers say the system pollutes communes and attracts vermin

Letters: A tontine clause may ease inheritance fears in France

Connexion reader suggests a way of avoiding complications over the transfer of an estate

Learning French: the origins and meaning of vendre la mèche

An explosive idiom for when someone exposes a secret

Learning French: ça m'est égal and other phrases for expressing indifference and indecision

‘Peu importe’, ‘je m’en fiche’, ‘tout me va’… how to get out of making a decision in French

PHOTOS: French villagers had no idea their neighbour was an acclaimed American artist

Frances Butler exhibited in some of the world’s leading museums, including the Victoria & Albert and British Museum in London

Letters: We can live comfortably in France on €15,000 a year- in a city with no car

Connexion readers share the annual budget they need to enjoy their retirement

Comment: Spat between France and Algeria opens old wounds

Columnist Nabila Ramdani tells how tempers between the countries flared after the arrest of a TikTok influencer

Letters: France needs more immigration to help its ageing population

Connexion reader disagrees with Simon Heffer calling it a problem

Comment: Jean-Marie Le Pen’s death will further detoxify Marine’s politics – but not completely

Columnist Simon Heffer looks at how the former leader's party has changed since 2007

Letters: France is getting better at providing vegetarian options

Connexion readers say that a cultural shift is underway - but progress takes time

Learning French: se gaver and other terms to describe overeating

It is also an informal way to describe being obsessed with or irritated by something

Guess the French region with the help of this clue: A lovely composition

The town also featured heavily in English history, particularly during the Hundred Years' War

Letters: French politics needs to veer right to cut costs

Connexion reader says that France can reverse its fortunes by following the example of the United States

Letters: Readers share their French language howlers

Malapropisms, word-for-word translations and false friends are often greeted with a chuckle

Learning French: expressions featuring the number 36

Did you know about the mysterious origins behind France’s equivalent to umpteen?

Learning French: what does flipper mean and when should it be used?

An informal word for when you are red with rage or white with fear

Duck Cold! Four French phrases to use when it is freezing outside

France's current cold spell is set to continue for the next few days - we remind you of French expressions to use to describe the drop in temperature

Learning French: what does nickel mean and when should it be used?

A popular term to describe cleanliness or perfection

Learning French: when and why do we say appuyer sur le champignon?

A quick expression for when you feel the need for speed

Properties you can buy for under €50,000, €150,000 and €1 million in Pas-de-Calais

One of France's most densely populated departments is reinventing itself to appeal to tourists

Learning French: why être habillé pour l'hiver is rarely about your clothes

There is a figurative meaning behind this phrase that literally describes wrapping up for cold weather

Learning French: the origins and meaning of chanter en yaourt

An iconic phrase for when you do not know the words to a song

Pimp your potage: making the most of French supermarket soups

Discover how to elevate ready-made soups with simple ingredients for a gourmet touch

Lyon building will be the first in France to achieve sustainable temperature control

Innovative design promises optimal temperatures year-round without traditional heating or cooling systems

How long do French residency rights last if you move away?

We spoke to EU experts who explain residency card expiry rules due to 'absence' from France

Letters: Long-stay visas in France ‘are not as easy as minister claimed’

Senator Berthet is asking for a simplified visa process for British second-home owners in France

Foreign workers in France may struggle to close self-employment accounts

Discover solutions for closing an Urssaf social security account if you lack French ID

Hidden gastronomic gems among France's 14,500 PMU bars feature in new guide

'There is such a variety we decided it was time to raise their profile,' says author

Learning French: être KO and more sleepy slang sayings

Shattered, knackered, exhausted… words for when you are low on energy

Briton in France organises commemoration for Allied POWs in World War Two

He presented certificates to French and British descendants of POWs at British Embassy event in Paris

Learning French: jeter un coup d’œil and other eye expressions

Check out this curious phrase to describe taking a glance at something

Photos: These are France’s top five most visited national monuments in 2024

How many have you been to?

'People come from all over the world to see our little street' in France

How a retired Nice resident accidentally created a potted-plant photo spot and tourist attraction on his doorstep

Guerrilla gardeners are greening France's urban areas

Paris influencer shares tips to reclaim run-down public plots through the 'universal language' of gardening

Learning French: when and why do we say bien joué?

Have you heard the verlan variation of this phrase used to give praise?

Experts share top five recommendations for discovering French comics as an adult

First-time readers of bandes dessinées might want to start with this list of suggestions

British illustrator is a star in the Franco-Belgian world of comics

We speak to Posy Simmonds MBE, winner of one of the most prestigious awards for graphic novelists

Guess the French region with the help of this clue: Crème de la crème

In which of France's 13 regions was this picture taken?

Learning French: what does d’accord mean and when should it be used?

A handy word to express approval or agreement

Discover the capital of comics books in the west of France

We hear from the advisers of Angoulême's museum dedicated to the art of la bande dessinée

We took up sea-wading in France and found it great for health and making friends

Couple discover the benefits of wading since moving from the UK to the French coastal town of Soulac-sur-Mer

Learning French: ne tenir qu'à un fil and other tenir phrases

This handy expression stems from the mythological personifications of destiny

Learning French: helpful vocabulary around potatoes

Get spud smart with this guide - and learn the link between potatoes and swearing

Close encounters with a French serpent and what to do if it happens to you

Columnist Jonathan Kemp gives advice for anyone coming across a snake in their garden

Five things they don't tell you about wood fires in France

There are various types of logs you can purchase, but you must be careful about sourcing your own from woodlands

Learning French: words around parking can be confusing

Why do people say un parking to mean ‘car park’?

Guess the French region with the help of this clue: Country cure

In which of France's 13 regions was this picture taken?

Recipe: Impress in record time with this quick Coq au Vin

We look at a recipe from the new cookbook by Marcus Wareing that uses chicken and other common ingredients

Did you know: A French literary classic contains no ‘e’s

La Disparition is possibly the most famous example of the restrictive literary movement named Oulipo

‘French people have a real pride in their food and in their ingredients’

Former BBC journalist and author Steve Parks talks about his life in France and how he beat the French at their own game in a cooking contest

France’s galette des rois: Six facts about this January 6 cake

Epiphany marks the Three Wise Men bringing gifts to the baby Jesus. We look at how France celebrates with a special sweet treat

A pinch-me moment of realisation over bad French ad

A local restaurant's billboard advert raised eyebrows over its reference to a murder case from 1991

Letters: Saying bonjour really makes life easier in France

Connexion reader shares their experience of how a polite greeting can go a long way

Letters: Cold-callers are out of control in France

Connexion readers share their tips on how to reduce telemarketing calls

Comment: France's recycling rules are impossible

Columnist Samantha David recounts her struggles with the ever more byzantine system

Comment: Speaking French makes us do what we are told

Columnist Sarah Henshaw looks at 'the foreign language effect' and how it makes non-native speakers more pliable

Profile of retirees in France and their pensions (with comparison to UK and US)

There are 17 million pensioners living in France, a number that is growing each year

PHOTOS: See France's ten favourite breeds of dog

English setters, labradors and golden retrievers all feature on the list - but which breed is the most popular?

Tips for surviving and thriving as a blended family in France

Columnist Cynthia Spillman gives her advice for living in harmony as a step-parent

How phonetic exercises can help improve your French

Do you know your ‘u’ from your ‘ou’?

Curiosities of the French language: How to say Happy New Year?

When it is time to welcome in 2025, what will you say?

Recipe: Warm yourself up with a delicious baked Camembert

Share this classic French dish with your loved ones

Famous people whose English names are funny in French

From presidents to performers, none are spared from mirth in France

Learning French: a boggling choice of words for animal droppings

The French language has a richer repertoire of words than English

Dates of main French festivals and sports events in 2025

From Nantes Cathedral's reopening to the Tour de France, explore the major cultural and sporting events shaping France this year.

Bordeaux is on the road to solar energy plan

There are plans to have two million solar panels overhang 45km of road

Award-winning French medieval village is home to a famous son

Explore the charms of enchanting Kaysersberg near Colmar in Alsace, voted one of France’s favourite villages

Don’t be intimidated by French wine bars - enjoy them

They are run by passionate and welcoming connoisseurs who will enhance your experience

Comment: My new French passport poses all sorts of questions about self and identity

Columnist Cynthia Spillman reflects on what it means to have a foot in both camps

9 French expressions with the word gueule

Originating in Middle French, gueule is a term that often appears in French slang

UK ambassador’s New Year message to Britons in France

Dame Menna Rawlings reflects on 2024 and looks forward to the upcoming year

Comment: Macron's Grand Débat for French 'yellow vest' protests was pointless

Columnist Nick Inman considers the outcome of France's national debate over the gilet jaune demonstrations