reply to posts about the Dordogne

Hi to DMcD, BUZET, Jardin 08 and Berkeley_travelers

Thankyou so much for all your useful information, which has been so helpful in my research. I have been away for a couple of weeks so just to say sorry for the slow reply back to you all. I have been on all the liks to the websites you posted DMcD they were really helpful and provided really sound information. I also put into google ex-british pats as you suggested and was surprised at the mixed reactions, some loved the Dordogne and others were really moaning about the french. I guss that%26#39;s the same for any where you live.

I am still at a loss in trying to find out information about schools and social services.

I have a little boy that attends a special school for his behaviour, do the french have special schools as we do?. And is their social services the same as ours, especially fostering do they have foster carers as we do?.

Every time i try to look for this information i have little or no result. Would appriciate telephone numbers in the Dordogne so i could phone and try to speak with someone about these matters.

Thank you

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Tessa, try this site for information about education in France, including special needs: …angloinfo.com/countries/france/schooling.asp

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Thank you Berkeley travelers, i went onto that website and it did have a lot of really useful information. I can now contact the french education authorities with confidence that i at least know a little about what they will be telling me.

I also managed to find a really good french estate agents website, the property prices seemed really reasonable and i have enquired about two houses one in Sarlar-la-Caneda and the other in Cenac. Are they good locations do you know and are there schools close by. I have asked the estate agents the same questions but he seems to take a long time to reply.

Thank you

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I don%26#39;t know about the school question, but from a tourist standpoint those would be really great locations. Cenac is, I think, the town at the foot of the hill going up to Domme. Really, though, I don%26#39;t think you can even begin to make decisions like this until you have been there and seen the area for yourself. If you haven%26#39;t tried it yet, check out the Green Acres web site for houses (that%26#39;s house we found ours in Aubeterre), because it pulls together lots of listings from lots of agents (in English), with many photos etc. and allows you to make inquiries to the listing agents if you want to see something.

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Hi Berkeley, you are perfectly right they are to bigger decisions to make without firt seeing the area. All we are trying to do is to arrange some viewings for the time we are there. We hope to look at as many area%26#39;s around the Dordogne as we can, and then to do some additional research e.g. schools, hospitals etc as well.The estate agents need at least 2-3 weeks notice around the hoilday times to set up viewings, i would not consider buying with out seeing.

Thank you for the web address i will have a look and see what%26#39;s available to view. Where are you in proximity to the Dordogne and how long have you lived in France, it sounds like you have a great deal of knowledge and have intergrated well.

Thank you for your advice.

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Tessa, we don%26#39;t actually live in France but have a small vacation house in a village (Aubeterre-sur-Dronne, which is about 3 km past the western edge ofthe Dordogne, into the Charente).

We do, however, know a number of people from that area who are UK ex-pats so feel we have some sense of what it%26#39;s like especially for English transplants (and our estate agent was a Dutch woman, who also speaks perfect English - don%26#39;t they all?) People we know there have their children in French schools, etc., but as we don%26#39;t have those issues I have not paid much attention to the details, I%26#39;m afraid. I suspect, however, that if you use an estate agent who is accustomed to helping people relocate, or is from the UK, it will be very helpful to you.

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