Hi Keith,
That is a good budget for a long-term rental in Nice so you will have a lot of options. In the center, you could look around the Gambetta neighborhood, or near the Beaux-Arts museum. Try the Le Bon Coin website to get an idea of rental prices. Real estate expert Adrian Leeds is based in Nice and has great tips for the city on her website.

Tuula Rampont, IL France Correspondent

Hello! You can set up a Wise account before you leave to France. You don’t need a French bank account to apply for the visa. With a Wise account you have a European routing number so you can secure a short term or long-term rental, set up utilities, and mobile phone service, etc. Then when you arrive in France, you can walk into an establishment to set up a brick and mortar French account.

I hope that is helpful, please let me know if you have any follow-up questions.

Tuula Rampont, IL France Correspondent

Hi Cheri,

That is very cool! And actually great timing... I wrote a comprehensive guide to the Olympics that is going to be published in the June edition of IL. Keep an eye out for it in the coming weeks. If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to post them, or email me directly: france@internationalliving.com.

IL France Correspondent, Tuula Rampont

Hi Raymond,

France has a modern and sophisticated dental system. You will find dentists in practically every town of any size, all of whom are well trained. Basic dental care is efficient and by world standards very affordable, and you will find most dentists speak some English.

A basic check-up will cost €25 ($26), the same as a visit to the GP. If you need a basic filling, it will be an additional €18 ($19), but can be much more depending on the complexity of the procedure. An extraction will start from €35 ($37).

When it comes to more sophisticated dental work, prices start to go up significantly, with a crown costing from €400 ($427).

As with all healthcare in France, you will be given a precise quote for the work before you proceed, which is a legal requirement.

You can be reimbursed by the government for dental work, but this only applies to basic procedures and not cosmetic dentistry. As with the doctor, you pay the dentist directly after the consultation, so make sure you have enough cash.

Many people get top-up insurance to cover the 20-30% of dental costs not reimbursed by the French government—and to cover procedures like dental implants which don’t have the standard price ceiling that most healthcare services have. Top-up insurance plans start at €38 ($40) a month.

Charges can be dramatically different from dentist to dentist. There are additional charges if you require treatment on a public holiday or on a weekend, as well as extra charges for emergency dental treatment. Nonetheless, the prices are generally low compared to those in the U.S.

Read more about dental care and healthcare in France in Chapter 8 of Escape to France.