Few people have Besançon on their radar — and that’s exactly why it belongs on yours. A medieval city looped by the Doubs River, just 2 hours 35 minutes from Paris by TGV and a short drive from Switzerland, Besançon offers Alpine nature, university energy, and a cost of living well below Lyon or Annecy. This guide covers everything expats and retirees need to know about moving to Besançon, France: neighborhoods, housing costs, transit, healthcare, salaries, and the community quietly building a life here.
Here’s everything we cover in the start of our series and guide to living in Besançon, France:
0:00 Intro
1:03 Location
1:18 France Travel Times
1:40 Airports & Skiing in the Jura Mountains
2:08 Local Impressions
2:22 Populations
2:57 Weather
3:54 Grocery Costs and Eating Out
5:47 Transit Costs
6:32 Coupon/Links
6:43 Annecy Comparison
7:03 Healthcare
8:03 Nature & Parks
9:42 Cycling
10:21 Sports & Gym
11:21 Safety in Besançon
12:10 Religion
12:57 Community
14:03 Retiring in Besançon
14:33 More Local Insights
15:15 Social Scene
15:45 The Reveal
Besançon is what happens when you stop chasing the obvious French cities. For expats and retirees researching the best places to live in France, it ticks nearly every box — a UNESCO-listed citadelle, 30,000 students keeping the energy alive, a full university hospital, and the Jura mountains at your doorstep — at a price that still makes sense. If you’re comparing cities in France, planning a move from the US, or just curious what French life looks like off the tourist trail, this is your guide.
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*Facebook Group: Expats move to France (Highly valuable resource):* https://www.facebook.com/groups/23814372316
*Links mentioned in the video:*
*Airports*
https://www.euroairport.com/
https://www.gva.ch/en/
*Brunch*
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100082819060293
*Transit*
https://www.ginko.voyage/
*Health*
https://www.chu-besancon.fr/
*Parks*
https://www.besac.com/tourisme-besancon/parc_de_la_gare_d_eau/60.htm
https://www.besancon-tourisme.com/en/fiche-sit/F312010848_la-promenade-micaud-besancon-en/
https://wanderlog.com/place/details/571737/square-granvelle
https://en.destination-haut-doubs.com/
https://www.besancon-tourisme.com/en/fiche-sit/F312010872_la-foret-de-chailluz-besancon-en/
https://parc-animalier-chailluz-besan-on.wheree.com/
https://www.besancon-tourisme.com/fr/fiche-sit/F312014434_les-ouvrages-fortifies-fort-de-chaudanne-besancon/
*Bike Paths*
https://cycle.travel/route/summary/162509
https://velocite.ginko.voyage/fr/home
https://www.besancon-tourisme.com/fr/fiche-sit/F312010794_le-jardin-de-velotte-besancon/
*Fitness*
https://www.besancon-tennis-club.fr/
https://www.basic-fit.com/en-fr/gyms/besancon
*We had many links this week! For the remaining list of links, please go to my website:* https://storybooklivingfrance.com/besancon-video-links
▶️ *WATCH NEXT:*
*Annecy Part 1*: https://youtu.be/DZLa1qVLl0g
*Annecy Part 2*: https://youtu.be/wpHPRgHU3cw
*Bordeaux:* https://youtu.be/plCqZ1mC-Bg
*Baguette Bound Channel:* (For tons of French Info!): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaeSuJ1RxJtjQCo_AelQnNQ
*Media, Photo & Image Credits: 🎥:*
*Music:* No.9 “Esther’s Waltz” — Esther Abrami https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOFrldzxeKGG8fTpN5_d75Q
*Master Image Credit Ledger for Storybook Living France* https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eJJ8-83oNqSwuOY5hWqFos8Hbj1e1yK0L6EbMzbrBDQ/edit?usp=sharing
#BesançonFrance #MovingToFrance #CostOfLivingFrance #FranceRelocation #ExpatsInFrance #AmericanExpat #RetireInFrance #FrenchLife #LivingInFrance #HiddenGemFrance #JuraMountains #BourgogneFrancheComte #BestCitiesInFrance #AffordableFrance #StorybookLivingFrance
6 Comments
Bonjour and merci for watching! 🇫🇷
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À bientôt!
Helo Tia! This is a beautiful city, quite a find! It looks nicer than Dijon and much nicer than Limoges. And with costs slightly lower than Annecy. That's an excellent city to consider moving.
Impressive detail as usual. Thank you! It’s a charming city. I visited the birthplace of V. Hugo and the arts museum while I was there. Both were great. 😊
Great overview. For climate reasons, we're looking for something further north, either in the Loire Valley (Angers, Orléans) or Normandie (Caen, Rouen).
Thanks Tia. I researched Besançon quite extensively, and everything you've presented here seems spot on. It's right up there at the top of French cities for people who enjoy sports and the outdoors, with a superb quality of life at a very reasonable cost. A friend of mine spent about a month there hiking and cycling the French Juras, and he raved about the place when he got back, with a particular thumbs up to the Citadel site with all of its history, architecture and interesting museums. I'd place it at the top of my relocation list if I was a good deal younger, but sadly, these days I need a warmer climate. 😢
I have just come across your site and subscribed. I'm very much looking forward to your 30-city Region Match Calculator! My main criterion, beside reasonable cost, is climate – while Besancon sounds lovely, grey winters are what I'm trying to escape, being based in Northern Ireland! However, I don't want very hot summers either so I'm looking for somewhere with blue skies most of the year, but not too hot in summer – not sure if such a place exists in France???