How French Connections HCB Helped Carolyn Move to France from America

From Idaho to Clugnat: how Carolyn found her forever home in rural France.

Could moving to France be more affordable than staying in the US? For 74-year-old Carolyn, it was. After losing her husband and facing the reality of rising costs in Idaho, she found an unexpected path to peace, purpose and property through French Connections HCB.

“Your company offers everything anybody needs,” Carolyn told us.

At 74, Carolyn faced a decision many wouldn’t dare to make. Widowed and living in Idaho on a modest inheritance, she realised that even if she bought a trailer, the ongoing lot rent would eat away what little she had left. For the same cost as just two years of lot rent, she found something far better.

She looked to a place she felt a kinship with: rural France. What began as a search for a simple house with a garden led her to a €23,000 stone cottage in Clugnat, a village of just 660 residents, with a south-facing garden, a shared well and fruit trees waiting to be planted. It wasn’t just a house. It was her dream retirement home.

So Carolyn reached out to Richard and the team to help her secure her visa, and we’re proud to say we helped make it real. We caught up with her in Clugnat, where she invited our host Lizzie into her charming stone home to talk about how she is loving her new life. You can watch the full conversation above.

How did French Connections HCB help Carolyn move from the USA to France?

We handled her visa

French Connections HCB handled Carolyn’s visa application from start to finish: a bespoke visa package, a walkthrough of the paperwork, and a fully compliant arrival.

“I made an appointment with Richard, bought your visa-getting package, and then I bought six months of extra help. I was thrilled with their service once I got my visa. I literally escaped out the door with my suitcases before my kids could have me committed!” Carolyn laughs.

You can read more about our visa and immigration services, or try our visa checker to see which route fits your own move.

We organised a car, waiting at the airport

Carolyn’s car was waiting for her when she landed in Paris, ready to drive to her new home. Richard and the team sourced a car matched to her lifestyle, down to the manual transmission she preferred.

“Richard asked what kind of car I wanted. I said a Citroën Berlingo or something with room for hauling concrete, paving stones, manure… and they found me a Kangoo. They even had it delivered to the airport. It was there when I landed. The car was wonderful. I haven’t had a lick of problems with it.”

Our vehicle services cover driving licence exchange, registration and car purchase for new arrivals.

We stayed with her while she settled in

Beyond the visa and the car, Carolyn added six months of ongoing support, knowing she might run into surprises while adjusting to rural life. That safety net saw her through missing luggage and the first property niggles.

“French Connections is absolutely amazing. They are helpful, they know what they’re doing, and your company offers everything anybody needs.”

And she did it on her own terms

Carolyn didn’t just move to France from the USA. She moved on her own, in her 70s, to a rural village where she didn’t speak the language. Our job was simply to remove the obstacles that stop people from trying.

“I’ve always jumped before I looked. But this time, I didn’t. Once I found the house, I thought, ‘I don’t know how to get a visa.’ That’s when I found French Connections. They made the move possible. They really did.”

Today Carolyn is thriving, loving her home, and dreaming of baking bread for the whole village.

Thinking of moving to France from the USA?

Carolyn’s story shows it’s never too late to start again, and that moving to France from the US is possible with the right help. Whether you’re planning your retirement, a new adventure or simply a change, we can help with every aspect of relocating to France.

Try our visa checker to see which route applies to you, or book a consultation with our team to talk through your own move. As Carolyn puts it: “If your kids think you’re crazy, do it anyway.”