My husband and I headed to France with our three children several years ago to live for a year. Our original choice of destination, the Annecy area, was a lucky fluke arrived at after flicking through the pages of the Lonely Planet Guide, stopping on Annecy and reading not only of the beauty of the lake and the proximity to multiple ski stations but also the international airport of Geneva and Italy a hop, skip and jump away. With our interest piqued, we made enquiries, enrolled the children in local schools and decided after a month of living à la française that a year away would be way too short.
If you would like to find out more about us please don't hesitate to contact me and I will be happy to forward additional information and photos to you. If you are really curious, you might like to read 'But you are in France, Madame' - our story. Kindle and paperback editions available on Amazon (search by title).