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Is the Dordogne a good place to live year-round?
Short answer
Yes — the Dordogne has strong year-round infrastructure and the largest British expat community in rural France. Services, English-speaking tradespeople, and a settled international community make it one of the most accessible regions for non-French speakers.
In detail
The Dordogne has been popular with British buyers since the 1980s, and that community is now well-established enough to support genuine year-round living for English speakers.
English-speaking services
The Périgord Noir around Sarlat, Le Bugue, and Lalinde has a high density of English-speaking estate agents, notaires who regularly work in English, and tradespeople who speak English. This is an unusual luxury in rural France.
Healthcare
Périgueux has a CHU (Centre Hospitalier Universitaire). Sarlat has a smaller hospital. English-speaking GPs exist in the main towns. France's healthcare system is excellent once registered — registration requires proof of residence.
Transport
The nearest international airports are Bordeaux (1.5 hours), Bergerac (has international flights seasonally, limited in winter), and Limoges (1.5 hours). There is no TGV connection; Périgueux has an SNCF connection to Bordeaux (1.5 hours). The Dordogne is genuinely rural — a car is essential.
Winters
Cold, damp, and grey from November to February. The region has significantly lower winter tourism than summer. Villages that have 200 people in August may have 20 in January. This is the reality that trips up many buyers: check what is actually open year-round in the specific village, not just in season.
Post-Brexit practicalities
UK nationals can now spend a maximum of 90 days in France in any 180-day period without a visa. For stays longer than 90 days — or residency — a Visa de Long Séjour (VLS) is required, obtained from the French consulate before arrival. This is a significant change from the pre-2020 position and affects many British buyers who assumed they could spend most of the year freely.
