Where should I setup a bank account in Cannes?

We asked expats in Cannes what banks they use and there advice about banking. They advised...

"Cannes is an ideal place for expats to retire to, being home to some of Europe’s top beaches, a vibrant cultural scene and excellent cuisine. Before retiring, expats should make sure to research the cost of living in Cannes, as it is considered one of the most expensive cities in France. Additionally, expats should consider their language skills, as while many professionals in the service industry understand English, expecting fellow locals to do so is not always reasonable. Lastly, it is important to note that healthcare in France is excellent, with expats being able to access free care through the social security system," said another expat in Cannes, France, France.

"I'm a local, salaried employee. I don't have any property in the states and I have only one investment account. Since my financial transaction needs in the US are limited, I opened an account at a French bank without regard to its expat-oriented nature. I first went to credit lyonnais who opened an account for me in 10 minutes. I found out later that they were kind of expensive, but the service was pretty decent. Later when I applied for a mortgage, they outright denied me saying that I had not been a client for long enough (My French fiance and I had a 23% down-payment and we both are software engineers). One of my colleagues had just bought an apartment with a mortgage from credit lyonnais and he had not even been one of their clients. So I had to take a mortgage from another bank (BNP, who proposed a much lower interest rate anyway). In France people almost always do their banking from the same bank where they have their mortgage. So I had to close all of my accounts at credit lyonnais and move all of my money to BNP. Credit Lyonnais charged me to close each account and to transfer the funds from each one to my checking account so that I could finally transfer to BNP. In all I had to pay at least 200 euros to close and transfer my accounts, which I find outrageous," wrote a member who made the move to Cannes, France.

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