Moving to France from Canada

I'm planning to move to France probably somewhere between Poitiers and Limoges, on a permanent basis sometime in the next 18 months...I'm interested in talking to anyone who lives in this area for thoughts, advice, etc. I'm visiting the area the last week in June.

Would also like to hear from anyone who has shipped a car from Canada....I'm thinking of buying a new one before I leave, I understand that if I own it for six months I can import it into France without tax and duty etc. My initial assumption is that the car would be cheaper here, I would get a better deal on my current car as a trade in rather than an outright sale. If anyone has any thoughts about this I would like to hear from you.

Thanks

I have a tip: Don' t buy a v8 or higher; buy a diesel! Gas is too expensive down there

greetings