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From the perspective of an american who’s been living here in France for the last 27 years, first thing I’ll tell you is keep in mind that the actual time you spend on the bike is limited. Thus the real question is what do you want to do with your time when you’re not riding. The answer to that will help enormously in narrowing down what you’re looking for.
The lands north of France i don’t know at all, nor north France for that matter, and I never will. I prefer concentrating on those places not so far and that I really want to see given that the time remaining for doing so isn’t so long anymore. I’m also not a fan of gray skies and rain, which the north is somewhat known for.
Spain I only know a little from a 10-day driving trip my wife and I did shortly after I moved here and married her. Not a place I’d want to live. Summers way too hot, and getting hotter. I’d like to visit Galicia, ride my bike there, cruise the coast, but only a visit.
In my opinion France is a cyclist’s paradise, everywhere, but I only know a small part of it. The Alps are a huge attraction for avid cyclists but keep in mind that living in the Alps means that inevitably the vast majority of your riding is going to be going up and coming back down. I know that well, too well actually any more given my age. For places to live near or in the Alps, the biggest obvious call is the Lake Annecy and Lake Bourget region. A ton of riding, the high Alps nearby, the Med only 3-4 hours away, Switzerland a hop away, Italy a longer hop away, or several hops. Expensive, especially around Annecy. Gap could be interesting, a mild climate, more next to than in the Alps, a ton of riding nearby, Italy nearby too, 3 hours max to the Med.
South France is always interesting but the coast is crowded and expensive. Winters are great, most of the time. Provence away from the coast is pretty amazing, wonderful villages, landscapes constantly changing, and riding as good as any you’ll ever find. Bit expensive there though. The area I really like (we’ll probably sell our house here in a few years and move a little south where winters will be less work) is the region around Nyons - Vaison la Romain. Vineyards, small roads, hills, and of course Mont Ventoux right there. Not far from the Alps but too far for driving up, riding, driving back. That region is also somewhat out of the wind corridor of the Rhone river. Those winds are infamous, they make people go mad.
North of Lyon is also great for riding, good on the eyes too, rolling hills, vineyards, fields, villages. Can be windy though. Southwest France is famous for cycling and apparently gorgeous and, depending on where, friggin cheap. The Pyrenees are nearby for hard climbs, the ocean not too far away. A forum member bought a house there and loves the region. I’ve never been there but would like to go one day. They do get some wild weather from time to time.
I’d love to live in Italy, but never will. The infrastructure system in France is way better, especially for the health. The region I love is the Piedmont. Tucked up against the Alps, hills, vineyards, farms, orchards, small roads everywhere, and great food, but that’s Italy, everywhere. Tuscany is the first name that leaps to mind for so many when the subject of Italy comes up. Gorgeous, great riding, excellent climate, also seriously popular, a major tourist attraction, also expensive. As I recall, there’s a forum member, or there was a forum member, I think he was swedish or something, had/has a place in Tuscany that is so far over the top that it’s beyond even dream belief. I’ve only seen some pics of it but that was the most beautiful home I think I’ve ever seen. The setting, everything. Classic Tuscany property.
Switzerland is beautiful, great riding, super roads, a joy to the eyes in every respect, also expensive of course, and winters are definitely winters.
Not much else I can add other than after living here for 27 years, I can’t imagine ever living stateside again. I can’t think of anything that would make me move back. I like living in Europe, the lifestyle, the stunning diversity of landscapes, architecture, people, lifestyles.
Good luck in your search, And remember, for the price of a house you can make a lot of trips to Europe in maximum luxury and not even come close to the same level of investment a house requires, along with the necessary car, someone to take care of the garden when you’re not there, and the house in general which could be wise. Forget renting it when you’re not there. You’d have to have someone handle that for you and I suspect that in the end the income from it wouldn’t amount to much against the hassle factor.
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