Moving to Calvados in France, the place to be!

You’re done with Paris! The thing is though, you still can’t decide between the seaside, countryside and friendly towns… You don’t have to sacrifice one for the other, you can have all three in Calvados! Even more. The département brings together a vibrant economy, buzzing cultural scene, leisure activities galore and affordable house prices all just two hours from the capital. The outstanding quality of life here has made it a popular place to live: more and more people make the move to Calvados every year. 

Reconnect with nature without disconnecting from the world

  • 120km of coastline 
  • 380,200ha of farmland
  • 21 train stations
  • 3 motorways to reach Paris, Rennes, Nantes and Le Mans 
  • 2 airports in Caen and Deauville
  • 1 ferry port in Ouistreham

Top 5 reasons to move to Calvados

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Valentin Pacaut The Explorers / CRT Normandie

01

Experience the best

Natural and leafy spaces, sandy beaches, historical gems, magical towns… The grass is greener here.

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Marie-Anais Thierry / CRT Normandie

02

Pamper yourself

Sports, spas and great eateries: you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to treating yourself and your loved ones in Calvados.

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Thomas Le Floc H / CRT Normandie

03

Enjoy the luxury of time

Commute times here are no more than 30 minutes on average with easier travel and closer facilities. It’s time for some me-time.

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Marie-Anais Thierry / CRT Normandie

04

Live comfortably in every way

With average house prices at 2629 €/m2 and rentals at 11€/m2, it’s nothing like the cost of living in the capital (10,000 €/m2 and 30€/m2 respectively).

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Philippe Fauvel / CRT Normandie

05

Indulge guilt-free

Farmers’ markets, fish markets, local produce and more give you a feast for all the senses!

Change your life with your eyes closed

Starting a new chapter is great, but you can’t do it with a click of your fingers. You want everything to be ready before you start packing up. We’ve got your back with several services to help you settle in!

Marie-Anais Thierry / CRT Normandie
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Save time with Accueil Install’Calvados. This free service makes the moving process easier and puts you in touch with the right people. 

Are you a private doctor?

The CPAM of Calvados has set up a portal which brings together the agents you need to meet for your installation.

What not to miss in Calvados

Historical towns, nature areas, sea resorts: there are many sides to Calvados! 

Valentin Pacaut The Explorers / CRT Normandie

Pays d’Auge

Apples, cows and green meadows: hike or cycle around a chocolate box setting home to picture-perfect villages and Cabourg sea resort.

Coraline et Leo / CRT Normandie

Suisse Normande

Mountains, belvederes and gorges: it’s known as Little Switzerland because it looks like the Swiss Confederation. The mountain in the countryside!

Marie-Anais Thierry / CRT Normandie

Deauville and Les planches

Strut your stuff on Deauville’s boardwalk (Les Planches), stylish streets, chic boutiques and casino. Or be a cool cat at Les Franciscaines, a cultural centre in a former convent.

Honfleur and its vieux bassin

Visitors can’t get enough of Honfleur with its harbour (Vieux Bassin), pretty streets and museums. If you’re more couture than culture, visit Honfleur Normandy Outlet and its 13,000m2 of stores.

Caen and its Mémorial

The past (château, abbeys) and present (Artothèque art gallery, Tocqueville library, Le Cargo music venue) join forces in the buzzing Normandy capital. Its iconic Memorial is a must-visit in itself. 

Bayeux and its tapestry

A medieval atmosphere reigns over the town’s little lanes, cathedral and half-timbered houses. The UNESCO-listed tapestry, an 11th century embroidery telling the tale of William the Conqueror, is no different…

Lisieux and its basilica

Lisieux is France’s second biggest pilgrimage town (after Lourdes) and is world famous for Saint Thérèse who was canonised in 1925. The basilica built in her honour is listed as a Monument Historique. Its size and relics are quite something. 

D-Day Beaches and American cemetery
Four of the five D-Day beaches lie in Calvados. The American cemetery stands above Omaha Beach. The rows of tombs and silence weigh on visitors as they remember and pay their respects.

Working in Calvados, the world is your oyster

Are you planning to move to Calvados but wondering if you or your partner will find work? Rest easy, Calvados has a vibrant economy fuelled by ten sectors (horses, tourism, logistics, water sports, digital, healthcare, aeronautics, automobile, service industries etc.). Employers in the département were looking to hire over 30,000 positions in 2023. 

The most exciting sectors

When it comes to horses, Calvados wins hands down. As the leading département for breeding, equine research and pure breeds, it’s home to the Conseil du Cheval de Normandie (Normandy Horse Council), Hippolia business cluster and major facilities. Companies and professionals involved with horses are in the perfect place to take their career from strength to strength.

Tourism is integral to the local economy with 15,000 jobs and 1 billion euros in turnover. Visitor and leisure attractions, hotel groups (Barrière, Thalazur etc.) and restaurants hire staff every season. 

Calvados needs no introduction when it comes to farming and the food industry (6200 farms, 1000 food companies and 25,000 employees). The area is home to factories owned by major brands (Danone, Nestlé, Labeyrie) and cooperatives such as Agrial with its HO in Caen. Local businesses have also made a name for themselves i.e. Fromagerie Livarot, Normandise and Les Champignons de Normandie. 

The healthcare sector is a major employer with 12 public hospitals (inc. Caen CHU), 8 private clinics, 32 health centres and well-known pharmaceutical companies (Sanofi, Laboratoires Gilbert, Farmaclair). The most in-demand positions include carers, nurses, hospital housekeepers and doctors.

Study in Calvados, a prime location in Normandy

Quality education, affordable accommodation, a wide range of activities and buzzing student life: up to 40,000 students flock to Calvados every year. Caen’s university and grandes écoles (higher education institutions) make it a hotspot for students. 

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The biggest academic establishments

Caen-Normandy University, IUT Grand Ouest Normandie (4 campuses in Caen, Ifs, Lisieux and Vire), ESPE Normandie, 4 Instituts de Formation en Soins Infirmiers (nursing colleges in Vire, Caen, Lisieux, Falaise), 4 Instituts de Formation des Aides-Soignants (carer colleges in Bayeux, Deauville, Caen, Falaise), several healthcare training centres at Caen CHU, ESIX Normandie, Builders Ecole d’ingénieurs, ENSICAEN, IAE, EMN, MBWAY, E2SE, ISPN, IPAC Bachelor Factory, AFTEC, MY DIGITAL SCHOOL, Supinfo, ESAM (fine art), Brassart (graphic design and animation), WIN SPORT SCHOOL, Scholar FAb, CFA de la Chambre des Métiers, Ecole Internationale Tunon, Builders etc. 

What’s on

Top stories in Calvados

How the general public supports bioplastics research in Normandy 

The “Des Générations Plastiques” participatory research project launched by the Université de Caen ABTE and Le Dôme science centre is now being rolled out. Up to 2000 kits will be distributed among the general public to test a new generation of bioplastic and explore its potential uses. https://youtu.be/ES9gWQUfNEQ French content Bioplastics are a real alternative…

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Biofuel production is being revolutionised by the T.H2 project in Normandy

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Climbing in Normandy

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Cyceron: a centre for innovation in healthcare

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Fakear, the electro-prodigy from Normandy

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Sinay, an Industry 4.0 business 

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AJ Hackett: Normandy, a natural choice

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