Every now and again, we do a post with our favorite things and offer any referral deals we may have with those companies. A few people emailed to ask about French things, not all related to dogs, so I figured I'd get this one up.
French Dog Insurance: I choose Assur O'Poil for Lyapuff's Insurance. It covers one vaccine at full price and one at half price a year, and has coverage for traveling in other countries, including the US, which is the top feature. They pay out quickly and the form is basically the same as all French insurance forms that need to be filled out manually (annoying feature for sure). All of the insurance plans came in around the same price and about 1/3 the price of pet insurance in the US, but Assur O'Poil offered up to €500 covered for veterinary consultation fees abroad.
Expat Health Insurance: I went with Feather for my private health insurance for my Visa application and while I wait for my Carte Vitale. I used a broker at first and they recommended a company that I wasn't at all comfortable with and was super expensive. I went with the expat favorite, which comes in around $79 a month for whatever coverage I chose. It worked absolutely perfectly for my Long Stay Visa application. Receive a €15 payout after 3 months with code: Y6XEVWOY
Dog Food: When we first got to France, we tried a bunch of new foods. Sure some of the brands are the same, but Puff's food isn't available here. (We travel a lot, and our French freezer is tiny, so please no suggestions to switch to raw!) We settled on Edgard Cooper both because Puff likes it and because they are good stewards of our Earth with their Zero Pawprint Plan. It's also super easy to find on our travels.
Animalis: This is my favorite pet store here in Nice. There are some great smaller shops, but this one pretty much has everything or can get everything within a couple of days. Be sure to sign up for the loyalty program.
Wise: Everyone online has an opinion about bank accounts in France. I have been able to use Wise for everything from buying a home to my Visa application. My mobile, internet, and insurance payments all come out of this account. The transfer fees are fair and it's easy to convert funds from USD to Euros. Be sure to sign up for interest on both your US and Euro account. The interest on the USD account is decent these days. Use my link for no fees on a transfer up to $600: wise.com/invite/drhc/kristiem22
N26: Allegedly CPAM requires a French IBAN, although some have reported success with Wise. Nice has been a little more stringent in their CPAM application process since the new mayor took over (coincidence or not) and are now requiring translations and apostilles when they didn't before. Just to avoid issues, I signed up for a N26 account, which has a French IBAN (if you have a French address). This is kind of my sit and forget it account to receive reimbursements. Be sure to sign up for interest, which can only be done on the mobile app. Here's my referral code for N26: kristiem74127c
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