Choosing a lively city with nightlife to live in France

Hi there, I’m facing a pretty big and important dilemma—I moved to Argentina (Buenos Aires) when I was 20, and now, at 30, I’m coming back to France. I’m looking for a city to live in and build a life for the next several years. I’m a single guy, so that’s the context.

The thing is, I have quite a few strict criteria... First and foremost, I *need* a city that’s bustling with people everywhere—I really don’t like quiet, small countryside towns. Nightlife is super important to me, especially on weekends. It’s crucial that there’s a wide range of options for going out in the evening (mostly bars—I’m not really into nightclubs, but I’d like to be one day if possible). The social aspect is the *most* important thing (honestly, the *only* thing that matters to me). I don’t care at all about living conditions, safety, cleanliness, or whether things work smoothly. But I *do* need a place where people are generally "chill"—not cold, rigid, or overly professional, with social norms that don’t make my head spin. I know I’ll never find the same Latin vibe here in France, haha, but I’m trying to survive anyway.

In France, I’ve always lived in Essonne (91), around Bures-sur-Yvette / Les Ulis / Gif / Orsay, etc. I *hate* it—way too quiet, empty streets, and zero activities that suit me. There’s not a single proper bar in any of the surrounding towns, just PMU tobacco shops, and nightlife is nonexistent.

I went to Hossegor once with friends—great vibe, nightlife, bars, beach, etc. But I’m guessing it’s *super* expensive to buy a place there, close to the action (and I’m not even sure if it’s a nice place to live overall).

When I came back to France, I spent 3 months in Paris because I thought it would obviously be the closest to what I was looking for. I still have horrible memories of it—it haunted me so much that I had to escape the capital in a hurry... And I was (I think?) in one of the best neighborhoods for my tastes: Belleville.

So here I am, going in circles because I don’t know enough about French cities. All my friends love quiet, small provincial towns or even living alone in the mountains.

A couple told me about Montreuil, but they were there a long time ago, so I don’t know what it’s like now. They said there was activity, that the city was pretty big, and that there was a good nightlife scene (bars, nightclubs, all kinds of outings), plus the metro (which would make it easy to get to Paris or for people to come to Montreuil from Paris).

So, for now, Montreuil is my only option, but I’m scared and would love other opinions (on Montreuil and other possibilities).

Sorry for the novel, but this is *really* important to me—my future depends on it, in a way ^^'

Thanks so much for reading and for any help you can give!

Hello, I’m facing a pretty big and important dilemma. I moved to Argentina (Buenos Aires) when I was 20, and now I’m 30 and coming back to France. I’m looking for a city to live in and settle down in for quite a few years. I’m a man, and I’m on my own.

When I returned to France, I spent 3 months in Paris because I thought it would obviously be the closest to what I was looking for. I still have horrible memories of it that haunt me—I had to escape the capital in a hurry... Even though I was (I think?) in one of the best neighborhoods for my needs: Belleville.

So here I am, going in circles because I don’t know enough about French cities. All my friends love quiet, small provincial towns or even living alone in the mountains.

A couple told me about Montreuil, but they were there a long time ago, so I don’t know what it’s like now. They said there was activity, that the city was quite big, and that it had a good nightlife scene (bars, clubs, all kinds of outings), and that it even had the metro (which would allow quick trips to Paris or for people to come to Montreuil from Paris).

So for now, Montreuil is my only option, but I’m scared and I’d love to hear other opinions (about Montreuil and other alternatives).

Thank you so much for reading and possibly helping me.

Hi,

Belleville and Montreuil? Seriously? Let’s just say those areas are pretty unique. I won’t go into more detail because talking about them could get complicated and might attract moderation’s attention. I’ll just say they’re very cosmopolitan places.

Best,

Hi there! You can look in a university city—you’re sure to find some nightlife there. Montpellier is a great example. Great weather, the sea and mountains aren’t far, and Spain is close by (if you want to get that Latin vibe!). But you’ll need to check your budget... Happy searching!

Hi there,

After reading your criteria, I would’ve suggested Spain—I think it’s the country where people know how to enjoy life the most, no matter their age or social class.

Spaniards of all ages live it up at night, and most importantly, they don’t live to work. They have a life after work: the bars! !

I absolutely need a city where there are lots of people everywhere—I don’t like quiet little countryside towns.

I wouldn’t recommend Majastres then—a village of 5 people, lost in the mountains of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence ;) That’s where Luc Moullet filmed *The Castaways of D17*

Bouvante-le-Haut 26190, Drôme.

I still have a horrible memory of it that haunts me—I had to escape the capital by running...

What went wrong?

I still have a horrible memory that haunts me—I had to escape the capital by running...

What went wrong?

An outstanding bill maybe?

I totally get how you feel. After 10 years in Buenos Aires, coming back to France can feel *very* quiet 😊

Honestly, based on what you're describing, I wouldn’t aim for the Paris suburbs. Even when it’s “lively,” it still feels fragmented, and you might end up with the same vibe as in Essonne, just a bit denser.

If you're really looking for movement, people, bars, and a more spontaneous energy, I’d check out:

– **Marseille**: clearly the most “Latin” vibe in France. Life happens outside, people talk loudly, and there’s a lot of nightlife. – **Toulouse**: very social, lots of young professionals, and a festive atmosphere. – **Lyon**: a big city with a real nightlife scene and plenty of different neighborhoods. – **Bordeaux**: a bit smoother, but lively and very active in the evenings.

And an important point: after 10 years abroad, you might also want to rebuild connections in ways beyond just bars. To meet cool people outside of work, artisan workshops can be a great surprise. There are quite a few experiences all over France through platforms like Wecandoo or Funbooker, and it’s often a super natural way to connect with locals when you’re new in town.

If I were you, I’d try test stays of a few weeks in 2 cities. The energy of a place—you *feel* it. And in your case, that’s clearly the number one criterion.