Millions of Brits dream of living the French lifestyle because of the bakeries, landmarks – and cheese

A study of 2,000 adults discovered four in 10 feel the French way of life seems better than the British, and 24 per cent fantasise about experiencing it.

More than a fifth (21 per cent) would consider moving across the channel, with 15 per cent having a spell living in the country in the past.

Visiting the cafes and coffee shops is the top reason for wanting to live in France, followed by the bakeries, croissants and pastries.

Other reasons to feature in the top 30 list included visiting the Alps, castles and beaches, as well as immersing themselves in art galleries, eating brioche and learning the language.

A more relaxed lifestyle

It also emerged Brits consider the French lifestyle to be relaxed (44 per cent), cultured (42 per cent) and sociable (39 per cent).

But 42 per cent think France is a ‘foodie country’, with croissants (35 per cent), champagne (27 per cent) and brioche (20 per cent) named the best items to come out of the country.

St Pierre Bakery commissioned the study and created a quiz allowing people to find out how French their lifestyle is.

Founder Paul Baker said: “It’s clear that whatever the British perception of the French lifestyle is, we certainly dream of living it.

“We automatically think of pastries, coffee, wine and cheese, and that’s just the food and drink.”

The study also found 28 per cent of adults have taken inspiration from the French lifestyle, when it comes to their cooking (46 per cent), interest in artwork (43 per cent) and their taste in films and TV (41 per cent).