I’m Suzi (Fired Up in France), an American who’s been living in Dijon since 2008, and in this video I take you with me on a two-day trip to Besançon—this “hidden gem” just about an hour away that seriously surprised me. I went because Besançon is ranking really high right now (2nd in France on Ville de Rêve), and I wanted to see if that livability is real in day-to-day life, not just on paper. So I walked it, rode it, and looked at it through the lens of someone actually helping people plan a move to France. I cover the practical stuff you need to know if you’re considering eastern France: housing affordability and rental pressure, how walkable the city feels, air quality, and what it’s like as a student city (including the very high student satisfaction rate—94.74% would recommend it). I also talk transportation: TGV connections, the tram, bike sharing, and car sharing—because if you’re trying to live without a car (or drive less), that matters. By the end, you’ll have a clear, honest comparison between Besançon and Dijon—and hopefully you’ll feel more confident about whether a smaller, beautiful, super-walkable city like Besançon could be a great fit for your move, studies, or retirement in France.