France in Focus

I have only recently (last 3 years) been wearing eye glasses. My current ones have been dropped enough that the scratches are annoying. So, I've been to have my eyes checked and gotten a new prescription.

There are SOOOO many eye glass shops. Can anyone advise which ones might be the better choice(s)?

Among the many smaller opticiens, we have the usual chains: Atol, Krys, Optic 2000, Lissac, etc.

My main concern is SAV. The last time I had an eye glass prescription done (first time to ever have prescription glasses), I could not see properly with them. I had to go back to the Doctor with the glasses and the original prescription to have an adjustment to the prescription made. The first one they gave me was too strong. They re-examined my eyes, gave me an adjusted prescription and I had the eye glass maker change the lens. This was done at Costco Optical in the USA and they did not charge me to change the lens.

I have read on most of the large Optical shop websites that they offer all kinds of guaranties, but this type of thing is not really noted. I mean it wasn't really any fault of the eye glass maker. It was the fault of the prescription.

Does anyone have any positive experiences with a specific Opticien?

Thanks in advance.

All my experiences with French opticians have emptied my pockets. I have a very strong correction, so the lenses cost a fortune BUT the last 2 pairs of distance glasses cost around €/£ 200 (Dublin and online) and the last reading glasses €450 from a local optician in Saint Junien.
Not very helpful in your case, but it's almost worth travelling to another country, having an eye test and getting the glasses there.

I just got back from a RDV with a local optician today. I had been hearing of all sorts of crazy prices being paid by expats and frankly wasn't prepared to start the oft quoted 6 months wait to start the game. I asked my doctor if there was any way to get a quicker result. He wrote me a prescription (ordinance?) for a simple test. I asked where I should take it and he made a note of a place at the top of the prescription. "You can try". Well we did try and when I first saw the place I thought this is going to be a disaster, it looked very expensive and had lots of staff. RDV for the test was established and confirmed by email yesterday. Test today at 11am. I made it clear that I wasn't able to spend max money on fancy frames and probably wasn't covered by Mutuelle for glasses. They showed me the basic "cheap" frames that were fully covered by the Carte Vitale and to be honest, they were as good looking as many pricey ones offered in UK. So I said OK let's go for it. Two people (one tester and one English interpreter) spent an hour and a half testing and exploring price options even going online to see if my Mutelle would stump up for any of them. In the end I ordered a pair of light, fully framed (metal) ones with varifocal lenses that looked like being just under 300€. My mouth must have dropped open until they pointed to the bottom line. 84€ to pay. The rest was itemised as 180€ for the lenses covered by the state and the rest stumped up by the insurers even though I had no specific optical cover mentioned on my policy. I'm a happy bunny.

Thank you both for the replies.

So, Hotrodder, may I ask which Optical shop you used?

My glasses cost nothing, assuming I choose from a limited selection. They can be changed every two years unless there is a significant view deterioration.

curtis wrote: ↑Fri Jun 24, 2022 6:08 pm My glasses cost nothing, assuming I choose from a limited selection. They can be changed every two years unless there is a significant view deterioration.

Thank you.

Lori .. the low cost option is the latest French aid to helping people have access to reasonably priced spectacles and hearing aids. Every optician should offer this low-cost option.

OH and I use Optic 2000 .. only ever had one slight problem (in 15 years) with my various varifocal specs .. which was corrected straightaway at no cost.

Lori wrote: ↑Fri Jun 24, 2022 4:42 pm Thank you both for the replies.

So, Hotrodder, may I ask which Optical shop you used?

Lori, I didn't mention it because it was not part of a nationwide chain of opticians but a single business and located in Dept 22.
AlainAfflelou.
I only posted as an example of what you might expect.

Thank you Sue and Hotrodder. Much appreciated.

Alain Afflelou is a huge chain of opticians throughout France from Paris to Poitiers, via Nantes and Angers.
We have 2 branches in Vannes and there is another in Auray.
They are thought to be good .. my close friend certainly liked them.