In reply to simon manc:
I lived in Grenoble for a couple of years.
Very nice town, good size but not too busy, excellent public transport with a good tram system and exceptionally good connection to the motorway and rail system.
Lots of cultural events and stuff going on but of course that's not London or Paris
.
It's quite a wealthy area, lots of good jobs available especially in high tech industry / science / it, and has very good universities.
Can get really hot in the summer, and does get get a lot of pollution because the place is locked between four mountain ranges so the wind doesn't go through, most days it's absolutely fine though.
People are quite chilled, a bit of an international community living there, but speaking or learning French would be a must if you don't already speak it.
Housing is pretty expensive in Grenoble itself, so if you're on a modest budget, look for the smaller towns in and around - they are for the most part very well connected.
Post edited at 10:26