Slightly off-topic but I have this in my near future too. I have an FAA CPL-ASEL/IR (and PPL-H). I'll be moving back to France later this year. I think I've got the PPL/IR stuff figured out, as described above. But.
-- exactly which exams do you have to do? The DGAC (France) website seems to say "you only need to do two" (but not which ones) "but actually we don't have any way to let you only do two" (!).
-- is there a relatively painless way (i.e. not x weeks of classroom instruction and 14 exams) to get an EASA CPL also? Not that I have any ambition to get paid for flying (I wish) but if it's not too hard, why not?
Thanks...