expat does it meet the dream

The black art of moving from A to B on foreign soil
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skipper
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expat does it meet the dream

Post by skipper »

Many on here are reaching an age where we are coming close to retirement or just suffering from winter blues and think leaving our fair land for a life in other countries. To those who have made (or thinking of) this move and there does seem to be a fair few in this site, has it met your expectations and where do you consider the best place to escape to is.Or is it a case of the grass is greener on the other side.
Uncle Buck
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expat does it meet the dream

Post by Uncle Buck »

I moved to Spain 5 years ago to the Northern Costa Blanca. I have had to come back to the uk for work. As soon as I have enough to retire, I am back there like a shot. A lot of expats complain about red tape and how the Spanish work and it's better in England for dealing with government, taxes, blah blah. If you take your time, so your research, it's no bother. 300+ days of sunshine is hard to beat. €2 pints, cheap wine, gorgeous food. It's hard not to love it.
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Philiptigerrice
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Re: expat does it meet the dream

Post by Philiptigerrice »

Well, I left Yorkshire and moved to Lancashire a few years back - and its shite.
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Redsoul
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Re: expat does it meet the dream

Post by Redsoul »

Our plan is to retire when we are 60 (13 years time) and move just south of Carcasanne in France.Rather than buy though we are going to rent our house out in England so if it goes tits up its not a big issue coming back.
Andy A
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Re: expat does it meet the dream

Post by Andy A »

We spent 7 years working abroad and have been back in the UK for almost 2 now, its funny how often the conversation now turns to moving to one of the places we spent so much time in previously, especially after the last winter which has been shite !! We will give it another year here but are seriously looking at getting away.
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AlanHolt
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Re: expat does it meet the dream

Post by AlanHolt »

We moved to Catalunya last year, and I have no regrets. It's hard, because you not only have to learn a new language, but you also have to adapt to a different culture. Where we are, everything is closed on sundays. Everything is closed for siesta between 1pm and 5pm for the other 6 days. But for me, the negative to moving here is other British expats. Not all, but there's a lot who survive here by stealing and dealing drugs. They drink from morning to night, drink and drive, like to gossip and cause trouble amongst the expats. It's easy to identify the good ones, they don't ask what you did, what you do, where you live, what you have, how you support yourselves, don't invite themselves to your property but always say hello when you see them. If you keep yourself to yourself, integrate with the locals and distance yourself from the expats for a while, until you work out for yourselves who is good and who isn't, you'll be OK.
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scubabiker
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Re: expat does it meet the dream

Post by scubabiker »

left the uk 3-4 years ago and moved to the best country on the planet (officially yes!) norway.
im young, only 27, had no higher education, all i had was debt, and health problems, anyway, i lived here for 1 year and bought a house by the sea, best decision of my life leaving the uk. the taxes here suck, but everything else rocks, and then there is the added bonus of going back to the uk and doing all the touristy stuff that you wouldnt think of when you lived there!
learning a second (third and forth) language is not so easy, but not too difficult either, and most people understand english anyway, so thats not so much of a problem.
since living here i have come to realise just how bad the UK actually is, others will back me up here im sure, its little things that you dont notice when living there, yet you notice when you move....
Mike101
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Re: expat does it meet the dream

Post by Mike101 »

Philiptigerrice wrote:Well, I left Yorkshire and moved to Lancashire a few years back - and its shite.
Obviously it is...i thought everybody knew that?

Mike
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Re: expat does it meet the dream

Post by Redmurty »

Never understood expat's leaving the country getting somewhere and then turning into little Britain. I'll go if I had enough money to get to a country where I would like to live. I.e. new Zealand, South Africa to name a few

cheers Spud ;)
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V_King
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Re: expat does it meet the dream

Post by V_King »

if UK leaves EU, I would plan retiring to wales or devon. everywhere in EU you will be treated like any other non EU citizen, visiting their countries with greater mountains of red tape.
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