The best Europe has to offer
Aug 27th 2004, 11:16 pm
#16
Desert spaces
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 309
Re: The best Europe has to offer
Take my advice and stay away from Scandinavia. Go further south if you want a reasonable quality of life!
-Becs
-Becs
Aug 28th 2004, 6:18 am
#17
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2004
Location: UAE
Posts: 142
Re: The best Europe has to offer
A few miles inland of Malaga in southern spain.........
wonderful !
After many years as an expat, living in manay countries, I have settled in this area, where, for me at least, the quality of life is the best I have experienced.
The choice is however a personal one, and all the suggestions in the world are of limited value until you have actually tried locations for your self.
wonderful !
After many years as an expat, living in manay countries, I have settled in this area, where, for me at least, the quality of life is the best I have experienced.
The choice is however a personal one, and all the suggestions in the world are of limited value until you have actually tried locations for your self.
Aug 28th 2004, 9:26 pm
#18
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2004
Location: Norfolk, England
Posts: 74
Re: The best Europe has to offer
I think the "best" place to live depends very much upon what you are looking for and the type of person you are. Studies may rank Zurich, Geneva, Vienna, etc. as the best cities in which to live, for example, but as somebody who has has come to hate big cities (in any country), I wouldn't be happy in any one of them. I don't doubt there are city dwellers who could not imagine living in rural areas that I would prefer.
What do you mean by a good welfare system? In my opinion, a minimal system is best.
Good education and Welfare system.
Sep 2nd 2004, 9:56 am
#19
Just Joined
Joined: Aug 2004
Location: Richmond, UK
Posts: 6
Re: The best Europe has to offer
Hi - By welfare do you mean health service - in which case France, Spain and Belgium are all very good plus they all have cheap housing. Holland should also qualify - but I don't know about housing. I believe that living costs are higher - as is Copehhagen.
The UN and the Mercer serveys are based on executive relocating. I would advidse looking in detail at the criteria and use that to develop your own set of criteria. Do you want to be in a city, countryside. Do you want to be near the sea, mountains, skiing. Do you want to live a predominently English speaking life (then Spain, Malta, Cyprus or parts of Turkey), abroad but with a reasonable expat community or do you want to get away from the British (in which case don't get any advice from this forum
)
The easiest way is to move to southern Spain. There's a large expat community which means that it is easy to get help, build contacts.
Do you want a city life then consider Brussels or Holland or a French city. Somewhere like Bezier (approx 80 miles north of Spain, close to the Med) seems to be underpriced at the moment. Decent apartments start around £50,000 and a reasonable property around £80,000.
If you want to do something different a good apartment in Latvia costs about £40,000. Education excellent. Most people speak English. Cost of living low - but medical charges are starting rise. And its dark and cold for a lot of the winter. In fact most of the Eastern bloc which has joined the EU or will join the EU have bargains and low cost of living. However be careful as wheeeling and dealing and down right cons are more likely.
Sorry these thoughts are a bit random. My plans are apartments in Brussels so I can work, Bezier for the sun and good life and Musselburgh Scotland to be near my kids. Each of which I can achieve on a budget of around £60,000 All I need to do is murder my wife :scared:
The UN and the Mercer serveys are based on executive relocating. I would advidse looking in detail at the criteria and use that to develop your own set of criteria. Do you want to be in a city, countryside. Do you want to be near the sea, mountains, skiing. Do you want to live a predominently English speaking life (then Spain, Malta, Cyprus or parts of Turkey), abroad but with a reasonable expat community or do you want to get away from the British (in which case don't get any advice from this forum
) The easiest way is to move to southern Spain. There's a large expat community which means that it is easy to get help, build contacts.
Do you want a city life then consider Brussels or Holland or a French city. Somewhere like Bezier (approx 80 miles north of Spain, close to the Med) seems to be underpriced at the moment. Decent apartments start around £50,000 and a reasonable property around £80,000.
If you want to do something different a good apartment in Latvia costs about £40,000. Education excellent. Most people speak English. Cost of living low - but medical charges are starting rise. And its dark and cold for a lot of the winter. In fact most of the Eastern bloc which has joined the EU or will join the EU have bargains and low cost of living. However be careful as wheeeling and dealing and down right cons are more likely.
Sorry these thoughts are a bit random. My plans are apartments in Brussels so I can work, Bezier for the sun and good life and Musselburgh Scotland to be near my kids. Each of which I can achieve on a budget of around £60,000 All I need to do is murder my wife :scared:
