Hi All, This is a bit of a million dollar question but here goes......
My wife and I are seriously considering retiring to Italy, there are several factors that will lead us to a final conclusion, but initially I would really like to hear your thoughts on where the best place to set up home would be.......
We want somewhere that is warm (Most of the time), fairly stable on the earthquake front, either coastal or inland, reasonably advanced (By that I meen somewhere that is maintained, I have read of places that nothing ever gets fixed or done...Ever! .
We are taking Italian lessons so hopefully by the time we make any move,we can make ourselves understood and understand at least a little.
We are very flexible on our location.
We are both reasonably fit and active (Young) retirees.......
I know its a big ask, and incredibly subjective, but appreciate any replies.

Thanks all

Carl & Sharon
PS A Million questions to follow.........

https://www.google.it/imgres?q=mappa...A90QM3oECH8QAA
Here's a pic of the seismic areas in Italy. Choose a 'white' one and you would be ok. For the weather aim south of Rome, to get things done, aim north of Rome.

Some years ago we did the same, retired to Italy.
Our Italian language skills were poor back then, now they are SLIGHTLY better and .......the locals speak with a dialect !
We moved to a very quiet peaceful village in the countryside. No regrets and we cannot imagine what would cause us both to move back. I would think carefully before selecting. We happen to love the tranquility of where we live but it is not for everyone. We have a fairly easy drive to the sea and sand, equally a similarly easy drive to the mountains. We tried a rental place in a village centre when we first arrived, we are very happy to have chosen the countryside.

Rent somewhere first, explore the area(s) and that might give you a pointer as to what and where suits you.

Good luck

PSG

Agree with the points made above. Rent before buying is always best if possible in case you decide to move after a year or two, especially given that it's harder to sell property in Italy than in the UK (generally speaking).

Try at least one whole summer if you have never lived somewhere like this before. Several months with no rain, daytime temperatures of 35 plus and nighttime lows of 23 degrees aren't easy to live with (that's in central Italy). That's not just a Brit whinging...even the locals find it hard. It's not the same as being on holiday.

Consider what this move means for your relatives (if you have them). Who would deal with things in Italy if you should be unable to?

Have a 'get out plan' for returning to the UK. Even if you never need this it'll be comforting to know that's under control.

Don't be put off by the list of negatives and problems you'll inevitably come across...it's an experience worth doing and there's lots of positives too

Great advice from all above, especially about the negative being out weighed (far in my view) by the positive experience of living abroad. If you intend to come back to the UK often and/or have family visit then factor in airports and both ends and getting to and from these (sometimes perhaps in snow either country).

We live in Piemonte - if you imagine a triangle between Milan, Turin and Genoa, we are near the middle. Our town is about 20,000 people so is big enough to have plenty of amenities but small enough to feel like a community. We have a train station (great for days out without OH having to drive), a hospital and Roman tourist attractions. The climate is very seasonal so cold winters, hot summers and mild in the spring and autumn. we have lived here for just over five years and love it but be prepared for the infamous bureaucracy!

Hi Lugabug, can you be more specific regarding the issues you found with the bureaucracy?

Hi leopoldot! Top of my head:

Getting our car reregistered - took quite a while and expensive (had to buy/change the headlights)
OH exchanging his driving licence, again time consuming
OH renewing his driving licence (going through this at the moment) - very slow and as a diabetic lots more hoops to jump through
Applying for the yearly health card - an array of documents required plus now much more expensive
Applying for the Withdrawal Agreement ID card - vistis to the questura (immigration police as it were)

On the plus side, the people we have interacted with have mainly been helpful, it's just the amount of paperwork, number of signatures and the time things take. My language skills haven't improved much but if you try, it is appreciated in these situations

Thank you, our party days are well and truly over! so somewhere quiet (But not isolated) is what we are looking for. Outskirts of a village, on a large plot with easy access to Beach/Mountain/Town would be ideal! (Not asking for much )