Would you ever consider moving to continental Europe? And if so where?

bear1 · 07-04-2021 9:28pm

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Lived in France for a couple of years during the Great Recession. Signed up to boards and spent most of my time listening to Irish radio and being extremely homesick. We don't appreciate this country until we've lived abroad, as perhaps most of us in this thread have.

Coming home was the best decision I ever made. Never regretted it.

I'd second that.
Before covid coming home was easy, getting back on the plane was heart wrenching.

Gorteen · 07-04-2021 9:33pm

Spain/Portugal are clearly favourites... but in my experience, very different. Property prices, taxation systems, social aspects, attitude towards non-indigenous people, etc. I'd love to see which is the preferred choice

Hamachi · 07-04-2021 9:40pm

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Coming home was the best decision I ever made. Never regretted it.

Ireland has a lot going for it alright. Sometimes it takes a stint abroad to truly appreciate it.

Have a good friend who returned last summer after 16 years spent between the US and Germany. After a few initial speed bumps, he’s loving being back and said that he feels like himself for the first time in years.

Hamachi · 07-04-2021 9:48pm

Gorteen wrote: »

Spain/Portugal are clearly favourites... but in my experience, very different. Property prices, taxation systems, social aspects, attitude towards non-indigenous people, etc. I'd love to see which is the preferred choice

Massive generalization, but in my experience Portuguese people are nicer. Quieter and more reserved, but more considerate. You feel like they actually see you as a fellow human being.

Gorteen · 07-04-2021 9:53pm

Hamachi wrote: »

Massive generalization, but in my experience Portuguese people are nicer. Quieter and more reserved, but more considerate. You feel like they actually see you as a fellow human being.

I tend to agree with your massive generalisation

ancapailldorcha · 07-04-2021 10:33pm

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Lived in France for a couple of years during the Great Recession. Signed up to boards and spent most of my time listening to Irish radio and being extremely homesick. We don't appreciate this country until we've lived abroad, as perhaps most of us in this thread have.

Coming home was the best decision I ever made. Never regretted it.

Interesting. For years, I've viewed moving back as the worst case scenario but I think I could find work in Limerick and it's not as depressing a thought as it used to be.

Mimon · 07-04-2021 10:43pm

ShatterAlan wrote: »

At the start of a word just pretend the G is a H.

Pronounce "Gouda" as "How-da"

Ik heb geen idee = Ik heb hane ee-day

The Dutch will understand you. They'll just think you learned your Dutch from culchies in Limburg rather than the phlegm spewing Amsterdammers.

The Dutch G is nothing like a H, better off listening and make an actual attempt to pronounce it

Brian? · 07-04-2021 10:51pm

Mimon wrote: »

The Dutch G is nothing like a H, better off listening and make an actual attempt to pronounce it

Actually it depends where in the Netherlands the speaker comes from. The further north the harder the G becomes. The Flemish pronounce G as a H.

Cluedo Monopoly · 07-04-2021 10:54pm

I have always wanted to live in Norway for some reason. I lived in Sweden for 4 months and loved it (it was summertime though so fairly easy to like).
There is something about Norway that appeals to me. Dark and cold don't really bother me either.

Bowlardo · 07-04-2021 11:02pm

completedit wrote: »

I always get lonely in France for some reason. I always feel very isolated and alienated while there. I have such fond memories of long summers down the south of France but when you're there as an adult, you're not near the sea, it's winter and it's cold and dreary and everywhere is closed on a Sunday, just gives me a sad feeling

they closed on a Sunday thing is really unsettling. Wonderful if you have an extended family but terrible if you don't

08-04-2021 9:53am

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

Interesting. For years, I've viewed moving back as the worst case scenario but I think I could find work in Limerick and it's not as depressing a thought as it used to be.

I think Limerick must be the most liveable city in Ireland, maybe moreso than Kilkenny. I'm from nearby Tipp and when we were kids, Limerick was so bleak that people from around here would travel to Galway instead for Christmas shopping and so on. Limerick has been totally transformed, and has become one of those places that I now go out of my way to visit.

You're probably from Limerick so you already know that, or maybe most people know that, but I can't think of another place in ireland that has so completely turned itself around.

zweton · 08-04-2021 6:03pm

Gorteen wrote: »

Spain/Portugal are clearly favourites... but in my experience, very different. Property prices, taxation systems, social aspects, attitude towards non-indigenous people, etc. I'd love to see which is the preferred choice

Yeah Spain/Portugal are popular i would consider buying a property out there. North or south not sure which area would be nicer.

Schwiiing · 08-04-2021 7:51pm

Southern France/Northern Italy. Spain would probably be cheaper but also full of Anto and Jacinta types in summer.

Gorteen · 08-04-2021 8:17pm

zweton wrote: »

Yeah Spain/Portugal are popular i would consider buying a property out there. North or south not sure which area would be nicer.

South of Portugal is better for all-year round weather, but north is quite scenic, not as developed and more Portuguese than Algarve.

Barna77 · 08-04-2021 9:26pm

Schwiiing wrote: »

Spain would probably be cheaper but also full of Anto and Jacinta types in summer.

Stay away from the coast resorts. Anto and Jacinta don't know that there's a whole new world when you go 500 metres inland.

zweton · 08-04-2021 9:36pm

Gorteen wrote: »

South of Portugal is better for all-year round weather, but north is quite scenic, not as developed and more Portuguese than Algarve.

yeah and southern spain is very hot then i believe

ancapailldorcha · 08-04-2021 9:45pm

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

I think Limerick must be the most liveable city in Ireland, maybe moreso than Kilkenny. I'm from nearby Tipp and when we were kids, Limerick was so bleak that people from around here would travel to Galway instead for Christmas shopping and so on. Limerick has been totally transformed, and has become one of those places that I now go out of my way to visit.

You're probably from Limerick so you already know that, or maybe most people know that, but I can't think of another place in ireland that has so completely turned itself around.

I'm from Donegal. Never been to Limerick and for most of my life I thought of it as somewhere people went to die a violent death. Exaggerating but only slightly.

I've been convinced that the place is probably safe enough. It looks a lot more modern than I was expecting on Google Street views.

hamburgham · 08-04-2021 11:09pm

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

I think Limerick must be the most liveable city in Ireland, maybe moreso than Kilkenny. I'm from nearby Tipp and when we were kids, Limerick was so bleak that people from around here would travel to Galway instead for Christmas shopping and so on. Limerick has been totally transformed, and has become one of those places that I now go out of my way to visit.

You're probably from Limerick so you already know that, or maybe most people know that, but I can't think of another place in ireland that has so completely turned itself around.

I didn’t know that, thought it was still a dump. Plan to visit now once this nonsense is over.

Hamachi · 08-04-2021 11:20pm

hamburgham wrote: »

I didn’t know that, thought it was still a dump. Plan to visit now once this nonsense is over.

Limerick is grand. People are usually sound and down-to-earth. There’s a couple of ‘problem’ areas, but no real reason to go there.

My only concern for somebody moving there from a large, international city is that they might find it a bit limiting.

However, if you’re looking for a solid city, with affordable housing and nice people, you could do a lot worse.

Sleepy · 09-04-2021 3:06pm

Honestly, I reckon it's the only way I'll be able to afford to retire - sell the house in Dublin, buy something much cheaper in a small village in France or Spain and enjoy the lower cost of living and nicer weather... I have enough of both languages to get by and would be confident enough I'd be fluent within a year or two of living in either.

SoapMcTavish · 09-04-2021 3:09pm

DubInMeath wrote: »

Back to France, toying with the idea of retiring their.

Flanders - south of Belgium Border. And access to all of Normandy too.

zweton · 09-04-2021 7:04pm

Sleepy wrote: »

Honestly, I reckon it's the only way I'll be able to afford to retire - sell the house in Dublin, buy something much cheaper in a small village in France or Spain and enjoy the lower cost of living and nicer weather... I have enough of both languages to get by and would be confident enough I'd be fluent within a year or two of living in either.

where in spain would you consider?

Sleepy · 13-04-2021 4:27pm

I have family in Pamplona and the Basque region seems to have a great joie-de-vivre in general, lovely weather and lots to do in the area too... close to Saint Sebastian for some of the finest dining in the world too

From a cursory glance you'd have a nice 2/3 bed renovated to your taste for about 200k

zweton · 28-04-2021 11:31am

Sleepy wrote: »

I have family in Pamplona and the Basque region seems to have a great joie-de-vivre in general, lovely weather and lots to do in the area too... close to Saint Sebastian for some of the finest dining in the world too

From a cursory glance you'd have a nice 2/3 bed renovated to your taste for about 200k

Had been looking in that area looks very nice indeed but have not visited. Not a bad price i guess, did you get that price from idealista website?

Oymyakon · 28-04-2021 12:28pm

Thinking about Netherlands, I'm doing a certificate in Data Analytics so hoping I can get a job over there with a multinational firm, Utrecht looks lovely. Always been interested in languages too so I'm picking up Dutch casually at the moment just for fun.

Sleepy · 28-04-2021 12:44pm

zweton wrote: »

Had been looking in that area looks very nice indeed but have not visited. Not a bad price i guess, did you get that price from idealista website?

Just a quick google in response to the question I'm afraid!

Brian? · 28-04-2021 12:45pm

Oymyakon wrote: »

Thinking about Netherlands, I'm doing a certificate in Data Analytics so hoping I can get a job over there with a multinational firm, Utrecht looks lovely. Always been interested in languages too so I'm picking up Dutch casually at the moment just for fun.

A friend of mine worked for this lads in den Bosch.

https://careers.epic.com/

That's a beautiful little city and it's commutable from Utrecht by train.

bunny_mac · 28-04-2021 12:48pm

I'd love to live in Sweden. Am currently learning Swedish with a thought to maybe moving there one day.

Feria40 · 28-04-2021 1:10pm

bunny_mac wrote: »

I'd love to live in Sweden. Am currently learning Swedish with a thought to maybe moving there one day.

Purely out of curiosity why Sweden?

28-04-2021 1:15pm

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

I'm from Donegal. Never been to Limerick and for most of my life I thought of it as somewhere people went to die a violent death. Exaggerating but only slightly.

I've been convinced that the place is probably safe enough. It looks a lot more modern than I was expecting on Google Street views.

Limerick looks like a proper city, in the centre, unlike Galway or Kilkenny.

I was surprised when I went there for the first time. City centre could be of a much bigger city.

bunny_mac · 28-04-2021 1:24pm

Feria40 wrote: »

Purely out of curiosity why Sweden?

I don't know! I've always had a thing about Sweden, maybe I was Swedish in another life. I might hate it if I lived there, but I won't know unless I try!

zweton · 28-04-2021 2:39pm

Sleepy wrote: »

Just a quick google in response to the question I'm afraid!

How did you find Pamplona and the Basque region? Plenty going on? Damn im really considering it.

Shebean · 28-04-2021 4:19pm

Iceland would be interesting but maybe Czech republic. Heard good things about the people and social life.

Oymyakon · 28-04-2021 6:39pm

Brian? wrote: »

A friend of mine worked for this lads in den Bosch.

https://careers.epic.com/

That's a beautiful little city and it's commutable from Utrecht by train.

Thank you for the recommendation! The great thing about Utrecht is it's the heart of the Dutch rail network so half the country (including Amsterdam) is commutable from there.

zweton · 28-04-2021 7:21pm

Oymyakon wrote: »

Thank you for the recommendation! The great thing about Utrecht is it's the heart of the Dutch rail network so half the country (including Amsterdam) is commutable from there.

Yeah Utrecht is also extremely expensive though.

Graces7 · 28-04-2021 7:55pm

Changed my mind; Europe be blowed; ALASKA is my craving..

bunny_mac · 28-04-2021 8:15pm

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Lived in France for a couple of years during the Great Recession. Signed up to boards and spent most of my time listening to Irish radio and being extremely homesick. We don't appreciate this country until we've lived abroad, as perhaps most of us in this thread have.

Coming home was the best decision I ever made. Never regretted it.

I've had the exact opposite experience. I moved home in 2019 after living overseas for 13 years (two different countries) and I can't wait to leave again. But thanks to the pandemic and caring responsibilities I'm stuck here for the foreseeable. Of course there are things I love about Ireland, but the major two things I can't abide are the widespread disregarding of rules that are there to make life bearable for everyone (e.g. lockdown, speed limits, picking up your dog's **** etc.) and the inexplicable veneration of the 'cute hoor' (see: this). Oh and the horrendous health system. And Ryan Tubridy.

Brian? · 28-04-2021 8:45pm

zweton wrote: »

Yeah Utrecht is also extremely expensive though.

Cheaper than eindhoven or Amsterdam I'm told. A mate just bought a house in Utrecht, because it was more affordable than Eindhoven

Ubbquittious · 29-04-2021 1:28am

bunny_mac wrote: »

I've had the exact opposite experience. I moved home in 2019 after living overseas for 13 years (two different countries) and I can't wait to leave again. But thanks to the pandemic and caring responsibilities I'm stuck here for the foreseeable. Of course there are things I love about Ireland, but the major two things I can't abide are the widespread disregarding of rules that are there to make life bearable for everyone (e.g. lockdown, speed limits, picking up your dog's **** etc.) and the inexplicable veneration of the 'cute hoor' (see: this). Oh and the horrendous health system. And Ryan Tubridy.

It is the disregarding for rules that make life bearable for me. I like easy going places in that regard. Would hate to live Switzerland or Germany or Singapore for that reason.

But ireland has brought in a lot of rules from d'EU and I don't think itss improved things. Its now impossible to get a lot of things done due to bureaucracy. If you want to do something fun like drive an exotic car you are all but prevented from doing so by drysh1te bureaucrats who cant imagine someone would want to drive anything other than a Hyundai Tucson. Legitimate sportsmen are prevented from getting the guns they want for no good reason. Every hobby that carries a bit of risk and cant be done from an armchair seems to have a kibosh waiting for it.

Graces7 · 29-04-2021 5:20am

Ubbquittious wrote: »

It is the disregarding for rules that make life bearable for me. I like easy going places in that regard. Would hate to live Switzerland or Germany or Singapore for that reason.

But ireland has brought in a lot of rules from d'EU and I don't think itss improved things. Its now impossible to get a lot of things done due to bureaucracy. If you want to do something fun like drive an exotic car you are all but prevented from doing so by drysh1te bureaucrats who cant imagine someone would want to drive anything other than a Hyundai Tucson. Legitimate sportsmen are prevented from getting the guns they want for no good reason. Every hobby that carries a bit of risk and cant be done from an armchair seems to have a kibosh waiting for it.

Hmmmm . No one has ever stopped me from what I want to do; being e pensioner has severe limits but I am at peace about that. Maybe the secret of happiness is that; not fretting about things you can do nothing about. Living within the limits you know about.. Out here I am at peace with what I have. A small " island car" would be wonderful but I will not fret else. My hobbies are innocuous!

The red tape that would be involved moving abroad means I never will. Coming to Ireland from the Uk was easy though

Maybe Shetland? lol.... France appeals and I am fluent. Britanny… I look at rentals online! Or Norway. That will do fine!

I agree with no guns totally. Safety is a very good reason. Of you and of others. Plenty other sports. Archery is good... I mean that. The more restrictions on guns the better. Another reason to stay where it is safer.

Jim2007 · 29-04-2021 5:59am

Ubbquittious wrote: »

It is the disregarding for rules that make life bearable for me. I like easy going places in that regard. Would hate to live Switzerland or Germany or Singapore for that reason.

But ireland has brought in a lot of rules from d'EU and I don't think itss improved things. Its now impossible to get a lot of things done due to bureaucracy. If you want to do something fun like drive an exotic car you are all but prevented from doing so by drysh1te bureaucrats who cant imagine someone would want to drive anything other than a Hyundai Tucson. Legitimate sportsmen are prevented from getting the guns they want for no good reason. Every hobby that carries a bit of risk and cant be done from an armchair seems to have a kibosh waiting for it.

So in a nutshell you’re looking for somewhere you can decide to pick and choose what rules you’ll comply with, with no regard to the society around you.

I think you’ll find that you’ll need to add several more countries to the three you already mentioned then.

29-04-2021 7:20am

Ubbquittious wrote: »

It is the disregarding for rules that make life bearable for me. I like easy going places in that regard. Would hate to live Switzerland or Germany or Singapore for that reason.

But ireland has brought in a lot of rules from d'EU and I don't think itss improved things. Its now impossible to get a lot of things done due to bureaucracy. If you want to do something fun like drive an exotic car you are all but prevented from doing so by drysh1te bureaucrats who cant imagine someone would want to drive anything other than a Hyundai Tucson. Legitimate sportsmen are prevented from getting the guns they want for no good reason. Every hobby that carries a bit of risk and cant be done from an armchair seems to have a kibosh waiting for it.

Who stops you driving whatever car you want?
I don't believe those things are prevented by the EU?
Not sure what EU rules are a problem?

yer man! · 29-04-2021 7:52am

Brian? wrote: »

Cheaper than eindhoven or Amsterdam I'm told. A mate just bought a house in Utrecht, because it was more affordable than Eindhoven

My colleagues from Utrecht in work are having an awful time finding something to buy there. One thing about housing here in general, it.is.expensive! New builds are pretty much no go as you have to win the opportunity to buy one in the developers lottery and fund it up front. A typical 100m2 terraced house would set you back at least 400k in an okay area (In the Randstad). I'm here two years now and strongly considering going back to Ireland as it's bleak here for buyers.

Now if you plan to rent, then that's fine, cheaper than Dublin and there's far more to offer here I would say.

bnt · 29-04-2021 8:03am

The Netherlands or Belgium (Flanders) for me, since I already have a start on the language, knowing Afrikaans as I do. Spoken Dutch is its own thing, of course, and they have regional accents just as in English-speaking places. I've tried listening to Dutch radio, and so far it's been tough.

zweton · 29-04-2021 9:53am

yer man! wrote: »

My colleagues from Utrecht in work are having an awful time finding something to buy there. One thing about housing here in general, it.is.expensive! New builds are pretty much no go as you have to win the opportunity to buy one in the developers lottery and fund it up front. A typical 100m2 terraced house would set you back at least 400k in an okay area (In the Randstad). I'm here two years now and strongly considering going back to Ireland as it's bleak here for buyers.

Now if you plan to rent, then that's fine, cheaper than Dublin and there's far more to offer here I would say.

Yeah i heard its a nightmare from someone i know over there, worse than Ireland even.

josip · 29-04-2021 9:56am

Ubbquittious wrote: »

It is the disregarding for rules that make life bearable for me. I like easy going places in that regard. Would hate to live Switzerland or Germany or Singapore for that reason.

But ireland has brought in a lot of rules from d'EU and I don't think itss improved things. Its now impossible to get a lot of things done due to bureaucracy. If you want to do something fun like drive an exotic car you are all but prevented from doing so by drysh1te bureaucrats who cant imagine someone would want to drive anything other than a Hyundai Tucson. Legitimate sportsmen are prevented from getting the guns they want for no good reason. Every hobby that carries a bit of risk and cant be done from an armchair seems to have a kibosh waiting for it.

Our restrictive gun licensing laws were necessitated by the IRA, not the EU.

Ubbquittious · 29-04-2021 10:27am

Jim2007 wrote: »

So in a nutshell you’re looking for somewhere you can decide to pick and choose what rules you’ll comply with, with no regard to the society around you.

I think you’ll find that you’ll need to add several more countries to the three you already mentioned then.

No just a place that doesn't have as many. A place that's like Ireland was in the 80's and 90s or earlier before people started getting all uptight about everything

bubblypop wrote: »

Who stops you driving whatever car you want?
I don't believe those things are prevented by the EU?
Not sure what EU rules are a problem?

EU type approval rules put a limit onto how many of certain cars come into the EU and make it awkward to import the likes of a TVR, Caterham, Ariel. Then you have the Irish insurance cartel acting as the unofficial gatekeeper of what kind of car you are allowed to drive and the government letting them get away with it.

29-04-2021 10:51am

Ubbquittious wrote: »

No just a place that doesn't have as many. A place that's like Ireland was in the 80's and 90s or earlier before people started getting all uptight about everything

EU type approval rules put a limit onto how many of certain cars come into the EU and make it awkward to import the likes of a TVR, Caterham, Ariel. Then you have the Irish insurance cartel acting as the unofficial gatekeeper of what kind of car you are allowed to drive and the government letting them get away with it.

So the Irish government then stop you driving what you want.
What does the EU stop you doing?

Ubbquittious · 29-04-2021 11:00am

bubblypop wrote: »

So the Irish government then stop you driving what you want.
What does the EU stop you doing?

Prevents me from getting the car in the first place I suppose

ancapailldorcha · 29-04-2021 11:01am

Brian? wrote: »

Cheaper than eindhoven or Amsterdam I'm told. A mate just bought a house in Utrecht, because it was more affordable than Eindhoven

It does look like a very nice place. I'd always thought only of either The Hague or Amsterdam when looking at the Netherlands.

Would you ever consider moving to continental Europe? And if so where?

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