Best country in Europe to call home?

Welcome YankeeAbroad!

Where are you from in the US? If you don't mind the weather I think the UK (London) would be perfect for you ... good jobs opportunities, friendly people from everywhere in the world, lots of clubs, concerts (I mean good ambiance) ... what else can I add?

Would you prefer a big city or something more quiet?

Just speaking the one language will limit your choice to the UK.  If you want other European cities, you will have to learn the language.

I'm told by those who've been that Barcelona is a good choice.  Not my scene but then I live in a small village.

Italy for me. Food and wine good

Definitely not the Netherlands. Especially when you are black. It used to be a cool country, but that is over since we have a new minister of 'integration" who's main goal is to let as few foreign people in the country as possible. I am Dutch and married to an african lady and we live in Africa. It is so damned difficult to go back together to the Netherlands that I consider emigration. A nice country is Ireland, voted best place in the world according to the Economist. Last time i visited was in the 80, but the dating pool was already deep and nightlife festive.

Hi,

I'm not sure where I've chosen to live would suit the OP of this thread but I have to disagree with Manilva15b that the language necessarily limits your possiblities.  I moved somehwere I didn't speak the language and it worked to my advantage since they needed English speakers in the field where I now work.  It happens often, since there are quite a lot of multinational companies that only find common linguistic ground in English.

That said, I love living in Scandinavia (Iceland for me) and English is widely-enough spoken that it's not a problem if you're not initially fluent in the language of the country.  Have you visited any or all of these places you're interested in?

i love it here, central portugal.
i didnt speak a word of portuguese when i came here, managed by using local english speakers to help, and now manage pretty well

Not necessarily of help to the original poster, but my favourite European country is Germany.  We lived in a small village where there was one other English-speaking (American) couple.  I speak German while my hubbie doesn't, but that didn't stop the neighbours from chattering away to him anyway.  Cities close to where we lived that I would recommend are Koblenz, Bonn and of course Cologne.  I found Koblenz more manageable while Bonn has a lively night-life. 

A caveat though ... I'd recommend trying out a region before moving there permanently, if possible.

I am American and have lived in Sweden for 30 years and am quite tired of it. People here are not friendly and you rarely get positive feedback from anyone. A "goodmorning" will usually get you a blank stare at best. I speak the language but find Swedes depressing as a group. There are exceptions but too few. Black guys are popular with the ladies here but I could recommend this place for a visit but NOT as a permanent home for anyone who is spontaneous and fun loving. If you like sitting quietly and staring at the countryside then OK.

London is definetly a good place workwise but from what you describe you may not be looking for a big cosmopolitan city....then try Brighton very lively...but you may not find a good work there...you could also try Paris though English is not the primary language there are lots of opportunities for Yanks workwise and you could always hang around the expat community which pretty lively...good luck

Too many to chose. Geneva, Paris, Rome, Madrid, Scotland....

Hello,

I just want to say congrats on your decision. I am an African-American man in my mid thirties who had lived in Germany for over a year. I got back 8 months ago....and I'm making a major decision to go back and live or concetrate on my career here! If I go back it will be....at least for some time. I feel you in why you want to leave the states...I have been halfway around the world...and this country always makes me laugh hard.

It depends on how gutsy you are. I studied German for about a year. It's a hard language..but its very similiar to english. I will probably go back to Hamburg, because that's the last place I was living and its where I know the most people. But, I think I will explore other countries like Brussels, France, Ireland, Spain, and Italy.

You're from Seattle so, the weather you are already accustomed to. Northern Europe has cold winters and it's cloudy most of the time, with lots of rain; at least, in Germany. If you want a community feeling....Hamburg or Berlin is your best bet, in Germany....Germans lack community, in my opinion. Lots of Africans...and Hamburg surprised me with its diversity. I found Germans to be ok...but a bit uptight....I'm from California!

I taught at Munich Business School and I play the drums, so if you play an instrument...bring it along....they will love you for it and it's easy to get gigs and get paid, which surprised me. That's why I am going back...because I got invited to play in a small tour of Italy...this summer!

I have heard good things and bad things about London. It's one of the most expensive cities in the world, but it has amazing diverisity and can be violent.

Germany, in my opinion is cheaper than the US, except when it comes to owning a car. And it's very safe. I have heard Sweden, Finland, and Iceland are great countries in terms of the dating pool for "us" but it is a very cold. You have to factor all of this in. I found Germany to be great because the people are dependable, the farther south in Europe...the less dependable the people tend to be; that's important when it comes to work.

But, don't let the language stop you....whever you choose to go...keep in mind that you need to respect the language and try...but don't let it stop you. I was amazed at how much German I picked up, just immersing myself into the society. I will tell you this....try a place for a year. It will take that long to get a feel for the country, it's customs and peoples. And you're not feeling it try somewhere else. I'm mad that I came back to the US...and I made a mistake...I gave up an amazing woman and relationship, but living in a foreign country is very stressfull and costly. It's small things you will miss the most....that's for sure.

What type of work do you do?.....think about that too. Which country has a need for your talents? It's no small decision to become an expat because chances are whatever your used to earning, you will be working twice as hard for less money. But, I assure you; it will be a major growth period in your life you will expierence a range of emotions...but you will be living....I assure you of that!

Best of luck....and I might be there with you...in europe that is..
Badian

we live in central Portugal, love it here, been here nearly 5 years.

Since you only know English, UK or Ireland is your best bet, unless you want to learn another language. I've heard Ireland is very American-friendly and that their culture is very similar to our in positive nature and that aspect. Also if you are looking for that smaller city, suburban field, I know that Birmingham in England is probably up your alley. It has that city feel with out being overwhelming. Just like Seattle, Columbus, or Buffalo. English are radically different from Americans, but I am sure you could adapt. I think you will appreciate how much they are in touch with the global pulse.

Icelandics are amazing! They are slow to warm up to you, and not as touchy feely as we are, but once you are friends, that is it! And Iceland is very American friendly, and have many of the same amenities and products that we do back home. It like the halfway stepping stone between US and Europe, I feel anyway.

Hope that helps! Feel free to email me more Q's if you wish.

If you speak only english, your best bet would really be Ireland or the UK. Ireland sounds too small. Moving to a non-english country may be very isolating since learning a completely new language is quite a task. I would also recommend that you move only to a city; if you come from an area with a large population you would most likely go crazy in a small, quiet town and Europe has tons of small quiet towns.

My husband gets transferred in his job every third year or so and we move about a lot. I liked living in London very much but its expensive, crowded, and weather is bad. I love France although the language is a major problem. I liked Stockholm in Sweden and I never had problems meeting people in Sweden but I would probably not be able to handle small towns, and again, weather was often bad. Swedes, Norweigans and the Irish have been some of the nicest people I've talked with whenever I travel. It may be ironic, but americans can be anti-social when they are abroad although they are very open on their home turf. I liked Holland and think the people are quite easy to talk to. I liked California and everyone is very extroverted but its hard to become good friends with americans, so we felt isolated and a bit lonely there and had to surround us with material things to compensate for this feeling. For us, the most important thing is the social contact in the countries we move to. The main drag with some good places in Europe is the drab weather, so nowadays we are trying to relocate where there is sun. Another thing you may have to think of is that people have a very deeo sense of 'personal space', meaning unless you break the ice and start a conversation no one else will.

I did not like Geneva very much. Surprisingly I was not very fond of Spain either, although I had looked forward to moving there. Tokyo was interesting and they were very curious about us, while I had thought it may be too difficult for us to live in from the impression I had on a previous visit. My son loved going to school in Japan and became depressed being in Barcelona which was our destination following Tokyo. We asked for an early transfer from Barcelona although we do miss the late nights in Spain. Everything closes fairly early in the rest of Europe which is a pity.

I'm from Lithuania and have been living in South Africa (1 year) and USA (12 years). I am thinking of moving back to Europe with somehow warmer, sunny climate than North Europe and I like decent and clean cities with a pretty developed countryside (cable internet, etc.) and I wonder if you could suggest where would be the best to settle down as a self employed individual with a small home office business. I'm considering one of the following countries including some outside Europe: Algeria, Belgium, Egypt, France, Germany (around Koeln area perhaps, also Eastern parts and the South) Italy, Lebanon, Morocco, south Poland, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia. Price of immovable property in Europe bothers me and I hope the prices for rentals and properties will come down significantly as how many people can afford 300000 Euro for a living space or 10000+ Euro for a rent. My personality is probably closest to Swedish, Finnish or German if you don't know much about Lithuanians. In Europe they usually mistake me for a Swede or a Frenchman. I hope there are people who think outside of their old-fashioned mentality and are considering interacting with people from other areas of Europe and the world. I hope to receive constructive suggestions and ideas.

Hey sourire,

Thanks for your ideas. Actually I'm not a Yankee, I live in South Carolina (The South, South-East USA). There are very few Yankees here. I'm a Lithuanian citizen, grew up in the Soviet Union, but lived in Lithuania until 1997. I'm not an American, I keep a Lithuanian passport, just got my new LT/EU passport. I haven't got an American accent, so I feel almost 100% Lithuanian. My accent is Lithuanian also and my English is ok, but not perfect, as you can see. Actually I'm looking for a country that would challenge the convenience of living in the State of South Carolina :-) . It is convenient living and doing business in USA - taxes are not the highest here, real estate prices are ok, you can find good bargains, unlike in Europe, East or West. Gasoline is much cheaper in USA, land prices are very affordable. The only "problem" - I miss Europe and the pleasure living in a multicultural society, being able to ride a car to another country, take a train without flying on airplanes. Also I assume a health care and dental care is much more affordable in the EU than in the US, although you've got the high income taxes there. I'm not sure how "very expensive" London is. For one person 100 pounds is a lot, for another one it is nothing. I guess we are talking millions of pounds here. I think some prices in Europe in general are ridiculous. How many Europeans percentage-wise can afford those ridiculous costs? US$25000 a month for a not so big apartment in central London? I would like to, but, I'm ok living outside of a city or even in a countryside, as long as they got a good internet connection, a reliable post office and good banks. Regarding MONTHLY long term rental, I'd say around 500 Euro would be the maximum I'd pay for a rent. I know... I'm probably in the poor category. Here they got 12% unemployment in the USA, I'm lucky to have this small income on my own. To buy a house I'd be able to afford, - 50000 Euro or less, because I'd have to convert from US dollars after selling my house. Yes, I know, only ruins cost "that much" in Europe. One person self-employed business does not make a lot of money. Sometimes I wonder - how can most people afford those rents and those housing costs with their salaries? What is THE SECRET of such high prices in Europe? I read about Spanish guy making 1000 EURO a month (before tax return?) and paying 800 EURO per month for his 1 room apartment... That's just pure greed from the owners. How does he manage to survive with 200 Euro left to pay bills, food, clothes etc.? This s where real estate speculation has gone - people can't live decent life any more - they have become slaves of mortgage and rental costs. I would have moved to Europe much earlier if not those ridiculous costs for rental, housing, etc.

Jonas

Looks like this topic is a bit old, but I stumbled across it and thought I'd add my two cents.  I am a Canadian that worked and lived all over North America before moving to France for 3 years, and now the Netherlands.  I don't recommend France if you don't speak French, and it's a tough culture to get used to for most non Latins anyway.  The French are very proud and are often rude and dishonest in order to save face. They are also not very friendly with strangers (foreigners and French alike).  Having said that, the food and wine, festive culture, and rich culture make for a great vacation. 

The Netherlands is very foreigner friendly and almost everybody speaks English. Finding work in Amsterdam as an English speaker is easy if you are willing to accept call center type work, or have a tech or other business specialty.  Amsterdam is aso very multicultural and has a great night life.  I am married (and not black), so I can't comment on the dating situation as it pertains to the original poster.

For anyone that decides to move to Europe, it's important to know that it will be a trade off.  There are advantages and disadvantages as compared to North America, and it really depends on what reasons you are thinking of leaving NA.  If it's just to find a more multicultural environment, or a better night/dating life, I would say just go north two hours to Vancouver, or maybe go to the sunshine in Australia.  If it really has to be Europe, I would suggest an extended vacation to check a number of countries out.  As an English speaker, I would think that you would have to choose between the UK/Ireland and a major city in one of the non English countries.  Barcelona for example. In the Netherlands, you would be fine in Amsterdam, The Haag or Rotterdam. Paris or the south of France (Nice for example) would be your only options, I'm not sure for Italy, and although Scandinavian countries tend to speak English well, they are a bit particular culturally and might not be your cup of tea.

Expating has given the best and most accurate description I have found from anyone on living in the different countries she has described. I have the exact experiences. Of all Europeans Irish, Swedes and Norweigans are the friendliest. The French often are plain rude, negative and arrogant that you feel thrilled if you meet a nice and friendly French person. And for some reasons Americans indeed are anti-social when abroad while they are nothing like it in America and are welcoming and friendly. California was very beautiful to live in, but isolating and hard to make good friends in. I loved New York, however and it remains one of my favorites.

Like expating, a friend of mine had the exact same experience with her son attending school in Japan. She too moved to Spain and her son became so depressed in Spain they left. They didn't like Spain anyways and after two years asked for early company transfer and moved to Scandinavia.

Of the European countries I have lived in, Spain was by far the worse. It was so dirty, backwards, crime ridden and depressing of a place to live. I'd say most expats I met didn't enjoy living there and planned to move. Although Spanish people are quite friendly and have no arrogance they have volatile tempers and I found them quite violent. The country has immense unemployment and they love to rip non-Spaniards off. France was very beautiful and is a lovely country, but they are rude and unwelcoming to non-French people in general and this is tiring to deal with after a while and it makes it difficult to feel at home there. They are also prone to be very negative which gets tiring if you have to deal with it everyday. This view was shared by a lot of expats I spoke with who otherwise love France. I think its important to know French for anyone living in France.

I am currently living in the UK (London) and find it to be the best place to live in all of Europe. I have never been happier anywhere else in Europe. The weather is not so good, the English can be quite arrogant at times, but all the good outweighs the small 'bads' and London is also a gorgeous city, dynamic and fantastic. The options to indulge in your hobbies and create news ones are huge but jobs are very scarce and salaries have gone down a lot.

My favorite places so far around the world has been New York and London.

I'd agree with a lot of the last comments. Spain has increasing high unemployment and the red-tape is a nightmare. France has a similar problem with red-tape and people can be very arrogant and rude, particularly if you don't speak french.  Ireland has great people but is very expensive.  Sweden is expensive and somewhat depressing.  Italy is impossible as they don't welcome outsiders (its also corrupt).  The UK is expensive (particularly London and Brighton.  I like Germany, but again the weather can be depressing. Belgium (is not dull, despite what many say) but is also expensive.

This probably isn't much help. You need to weigh up what's important to you.  Good luck.