daveesl

If it were me, I'd first take the 90 days for a normal trip, do a lease car, start in say Amsterdam or Paris and then do a giant loop through the continent. 3 months is a lot of time and can give you like a week in 12 different spots.

Then you can return to the U.S. and narrow down your choices. Perhaps do two 90 day trips, one in the spring/summer, one in the fall/winter. This lets you see all seasons. Doing a major move should be something you spend some time considering.

By the way, while not in Europe, Costa Rica is a FANTASTIC place to retire. While housing might be a bit pricey, you can live extremely well on less than $2,000 per month. I'm talking about food, transportation, a maid, etc. That is why about 8% of the population are American/Canadian retirees. No worries about some military coup, as their constitution bans a military and the president is only allowed to serve one 6 year term. Health care is among the best in the western hemisphere and about 15% of the country is national park land. When you don't have to pay for a military it is amazing how much money you have to spend on education, health care. The negative is that the roads are horrible.

dave

TDudette

Can't speak to the weather extremes, but DH and I loved Perugia in Italy. It has several colleges, an amazing music heritage and good transportation services. It's university for strangers (not exact translation I don't believe) has a 3-month Italian immersion class.

It is also a capital city. Sometimes that adds to possible employment possibilities.

Much luck! I'm so jealous.

yanumpty

"No extremes in weather (ie: no snow)"

You need to look at another continent. Other than Southern Portugal, the low coastal areas of Southern Spain and Southern Greece, you will find extremes of weather everywhere. Spain can vary from -10oC to 45oC around the inland plains.

Florida we are not!

kimhe

I think you should check out very Andalusian Málaga (pop. about 570 000) on the Mediterranean coast. Perhaps some of the quieter recidential areas just west of the bustling city center towards Pedregalejo and El Palo or up in the Gibralfaro hill (roughly same direction) would be very close to what you are looking for?

Some of the best and most stable climate in Europe. Summer high temperatures about 90°F and winter in the low 60's. An average from 10-11 hours (June-July-August) to 5-6 hours (Nov-Dec-Jan) sun pr. day.
http://www.wetteronline.de/Spanien/Malaga.htm

I could go on and on about the city and the region, but you might start here:
"...the town has retained its highly unique character and yet is beginning to be appreciated by visitors who are lured by the historic charm and character of the place - and the people... There are endless narrow streets, historic buildings and quaint old-fashioned shops which have remained largely unchanged despite the passage of time."
http://www.andalucia.com/magazine/en...ed2/malaga.htm

TDudette

kimhe: sounds wonderful!

Christina

With your background, it seems to me you would want to move to Portugal or Spain, but maybe you really don't care at all where you live and its culture. That just seems incredible to me, that someone would seriously consider moving their entire life to a country where they have never been and don't know the language, and have no ties. I agree if you are very good with languages, you could pick up Italian and French eventually better than most, but still.

I thought of the Netherlands, actually, as suitable given lots of people bike there and the climate doesn't have vast extremes IMO, but depends what people mean by that, and since you speak English, that would work. Their cities have great nightlife and they have a very friendly people. I don't know specific towns/cities there to suggest.

kimhe

Sorry, I meant EAST of Málaga city center.

LoveItaly

Actually, Christina, genamaria posted that they moved to the US from Portugal. They lived in the Azores Islands.

StCirq

I have two thoughts:

1. You should do a scouting trip. Where WE on Fodors might want to live in Europe really has nothing to do with what might work for you.

2. You need to figure out what type of business you plan to start, because your surroundings will count for a LOT no matter what kind of business it is, and your business needs could vary wildly depending on the type of company you plan to operate. You also need to look into each country's laws pertaining to starting up a business - Europe is hardly a bed of roses for entrepreneurs.

genamaria

Thank you again for your detailed suggestions! I get excited with each new city/town name I add to our list of places to research.

CYESQ

Recommend you subscribe to International Living as a great resource for the kind of info you want. Over the last 20 years or so these folks have done the kind of intense scouting that you're about to do. Read up on their descriptions of locations which will include weather, health care, education and cost of living. They also have a library of books for purchasing property and/or businesses in international locations, i.e. how to buy property in Italy. I would encourage you to do this kind of research in order to establish your target areas before you hit the road.

CYESQ

Sorry forgot this, you'll also want to take into consideration the tax laws of the countries you're considering.

Michael

When it comes to snow, the Atlantic coast of France south of Nantes probably gets little if any snow. La Rochelle might fit your bill.

kerouac

genamaria, if you accept the concept of winter (not severe winter) for a couple of months, your options will be multiplied accordingly.

You do need to make a big trip all across the Mediterranean arc to see how you feel about the lifestyle of the various countries.

ribeirasacra

avalon I understand that sort of as the OP said "both know how to speak Portuguese, Spanish, and English"
Maybe I should quantify my question. To what level can you speak these languages?
I will also add that to understand how some things work read through the following website.
http://www.angloinfo.com/
It gives a picture of what to expect. For instance you will have to resit your driving test no matter which country you settle in. Each European country has it's own standards for this.
I would not get too excited just yet.

hetismij

No one has mentioned the Balearics, since you come from Islands, and live on an island now, maybe they would appeal to you. Or one of the Canary Islands. They all have sizeable towns/cities and countryside.

But it all depends on what sort of business you want to run of course.

Someone mentioned taxes - this is something you should consider carefully too.

Spend 90 days getting to know some parts of Europe that appeal to you, find out what business opportunities there are in the areas, as well as what the housing situation is.

SOCALOC

What an exciting adventure!
Yesterday, I ran across this article in the waiting room.
Newsweek rates the best countries to live in based on 'quality of life', especially for the younger generations future.
Food for thought.



http://www.newsweek.com/photo/2010/0...the-world.html

http://www.newsweek.com/2010/08/16/b...the-world.html

franco

One information that (I think) you didn't give so far is what you want to do there. Run a business? Or no need to do so anymore?
I would say Italy is ideal for what you seek since many small to very small towns actually have urban flair there - a remnant of a distant past when each of these towns was an independent city state. Perugia has already been mentioned. Mantova springs to my mind immediately. Montagnana. Bevagna. Foligno. Perhaps even Todi, if you can tolerate a certain amount of tourists. Bologna, if the town may be a little larger. Or, a totally different idea, an island in the lagoon of Venice: they give you an at-the-back-of-beyond feel (I'm not talking of Murano, Burano and Torcello, of course, nor of the town of Lido di Venezia!), you never see any tourists, you live in a small village or in the open countryside - and yet, the vaporetto will take 30 minutes or so to bring you into one of Italy's most urbane cities. Think S. Erasmo, Le Vignole, Pellestrina, or perhaps Mazzorbo or Malamocco.

nochblad

I agree with Franco. To narrow down your choice you need to say what you want to do (if at all) once settling down beinga a new business, painting, pottery or whatever. Then you must state what is essential and what is desirable but you could compromise on.
Mantova is I feel one of the most delightful small towns - rich in history and culture, of a size where you can spend most of your time getting from one place to another by foot or bicycle. However, the summer can be blistering hot and it is famed for its fog in winter.
You mention snow - if you wish to avoid this at all costs - or almost - you have to find somewhere coastal.

Odin

Madeira does not appear to have extremes of weather (I have not been there though), neither too hot in the summer and not too much variation in the winter. It's a popular holiday destination for winter sun. Similar with Canary Islands. Other places mentioned are either too hot in the summer (eg Cyprus which has a large expat community esp British) or v cold in the winter (anywhere in Europe)