tower

ribeirasacra...this happens all too frequently. OP posts, picks brains and then disappears.

n2j2ryan

Actually I was away with my family without a computer for a week. It was great. No cell phone, no TV...
Anyways, I do really appreciate all the comments and suggestions. I do know that the drivers licence will not be a problem in most countries that we are considering.
As with the medical, my wife will be doing contract work while we are away, and for a pretty minimal sum, we can carry medical insurance that will cover us. We would also not require a work permit as she will be paid into our Canadian bank accounts etc.

n2j2ryan

The one thing that we would need would be internet access. It is funny because we do live on the water, so I have always thought that I would only want to be somewhere that we have beach access of some sort. I don't know if that would be the deciding factor any more. I am not overly concerned about the language issue for the girls. They both do extremely well at school and have taken french for a couple of years. I think at that age, immersion is the way to go.

n2j2ryan

Rachel. I would love to hear about your place in Spain

kanadajin

"I just swapped mine (we were from BC but as far as I can tell it doesnt matter what province you are from, its based on the country)."

Just to clarify, this might be true for the UK, especially since it is also part of the Commonwealth (as is Canada), but not so in France.

In fact until recently, one could not exchange an Ontario DL for a French one without re-doing the tests. A recent agreement with the Province of Ontario and the French state changed this issue. (and vice-versa, I personally know French nationals which had to completely re-do the licencing process from scratch just a few years ago after moving to Ontario - very different from the situation in Quebec where a licence could be simply exchanged. Nowadays this is of course a mute point)

And no such agreements exist with Spain, so there you have no choice but to undergo the whole licencing process...

jamikins

Fair enough kanadajin - thats why I specified a CDN license in Britain! I have no idea how it works in other countries.

n2j2ryan

Just to clarify the drivers licence thing. I can purchase an international licence through CAA (Canadian Automobile Association) which is valid throughout europe. All you need is a valid provincial drivers licence and $15. It is only valid for 1 year, but may be renewed for another $15.

jamikins

An international drivers license isnt a drivers license, its just a translation of your local license. You still need to ensure that your local license is valid for the period you are in another country, regardless of how long the international license is valid for.

TJA

We too are a Canadian (now couple) who lived for a year in Grasse, in the south of France where our three children attended French school. We chose this location just because of an accidental meeting of a couple who had spent a term in that lovely small city. We'd previously contracted to spend the year in the Chamonix area which would have been fine except we were beginning skiers and, the south of france and it's proximity to Provence, its climate-well everything-made it a much better choice.
If you want more info, you can e-mail me @ [email protected].

uhoh_busted

What really stumped us when we were planning a long stay, was what to do about a car. You WILL need a DL that will allow you to get car insurance, if you want to just, say buy a 2nd hand car for the time you are there. The long-term lease programs with Peugeot, etc. which include insurance are not "that long" -- I want to say it was 3 months, and frankly, are costly when you are considering that you are LIVING there. We ended up deciding not to go, as some family issues arose that prohibited it. But still, the car question was a problem we hadn't quite gotten our arms around. As your DW is gong to be under contract working for someone, possibly that company can help solve that issue, as well as the heath insurance stuff.

n2j2ryan

Has anyone spent some time in Collioure, France. I know it won't be warm in the winter but looked like a nice place. I am really stuck on a seaside town, but I know there are many nice towns, and probably more traditional away from the touristy seaside towns. I figured from the Collioure area we could travel to many different places with not much difficulty.

ribeirasacra

I have just read your comment about not paying tax in Europe. I am sorry to say you will have to pay tax in Europe anyone living in one country for more than a certain time will be considered a resident for tax purposes. The French law sates that as soon as you arrive you are considered a tax resident. Your status is then reviewed and you may or may not have to pay tax if you hit the criteria. One of them is if you live in the country for more than 183 days. An individual does not have a choice they either are, or are not, a French tax resident under the rules.
It is nice to dream but I do feel you should study all the advice you have because it is gradually getting to be impossible for you to live and work in Europe, especially if they start to clamp down on border controls.

SloJan2

What a great idea! Your UK passport will be immensely helpful and I do recommend that your children get theirs as well. We did this and have ended up moving around Europe for 13 years with 2 kids. Just know that it is addictive! Don´t worry about the DL. Get an international DL and don´t worry about it. We have never had a problem and generally use our US DLs, though I also have a Swiss one. Taxes. You will be liable if you spend over 180 days in one country. It is hard to escape but due to tax treaties, you should get a credit on your Cdn taxes (?). We have never had an issue with car insurance and have always been able to buy it without any problem

We are still moving around, but have bought a house in the Algarve of Portugal which we rent out when we are not using it. I would think that a Portuguese seaside town would work for you as the Portuguese are very willing and accomodating to work with you regardless of your language skills. I find them to be a very patient, tolerant country that is also very laidback (sometimes, a bit too much, but that is another story!). The Algarve is a bit too non-Portugal probably for what you want to accomplish, but there are some lovely towns up the coast, near Sines.
Good luck!
Jan