Zeppole, that is precisely how I feel. Although I have not lived in Italy I have lived in Scotland and found my life to be far richer than it is here (and I have far more financially than I did then). I have been to Italy many times and love it, too. The UK is expensive generally speaking but it depends on your lifestyle as well.

I find my husband and I can live with a lot less than many people. We really enjoy the simple (and thankfully for the most part inexpensive!) things and try not to take them for granted. No debt, no mortgage, etc. We would also live simply in Europe. But travel like crazy and really LIVE Europe.

We want to move to Europe for so many reasons - too many to list!

ttt

I don't know if those were intended to be political comments about leaving the US and loving Obama, but it makes me wonder what political benefits or freedoms one would gain by moving from the US to Europe.

SuzieC:

You obviously need qualified advice about your questions. But two points you should consider:

1. As a general rule, a citizen of an EU country has a right to live anywhere in the EU, and bring his /her spouse or partner for ever. In some cases, the status of the spouse/partner is actually EASIER in a third country

2. By living fulltime in France, you're almost certainly subject to French tax laws. These include wealth tax - both on your worldwide assets (including, say, a holiday home in the US) and in some cases on your pension pot, or the capitalised value of some pensions. Like any tax, it's ony a nuisance if you're not getting value for it. And most residents of France, of course, get great value for their taxes

Easy, the USA Peace Corps has openings in, Bulgaria, Moldovia, Romania and Macedonia. Assignments are for two years. There is plenty of time to visit other European countries and decide about staying. Basic costs are taken care of...

dwzemens,

I live on the Golfo Paradiso in Liguria. They don't call it paradise for nothing:

http://tinyurl.com/5w8jsm

I'll be in touch over at comcast.

dlb,

My husband started talking about retirement and we started batting around places in the US.

On a flight to Italy, I became rather ill from eating the airplane food, and when I landed in Milano, I had a riotous stomach. My husband, however, was starving, so I went with him to a very sweet vegetarian restaurant, that is really inside a grocery store, not far from the Duomo.

My husband ordered up a feast for himself, but we explained to the owner that I didn't really feel well, so I wasn't going to eat, but he made me gnocchi with pumpkin sauce (this was in December) and gave me a glass of wine.

I instantly felt better. I went back to the hotel and took a nap. When I woke up, I suggested to my husband that when he retired, we should move to Italy.

He thought it was a great idea!

But first we thought we should look at other places in Europe, so for a few years, every vacation we took, we went to Europe, checked out various locales, but in the end, we just felt we'd be happiest in Italy, living by the sea.

Since living in Italy, I have come to appreciate that golden rule of Italian living: if you're stomach isn't happy, you can't be happy. I don't eat a lot in Italy, but I eat well, and there is actually more wisdom in eating well than one might imagine. I find I need less of other things. But really -- what more could I ask for?

This is very timely. Gadgetman and I are moving to southwest France (house here is on the market) and we are house-hunting in France, round two, in August.

He is a UK and US citizen; I'm a US citizen. Here's what we've learned about healthcare: France has clamped down because so many pre-retirement age EU citizens were moving to France, taking early retirement, and expecting free health care. While most EU citizens already living in France before the ruling are grandfathered in, new EU immigrants are not covered until they are 65 or are employed.

However, IF you are under 65 and immigrate directly from the UK, you will have access to the French health care system for up to (I think) 3 years, paid by the UK. I would guess there are similar arrangements for other countries. Unfortunately, to qualify you have to have been a resident of the UK prior to moving to France and Gadgetman has lived in the US for 9 years.

This is obviously a very simplistic explanation and maybe someone would like to elaborate. I would more than welcome being corrected if I have it wrong. My info is based on several phone conversations with the National Health folks in Newcastle as well as the usual web site searches.

To apply for permanent residency in France the main criteria you must meet are ability to support yourself (savings, investments, social security, pensions or employment) and private health coverage if under 65 and unemployed. We plan to purchase a very high-deductible catastrophic health insurance plan and pay-as-you-go for doctors' visits and prescriptions, which are fairly reasonable in France.

Here we are covered by a private early retirement health care plan from our corporate jobs which is hardly inexpensive, about $6,000 a year(total for both of us)for premiums and co-pays. I'm told compared to most pre-65 US retirees that we have a good plan. It's of course worthless in France.

We are moving for the weather, the lifestyle, the wine, the food and a key factor, proximity to children who live in the UK. We thought about moving back to the UK, but honestly can get so much more house for our money in France and the kids are only a 90-minute flight away.

We know it won't be a bed of roses and I will miss some things, but not many. And, I had to laugh about not having access to English-language books and movies--there are so many Brits, Aussies, and US folks in France now that almost every village has a second-hand English language book exchange or similar. Plus, www.play.com offers free shipping from UK to France.

In a classic case of reverse snobbery, my husband didn't like one village he looked at in May because he only heard English spoken in the cafes!

Zeppole,

My husband and I were thinking Italy, as well. My ancestry is Italian and when we visited the first time, I felt as though I had "come home." I whole-heartedly agree with the Italian notion of the happy stomach being key to a happy life. I guess we will just need to start looking at places to live and make a commitment to do it. From a legal standpoint, how does one get started?

Contact the Italian consulate.

Zeppole:
What are the transportation links like in your area? My husband and I are looking for a potential 'base' for a trip to Italy - where we would not need a car.

You don't need a car in almost all of Italy, unless you want to tour small towns in the Tuscan countryside -- and even there you can sometimes get by with buses.

Bologna and its surrounding towns are especially good for rail transport to a variety of fantastic sights.

I am in Liguria, where the train line runs up and down the coast, from Rome to France.

But it's better to figure out what you want to see in Italy, and then pick your "base." If you don't want to stay in a city, there is usually a nice spot not far from a major town with a train station that can take you to the major sights while being a very nice place to be in its own right.

Thank you Logos and Flanneruk for taking the time to answer.
I encouraged to look into this. Maybe not this year, but we could sell our homes (he has one and I have one that I present rent out); he probably could still work as an SAP consultant even though he's 66 and we could be encouraged to purchase a place. I would learn to make cheese! Maybe Bavaria...I could live there, if he'd move back to Germany.


(I didn't mean to hi-jack Nomad's post)

I would definitely move to Paris! Nothing glamorous in my decision, just love old world charm!

We've been in the UK for almost 11 months and have loved almost every minute of it. So far, the shine hasn't worn off yet -- but I have heard that year 2 of expat life is harder than year 1 so we're still holding our breath!

This is an interesting thread in that most posts refer to retiring in Europe. We're younger than 30 so that's a few years out for us. I intend to live all around the world during our working years but ideally I want to "retire" at "home" which is the Pacific Northwest. We still plan on traveling of course. But once my son grows up and has babies of his own I can't imagine moving away from him or them! The strange thing will be that the PNW won't feel like home to him. I can't wait to see what "home" is for him. So I guess wherever they go, we go!

The posters who have lived in Europe have made a lot of good points, about location, vocation, friendship, and civic involvement. But I encourage anyone who wants to do this (and I haven't got the oommpphh) to do so. You never know until you try....Carpe Diem.

By living fulltime in France, you're almost certainly subject to French tax laws. These include wealth tax - both on your worldwide assets (including, say, a holiday home in the US) and in some cases on your pension pot, or the capitalised value of some pensions".

You are confusing wealth tax (ISF) and impôt sur le revenu (IRS).
Wealth tax applies only if your assets exceed €760,000.
If you are liable to ISF, own a house in the US and pay the relevant taxes in the US, you do not have to pay twice!

Impôt sur le revenu is based on your yearly income, whether you are working or retired.

You also have to pay property taxes (taxe foncière) if you own a house or a piece of land and "taxe d'habitation" whether you are the owner or the tenant of a house or a flat.

semiramis: Which six months?

Muskoka:
Just guess! Put it this way the snowbanks next to the driveway were almost as tall as our bungalow this year.

Thx Zeppole