No. I love visiting Europe but no I could not live there. I live in paradise now and I couldn't give it up.

My Dh and I have discussed this a few times and we are both in agreement that it would be a great thing to do for a few months. However, at this stage I would not leave my two dogs!!! Not a problem leaving the old folks, the son, the house but the two schnauzers - never!!!! I would't feel comfortable leaving them with relatives, no-one else could possibly spoil them the way I do!! As a volunteer at a pet rescue I get so fed up seeing all these family pets dumped after years of faithful service because they don't suit the owner's lifestyle anymore - I couldn't and wouldn't contemplate doing the same thing for purely selfish reasons.

We will have to satisfy the Europe urge by going on decent length holidays. We both have EU passports so it would be easy for us to go and live there but for the time being.....

Schnauzer

Take them with you.
Air France is the best for taking a pet.

schnauzer - out of curiosity, why do you think you would have to leave your dogs behind? I've known Americans who moved to Europe and took their dogs with them. Of course I guess the rules may vary by country...

I took my two aged cats to Italy.

They think bidets are the most fascinating objects they have ever encountered.

I can't imagine a dog not loving Europe. They are treated like royalty! They go to all the best restaurants (and in France, they sometimes get treated better than the customers!)

"For those who want an apartment on Ile St. Louis or a farmhouse in Tuscany...imagine schlepping groceries through the tourists up to your flat?"

Ummmm, I do this all the time. It's often pleasant to talk to the tourists. They're in a good mood and tell me how envious they are I live there all the time.

I wouldn't let that stop you.

I live 2 minutes from not just groceries, but some of the best groceries in the world. I don't drive there, but I don't need to. And exercise is good for me.

Do I ever wish I was back in the states circling a parking lot, or waiting in line behind somebody with an overflowing grocery cart?

No.

"How will you cope if/when one of you dies or suffers from a stroke or some other debilitating illness? How will you feel in an old people's home where you must speak your second language, and where you cannot share youthful memories with your fellow inmates?"

The first time I went to Italy, in my 40's, I didn't realize I had pneumonia when I left the states and ended up in an Italian hospital for 15 days, gravely ill.

I was not only cured of pneumonia, I was cured of my illusion that life is risk-free until you are old, and the illusion that, even when one is healthy, one should live in dire fear of "What will happen when I'm old?!?!?!?"

Two other things I learned when I was gravely ill with pneumonia were

a) I didn't want to socialize

and

b) I hoped the people I loved had better things to do than hang around hospitals. In fact, the worst part about being sick was seeing other people worry and look sad. I was relieved when visitors hours were over and they hurried off to fantastic dinners at Bolognese restaurants and let me sleep. If you're sick in Italy and your kids have to come watch over, they'll have a better time than in most places in the US..

I don't know what will happen when I'm old. Period. Maybe I'll be like Gore Vidal. Maybe I'll trip on a Ligurian staircase and die. Maybe I won't live to be old.

If I lived my life in fear of the kinds of things posted above -- well, I don't. So I don't know what it's like.

Yep, got Aldi, Lidl, Tengelman, 2xREWE, Plus, Norma, cheese store, 3xfruits and veg., flowers, 3x bakeries, 3x butcher, library, 2x bio food store, 3x drinks, MC Donalds, Subways, 3 italian restauarants, 2 greek, 2 bavarian, 2 beer gardens..., and 2 book stores

All within 5 minutes walking distance.
You do not buy groceries for more than "instant" consumption.

And a subway station below and the post office next to my flat.

As long as I know I can always go home to NYC, I would move to Europe. Probably a year or so in each European country, so not a permanent move per se.

Just til the novelty wears off.

If those drivers in NYC would stop honking, that could be the place.

I read that Italy is one of the countries which offer a retirement visa, if you can demonstrate a certain level of monthly income.

But would that mean you would pay a tax on any retirement income you earn from a US retirement plan?

That would mean paying taxes twice, not to mention the horrible exchange rate currently.

Add the costs of health care and ...

Surprised that Liguria is so affordable. Thought Portofino was expensive. But maybe in comparison to Manhattan, a lot of places look affordable.

Olive oil cheap? Well maybe in tourist areas it's just expensive but I've seen liter bottles going for 20 Euros or more.

I would never want to live entirely in Europe. I spend 6 months living in Paris and 6 months living in Ohio. I love this arrangement. From Paris you can easily travel throughout all of Europe due to the great travel hub that is Paris.

Be prepared for a long drawn out ordeal to get your residency card (carte de sejour). With FBI check etc it took me about 9 months and then you must re-new it every year until you have lived in France 5 years. After that you only renew every 10 years; if you are still alive at that point. You cannot get French citizenship except under very special circumstances (parents were French etc) but a carte de sejour gives you all the rights you need anyway. You can't vote of course.

For now and the foreseeable future the weak $ is a serious serious problem for Americans living here and the cost of health insurance is a big item unless of course you are rich.

Good luck,
Larry J

Unfortunately we live in Australia which is at best at 24 hour flight. There is also a stop over on the way. The quarantine rules are very strict here in Australia and it would mean lots of injections (ok we can do that) but also at least five - 9 weeks in quarantine when we return depending on where we have been. At least it has improved from the 9months it used to be. Also one dog is 9 already and the other is a nervous wreck at the best of times, she would not be able to cope with a flight, a trip to the local shops sends her in a spin. If we went for a couple of years then the older dog would probably be too old to handle such a long return journey.

Thanks for the suggestion anyway!! I have thought about it but because of the reasons above dismissed it.
Schnauzer

Jamikins, what was it like leaving Canada and your family behind? We want to do the same - move to Scotland, Wales or Croatia (our next trips are to look at properties and such). We are in our late 30s and could retire to Europe at the age of 45. My husband is a CA (and partner) so I know what you mean about saving! I was brought up to do the same.

When did you move?

In a New York Minute, I'd be there so quickly your haggis would be on fire. Unfortunately, my DH adamantly against the idea

In a heartbeat. Assuming we have the finances and health care coverage, I'd whisk my family to Europe without a second thought. I have two kids who are travelers (North American only, thus far) and I would give anything to have them immersed in a foreign life. I dream about it often and hope we can do it someday.

Move to Europe? No way. Move to New Zealand? Yes -- if they would have us. They are quite choosy.

Yes...New Zealand is fabulous. I visit Kiwi friends there. It's not such a long flight from L.A. Smiles. Happy Travels!

LarryJ, you are living my ideal - but my fiancee (a Brit until he takes U.S. citizenship soon) came to California for me (hmmmm - yes, I guess I buy that) and reminds me that I always said the SF Bay area (north bay) was as close to heaven as anyone could expect. But that's before I saw Paris (spent six weeks there so far); now, I could easily spend half my time there and half at home.