For people living in the EU. If you had the option to live in any other EU country, would you, and if so, which one? And why?
Assume you can find a job that supports whatever your current standard of living is, and can live more or less the same life.
41 comments
Scotland…. Oh fuck.
If I was ready for the hassle of moving to a new country again I’d give serious consideration to Portugal. Preferably Porto or further North on the coast. If only there were jobs for English speaking Librarians…
I did have the option to choose any eu country and I chose Spain
Portugal, hands down. In fact I’ll probably end up there one way or another
Probably France for the lifestyle. But there’s no way I’d get the same/similar job and money there, so it would be a major lifestyle overhaul
I live in the EU but if I had to choose something different than my own country I would say South Europe- Spain, Italy, Malta, Greece… but more likely Spain. Mostly because of the people. I use to live in The North (not in Winterfall) but the South is definitely closer to my heart ❤️
[THIS ONE](https://youtu.be/WDqayC1sR7g?si=Jg7tBN9tAJH9AvWm)
Portugal, without a doubt, ideally one of the smaller towns along the Algarve like Lagoa, Quarteira or Tavira.
Another EU country? Maybe Germany, a place with enough linguistical and cultural change for me to live things differently, a good economy and a climate I like, but also similar enough to easily feel at home + go back to my family several times each year
And if it’s in West Germany, I would probably go back to my family each week or month. Even better
Spain: it has the most similar lifestyle to Italy but is 30years ahead of us regarding lgbtqia+ laws. That’s awesome (kind of crying over here hoping I won’t have to move from a country I love simply because of bigots)
Either Finland or Estonia. Visited both and that completely destroyed my lifelong dream of moving to Germany.
I would live in Greece or Rhodes , if I could speak the language too and could get a good job opportunity I would.
I’d move to Iceland, even though it is not in EU. Yet, it’d be a possibility, with no work permit needed, etc 🙂
As someone living in Spain for about 4 years, I would say Norway. The heat here is just too much.
Pre-Brexit I’d have said Wales/UK, now probably most likely Germany (speak the language, other half has extended family there, like the overall culture), or Netherlands (have friends there, enough similarities with German that I think we’d pick the language up okay).
Already moved from Riga, Latvia to Vienna, Austria…I have to admit that overall it’s a winner…it’s a good country, affordable housing, good wages, healthcare, family oriented…for me having two little kids it’s crucial.
Sure, perhaps it’s only my perception, but that’s my perception after a bit of over two years. Surely, there are some flaws, but they are minor. I also love the geographical location, dead center of Europe…anything is within a close reach.
Perhaps if I had a job offer with the same salary somewhere in Spain, I would consider…but otherwise I am very satisfied
Before Brexit I would have said the UK and it’s sad to me that it’s a lot more difficult now.
Now, I would quite like to move to Belgium.
The Netherlands, because I like having functioning infrastructure.
I love Ireland so I’m happy here but I would love to have the ability to stay in the south of Spain or Portugal for winter😂
Slovenia. Visited there during my Interrail trip and really liked it there.
I live in Finland now. If I moved again, it would be another Nordic country.
I’m From Denmark and I’d choose Denmark.
If I can’t pick Denmark then I’d be Norway.
I don’t like it too hot, the pay is good, the social safety is quite nice here and has a great passport for travelling.
I like peace and quiet so I’d go for Slovenia. Having to learn the language might make me change my mind though… Ireland looks nice too. I’d miss the sun a bit but it’s not like where I live I see it all year round. And I could just speak English.
I’m French and living in Germany since last year, I don’t regret at all
It’s crazy how everything is similar despite the stereotypes
I guess I would feel the same in the UK
Since I can’t choose Norway, I stay in Sweden. No other EU country is better!
The Basque region of Spain (Bilbao or San Sebastian) or Northern Portugal (Porto or Braga, for instance).
I have dual British-Irish citizenship, which is very useful post-Brexit, and I don’t discount Ireland, although not Dublin.
Within the UK, I would consider moving North of the Border to Glasgow or Edinburgh.
This is one of the very basic principles of the EU – we all already have that option.
I must admit that I’ve forgotten a lot of my school French, but I do think it’d come back to me if I spent some time there, and I do like France. Brittany seems like the obvious spot, since I like the Irish weather and that’s not too different; also, I like surface travel (trains and boats), so the ferry connections to Cork and Rosslare might be useful. Ideally, in a town with a direct train connection to Paris (and hence an easy transfer to London and Benelux).
I would love to live in Ireland.
Been there this summer and it is breathtaking, people was even nicer than in my home country (Portugal 🇵🇹 ), the food is great..
I would just need my family there 😅🥲
Südtirol/Alto Adige: a good mix of North/South-Germanic/Roman and with beautiful landscapes on top. I think Burgundy could also work, but I really need to explore it more.
Either Spain (because I speak the language and I’m for some reason attracted to the country) or one of the Scandinavian countries.
This is a very difficult question, because as an Italian that really hate hot climates I would say Denmark, Sweden or Finland.
But as someone who can’t learn a new language even if his life is on stakes, well, Belgium is the only option because it’s already an Italian colony
As a Finn, Sweden, if it has to be for life, as it’s by far the most similar country. If not that then Denmark. Basically just the Nordics as their way of living is the same as us
Honestly? Netherlands or Belgium, but since I live in Belgium already… It’s just so well balanced. There’s a cultural mix, countries are both very progressive and accepting of queer folks like me, healthcare is quite good, but I still have the autonomy to go private if I want to. I’m actually quite happy in my North-Western coccoon!
Sweden. I always feel at ease when I visit and I like how there’s way less people and more nature. I am an introvert so it seems like my ideal country. I already speak English and German and have learned basic Swedish so it shouldn’t be too difficult to learn.
Italy, because for the first time in my life, I felt *at home* when I was there.
Just next door to Slovenia. I am absolutely in love. If my firncée said she’d be down for it too, I’d start looking for a job there tomorrow.
Maybe Germany
– Cheap transports, lot of night trains
– Lot of companies in my field (biotechs)
– Similar amount of biomes as France
– Germans seem more open than Swiss and French people
– More possibilities to have a vegetarian diet
– Your bread, your cheese and your cold cuts :p
– My French family’s originally from Alsace, I feel close in a way
I was traveling a lot while working On project in many countries.
At the and I feel the most comfortable in Poland, 60km away from big city in a small village.
1. It’s very safe, woman can travel where they want ( even at night ) without any company/security.
2. Cost of living are very low, taxes are also not so high, cost of land and houses are also cheap. Internet is fast and cheap.
3. Health care is free for everyone but sometimes not perfect. However there are a lot of private specialist which are easy to find and make an appointment.
4. Entertainment is cheap comparing the other countries. I made my paragliding pilot license ( with certificate ) for 200Eur.
I’d choose Slovenia for the following reasons:
1. Access to the Alps.
2. Access to the Mediterranean Sea.
3. Borders with Austria, Italy and Croatia.
4. Slavic country, language easy to learn for a Pole.
5. Food similar to Poland but better (more Mediterranean diet).
The only dealbreaker as of now: job market in my profession is almost nonexistent.
Home country is Slovakia but by lucky accident I live 6 years in Finland already. I would not change Finland for any other country. Spend 3 months in Iceland but I still prefer Finland.
Slovenia seems like the perfect country for simple living.
France seems like a happy middle ground between the advantages of Northern and Southern Europe