LNC Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Somewhere - beautiful centrally located enough to travel by train throughout Europe affordable safe Ideas? :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Somewhere -beautiful centrally located enough to travel by train throughout Europe affordable safe Ideas? :) Burgundy. Specifically, I really like Noyers-sur-Serein. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PRTGSw2K Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Portugal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 I would move to Tours, France in a heartbeat. I lived there in grad school, and felt very much at home. It's in the heart of chateaux country in the Loire River Valley. 50 min. TGV ride to Paris, easy to get everywhere else, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsBear Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Italy, somewhere just outside Florence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Somewhere between Nizza and Alassio on the Riviera. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Italy, somewhere just outside Florence. Any particular recommendations? I'm heading to Florence for a week starting tomorrow. :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Northern Belgium Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsBear Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Any particular recommendations? I'm heading to Florence for a week starting tomorrow. :bigear: The entire Tuscany region is breath-taking and beautiful....I was in residence there for about two months a few years ago and seriously tried to come up with a way to stay, it was that amazing. Florence itself is, IMO, a great city to live in, I spent the majority of my time in a rented apartment there (two blocks from the Duomo), so lived like a local and loved it. Outside of Florence my favorites were Arezzo and Sienna, although the smaller towns were wonderful too! Livorno, on the coast, is also really nice if you want to hit the coast (Pisa is very touristy). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 The entire Tuscany region is breath-taking and beautiful....I was in residence there for about two months a few years ago and seriously tried to come up with a way to stay, it was that amazing. Florence itself is, IMO, a great city to live in, I spent the majority of my time in a rented apartment there (two blocks from the Duomo), so lived like a local and loved it. Outside of Florence my favorites were Arezzo and Sienna, although the smaller towns were wonderful too! Thanks! We are staying in an apartment in Florence, although farther from the Duomo than your apartment. (That sounds wonderful!) Sienna is on our list. I'll have to look into Arezzo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TX6 Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Munich, it is a wonderful city close to the beauty of the Alps. We lived in Germany for 4 years. I thought Munich was a perfect location. It has easy access to many countries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsBear Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Thanks! We are staying in an apartment in Florence, although farther from the Duomo than your apartment. (That sounds wonderful!) Sienna is on our list. I'll have to look into Arezzo. Wikitravel Arezzo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 The entire Tuscany region is breath-taking and beautiful....I was in residence there for about two months a few years ago and seriously tried to come up with a way to stay, it was that amazing. Florence itself is, IMO, a great city to live in, I spent the majority of my time in a rented apartment there (two blocks from the Duomo), so lived like a local and loved it. Outside of Florence my favorites were Arezzo and Sienna, although the smaller towns were wonderful too! Livorno, on the coast, is also really nice if you want to hit the coast (Pisa is very touristy). Yes, yes, and yes! I would at least live in Tuscany for a few months. It's soooo beautiful. I love Italy, and dh can't wait to visit. We even named our youngest after the other city of art treasures, Siena :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elinor Everywhere Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Thanks! We are staying in an apartment in Florence, although farther from the Duomo than your apartment. (That sounds wonderful!) Sienna is on our list. I'll have to look into Arezzo. We rented an apartment for a month in Florence, and it was fantastic. Lots to do in Florence, plus the train goes everywhere - we went to Rome, Pisa, Venice, the Cinque Terre, etc., all by train. For me though, if I could have an apartment in Europe (and oh, haven't we thought about it and researched it!) I'd get a little place in the Dordogne region. I love it there, love the village of Sarlat and all the things to do nearby. Lots of great castles, hiking, canoeing, etc. Love it! Disclaimer: I haven't been to a part of France yet that I don't like. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Switzerland Love Heidelberg but also love the Munich area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 We rented an apartment for a month in Florence, and it was fantastic. Lots to do in Florence, plus the train goes everywhere - we went to Rome, Pisa, Venice, the Cinque Terre, etc., all by train. For me though, if I could have an apartment in Europe (and oh, haven't we thought about it and researched it!) I'd get a little place in the Dordogne region. I love it there, love the village of Sarlat and all the things to do nearby. Lots of great castles, hiking, canoeing, etc. Love it! Disclaimer: I haven't been to a part of France yet that I don't like. :D The bolded part is us, too. I never thought I would love anyplace as much as I loved Britain. And then I went to France. :D (I still think Britain's great, but it can't beat the food in France.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elinor Everywhere Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Somewhere -beautiful centrally located enough to travel by train throughout Europe affordable safe Ideas? :) If you do end up doing this, I'd love you to do another thread and tell us how the process went. We go to Europe almost every year, but the biggest reason we haven't bought an apartment is the whole process of a foreigner buying something (we wouldn't be able to pay cash). I'm curious about the rules, restrictions, and loan processes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 I'm torn because I'm a total Anglophile but I also love Germany. I'd have a hard time choosing between the two but Germany might win because I LOVE the food and it was the cleanest place I've ever visited. Top choices: Berlin A little south of Munich in the Alps The Black Forest area A little cottage in a little town in England Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSMWB Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Luxembourg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amsunshine Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 South of France.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftymama Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Anywhere. Once I'm in Europe I can get anywhere. That aside my top cities would be Rome, Brussels, and Prague, though I'd love to live in Paris for just one year. As for a vacation home, Tuscany would be at the top of my list. It's not very affordable these days. The northern part of Croatia is so very relaxing, but travel would be a little more difficult. I guess if I was going to have a vacation home, I would go back to the Stuttgart area and hook up with my friends and then I'm pretty sure I'd be able to work a deal to have someone looking after my place. In the end, I'd rather live in Europe and have a vacation home in the USA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Somewhere -beautiful centrally located enough to travel by train throughout Europe affordable safe Ideas? :) For obvious reasons, I'd go with Switzerland. But really, I'm happy just about anywhere in Europe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 If you do end up doing this, I'd love you to do another thread and tell us how the process went. We go to Europe almost every year, but the biggest reason we haven't bought an apartment is the whole process of a foreigner buying something (we wouldn't be able to pay cash). I'm curious about the rules, restrictions, and loan processes. Yes, that makes it challenging. Even Switzerland is more difficult now that the banking system has responded to foreign demands to tighten restrictions there. Ultimately, it's best an "in" with someone where you want to buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Lucerne if I'm wanting central but London if I had my druthers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassy Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 For me though, if I could have an apartment in Europe (and oh, haven't we thought about it and researched it!) I'd get a little place in the Dordogne region. I love it there, love the village of Sarlat and all the things to do nearby. Lots of great castles, hiking, canoeing, etc. Love it! Disclaimer: I haven't been to a part of France yet that I don't like. :D Hey, that's exactly what I was going to say! (There are also an awful lot of English people living there ... which, as an English person, is not necessarily a good thing). Cassy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanaryMelody Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 When I was stationed in northern Italy with the Air Force, I fell in love with Europe. I didn't get to see as much as I would have liked. My favorite city was Munich, though. It had an easy subway system to get around Munich itself, it was easy to get to by car or train, and it was beautiful. My second choice would be a tie between Aviano area (where I was stationed) or Milano. Of course, this is based just on location and nothing else. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Northern Belgium :iagree: We lived in Brussels for a couple of years...and it's so centrally located. Just a short drive to France, Germany, Holland...A longer drive gets you to the south of France, Switzerland, and Austria. Italy just takes a little bit more time. Plus Brussels has great people and great food.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Southern Germany. No good reason, really, except that I know/can speak a smattering of German, it's beautiful there, and a generally central European area. I long to see the late summer return/separation of the mountain cow herds (viehscheid). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 I would choose Italy because it is easier for foreigners to buy property than in Germany, France or some other countries. We know several people who have purchased property in Italy for this reason. But, I do love Germany, France, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigitte Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 If I could pick any where in Europe to live, I would live in Nice, France. It is warm, has beautiful beaches, and is French. If I were looking for a place that would make travel to everywhere in Europe easy, I would live in Paris. My next choice would be Leuven, Belgium, since my family is there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalknot Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 I'd pick Zagreb, maybe Split. We're more partial to Central and Eastern Europe, in general, though. Easy train access to the big cities in Western Europe has never been important (even when we were living in Western Europe LOL). We looked into buying there, but the politics and bribery were so rampant that we decided to stay far, far away from it (as foreign investors residing out of country). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Can't wait to visit all of you after you purchase these second homes!! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rutamattatt Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 We adopted our daughter from Latvia, so we are partial to that country! ;) Riga, the capital is amazing, but we also liked Daugavpils which is southern Latvia. Of course, I would buy a summer home in Jurmala on the Baltic in a heartbeat. (Latvia's weather lends itself to a summer home. :D We spent a little time in Prague. Absolutely LOVED it. Would go back in a heartbeat. Sister and bro-in-law lived in Germany for three years, and they adored Belgium as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wisdomandpeace Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Salzburg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corraleno Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 I'd get a little place in the Dordogne region. I love it there, love the village of Sarlat and all the things to do nearby. Lots of great castles, hiking, canoeing, etc. Love it! Disclaimer: I haven't been to a part of France yet that I don't like. :D We used to own a 220-yr-old stone farmhouse on 30 acres of rolling meadow and woodland in a tiny hamlet west of Sarlat and NE of Bergerac. It had no heat (just a HUGE open fireplace in the living room and lots of kerosene heaters), crazy dangerous electrics (you couldn't even make toast if the tiny water heater was on), and tempermental plumbing, but I loved it more than any other home I've ever lived in. It had a crumbling stone barn and pigsty, a cylindrical pigeonnier, a huge fig tree, and overgrown orchards with apples and cherry-plums that made the most incredible jam. Our neighbors were wonderful — you never knew when someone was going to knock on your door at 7:00 AM with a leg of boar over his shoulder as a gift! I cried buckets when we sold it (to move back to the States), and I still cry every time I look at the pictures. I hope DH will scatter my ashes around there when I'm gone. :crying: Jackie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elinor Everywhere Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 We used to own a 220-yr-old stone farmhouse on 30 acres of rolling meadow and woodland in a tiny hamlet west of Sarlat and NE of Bergerac. It had no heat (just a HUGE open fireplace in the living room and lots of kerosene heaters), crazy dangerous electrics (you couldn't even make toast if the tiny water heater was on), and tempermental plumbing, but I loved it more than any other home I've ever lived in. It had a crumbling stone barn and pigsty, a cylindrical pigeonnier, a huge fig tree, and overgrown orchards with apples and cherry-plums that made the most incredible jam. Our neighbors were wonderful — you never knew when someone was going to knock on your door at 7:00 AM with a leg of boar over his shoulder as a gift! I cried buckets when we sold it (to move back to the States), and I still cry every time I look at the pictures. I hope DH will scatter my ashes around there when I'm gone. :crying: Jackie Wow, I am seriously very jealous! What a great experience. We cannot move there permanently due to dh's job being here, but we have often talked and dreamed of getting a summer place. With having to fly over every summer, and then needing to keep a car there, it seems like it would just be too expensive. But......I still want to. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elinor Everywhere Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Hey, that's exactly what I was going to say! (There are also an awful lot of English people living there ... which, as an English person, is not necessarily a good thing). Cassy We noticed that, too. We actually stayed at a B&B run by a British couple, which we normally don't do, but it worked out well. They were able to tell us a lot about the area, and since the last time we went there we brought an empty suitcase to fill at a nearby foie gras farm, they kept it for us so it would remain safe. ;) Ideally I'd like a place that's on a major train line, so we could try and avoid a car, but that seems harder to do in France than in Italy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UnionJack Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 This thread is depressing me!! I've lived abroad a few times in my life (UK, Milan, and Monaco [we lived in Villefranche sur Mer, between Monaco and Nice]) and they were my most favorite times ever. We're constantly brainstorming about how we can move back...but it's a lot more challenging with children, owning homes, the state of the economy, my husband's job, etc. Sigh, maybe someday....:sad: To the original poster, I'd say it depends on whether you're more drawn to big city/small city/rural.... Any language experience you'd like to use or develop? Would you rather Western Europe? or more Central or Eastern? So many great options.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Splinter Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 My parents have a little house in Italy, in a small town near Naples. It's hard to think of a better place than that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 My parents have a little house in Italy, in a small town near Naples. It's hard to think of a better place than that. Especially if someone else owns it.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 Somewhere -beautiful centrally located enough to travel by train throughout Europe affordable safe Ideas? :) Cahors, France. My dh's family still holds ancestral property there. Transportation is a breeze to anywhere, plus the area is rich in history and culture just on its own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 I want a tiny cottage in Ireland with one of those cute stone fences around it and lots of flowers somewhere in County Clare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.