Best city in Europe to live

I'm split between London for the soccer, or one of the Swiss cities like Luzern/Zurich/Bern for quick, and easy access to the Alps.

Hi,

Thanks for your reply. I am considering taking a trip to Bern. I was in Zurich last July, 2009 and it rained for 3 of the 4 days I was there and it's very expensive but I am sure that the rest of Switzerland is also. The weather was an issue and the gloominist seemed reflected in the people.

I am looking for a cheap to live but nice city to live. But with the condition of the dollar that is hard to find.

Not a city but the Cotswolds in the UK...or London.

"I am looking for a cheap to live but nice city to live." Go to Wikipedia and look up "Schengen Treaty".

Paris - then maybe I would have time to see everything and take all the daytrips too.

Unless you hold an EU passport, or you are a student, or you have a work visa, you won't be able to move to most of Europe "for ten years or more". It's not like it used to be, there are limits on how long you can stay unless you have some sort of long-term visa.

.....or learning where exactly France is.

that is a very vague question. After the visa question is cleared it still depends if you need to work, want to retire, take children along ...

As an expat with job and kids I would love to go to Switzerland, somewhere around Bern. We travelled through Europe quite extensively and that was the first time both my husband and I felt we could imagine living there.

For retirement or just hanging out without working I'd pick a warmer place like Southern France. I lived in Brittany for a year and LOVE this region but the weather can be a bit iffy.

I would NOT choose one of the big cities like London, Paris or Rome. Visiting them is fun but living there can be very stressful.

".....or learning where exactly France is."

Ed - have you not heard of the French Alps? home of Mont Blanc (elev. 15,782)?

I think that Ed needs to take a geography lesson from Ian rather than making snarky comments about his helpul post, lol.

Guys, France is over there, over there.....

Frederick have you gone mental? From San Diego take the I5 South till you see the big blue bridge on your right, cross over, now buy your home and smile. Not certain but I think God lives there too. If you insist on Europe The Netherlands is a terrific choice. I lived in Den Dolder for three years and... Nah, cross over the bridge on South I5.

have visited most of Europe in my 68 years and my pick would be Ljubljana, Slovenia....I feel at home in Slovenia and on our trips to Europe the past number of years we have made time for Slovenia.. to rent a car and spend at least a week somewhere in that wonderful country. Next European visit in 2012 for a month..and definately a return to Slovenia for a week or so!!!

Well, 3 German cities always make the Top Ten Best Places in the World to Live: Duesseldorf, Frankfurt and Munich and all 3 trade places up and down each year. So, I am quite happy living here in this wonderfully, historic city. Always lots of fun, interesting and lively events and fests going on here, it is safe, it has cool architecture - both old and new, and it is such a great transport hub if I want to go on vacation anywhere. I love all the museums, going to organ concerts in the old churches, listening to the Alte Nikolai carillon in the town square, strolling through any of the 40 some parks here, shopping at the farmers markets, or just sitting on a bench along the river, watching the boats go by and the kids feeding the swans and geese.

If I had to pick a different city than Frankfurt though, then I would probably go for somewhere in the Netherlands. The people there are so relaxed and funny.

I always admired how my elderly cousin Marjorie Mitchell managed her residences. She was in Stromness Orkney from May to September. She spent October and November and March and April in NYC. She spent the holidays with family in Boston and was in Miami for the winter. None of the homes were extravagant, but she was able to follow weather and family. ; )

For me, I would pick Scotland. I vacillate between Edinburgh and Inverness and think that I would end up in Inverness--that's where I have friends. Like any person living full time in Scotland I would have to plan on winter vacations in Greece, Spain or Italy. ; )

Pam

Frederick,

If you're planning to move to Europe, you'll need to deal with the issue of the Schengen Visa first. You will not be allowed to stay in the Schengen zone longer than 90 days, and failure to observe the rules can result in severe penalties.

Regarding the most "liveable cities", you might have a look at THIS. There are three charts to choose from, depending on which criteria is most important to you. Vienna seems to be a solid favourite on all the charts.

Cheers!

Stockholm, Sweden or Aberdeen, Scotland

Thank you all for your replies, advice and kindness.

In the last three years I have visited: Stockholm, Copenhagen, Zurich and Amsterdam. And many years ago visited Luxemborgh, London, Paris( one day going through the city changing trains) to Nice, France; and Sydney, Austrailia. And many, many years ago was stationed in Berlin for four months (before the wall came down).

Of all of those cities I liked Amsterdam, Nice and Sydney and I seriously investigated trying to live in Amsterdam (the canals are so restful) but it's almost impossible to get a permanent residence visa. And it rained and was cold a couple of days that I was there and it was summer time - I live in a warm climate where it seldom rains.

I recently saw Rick Steves' trip to Cologne, Baden-Baden and smaller cities in Germany on PBS which prompted me to continue my research as I really like those quaint towns with cobble stone streets and ginger bread/European type architecture. And I saw that Frankfurt and Munich are rated in the top 10 of the best cities in the world to live - They are more reasonably priced to live as well then other European cities. So, maybe these may be the next cities to investigate. If anyone knows about Frankfurt and Munich let me know your opinion?

Frederick,

I was in Baden-Baden a few months ago, and my impression was that the residents are somewhat affluent and the city attracts the same type of visitors (especially with the Casino and Spas). Unless you're in the same income bracket, your cost of living could be a bit steep. I also have to wonder why Baden-Baden doesn't usually make the list of "most liveable" cities?

I can't answer questions about Frankfurt, but Munich would certainly be on my "top ten list". It's a great city, but of course my opinion is based on visiting as a tourist rather than living there.

If I were facing the same decision, one significant factor for me would be how well I could function with the language of the country I chose. I can manage to some extent in Italian, so Italian-speaking areas (Italy, Switzerland) would be at the top of the list.

Good luck!

My first choice would be Amsterdam. As far as language goes, it seems that everyone who runs a business or works in one speaks English. Of course, I would start learning Dutch as soon as I moved there.

I'd be tempted by many European cities, but for ten years or more, it'd have to be Oxford. I used to live near Oxford, and it's a nice (aesthetically pleasing and relaxed) place to be, it has culture, history and pubs, the surrounding countryside is pretty and it's easy to get to/from London for bigger-city amenities. (Oxford is a bit short on decent night-clubs, if that's what you want, but you can go out in London from there.)

For me it would be Paris. I have lived there before - was not stressful at all - and I dream of living there again. Love French culture, the food, the lifestyle, the people, the city itself - love everything about it.

Following on from Frederick's comments above I will relate that northern Germany can rain as much as the Netherlands. I was in Cologne for the summer of 1972 I think it was and I loved it there. I was able easily also to take lots of excursions and that was great. The problem was the rain. Every year is different, I know. I got so fed up with it I hopped a train heading south and spent a dry week in Nice.

My pick would be Salzburg. Been there several times and just love the city, people, and climate. I lived in southern Germany (3 yrs) and also Frankfurt (2 Yrs). Liked Frankfurt but winter is very wet, foggy, cold and you don't see the sun for days. Southern Germany was better weather wise but still pick Salzburg as my choice.

I don't know about a city per se, but the Alsace region in France comes to mind. I would also love to live in Switzerland (which might actually be easier for me to achieve since I still have cousins there). I really liked Meiringen in the Berner Oberland when we were there 10 years ago.

"My first choice would be Amsterdam. As far as language goes, it seems that everyone who runs a business or works in one speaks English." Having spent a fair amount of time in the Dutch-speaking world (and now in the German-speaking one), I would say nearly everyone who runs a TOURIST or hospitality-based business speaks English, both in Belgium and the Netherlands. But in the more mundane, non-tourism related businesses like utilities, banking, medicine, law, auto repair, contracting, real estate, ie, the kinds of businesses residents interact with far more often, English fluency is far from universal. The friendly waiter or hotelier you encounter may speak flawless English, but don't expect the plumber you need to fix your overflowing toilet to do so. Voor woont u in Nederland, moet u eerst Nederlands te leren.

Hey Frederick, I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, but European weather, unlike California, is very weathery. It rains in the summer and gets cold - except when there's a horrid heat wave. And summer is not from March through November. And in the winter, the wind blows (think Santa Anas but arctic) and this funny white stuff falls out of the sky and it too is cold. In the spring there are lots of flowers because there is lots of rain. And in the fall the leaves turn pretty colors because the trees get really cold. So if a few days in Amsterdam turned you off weather-wise, stick to southern Europe (Spain, Italy) where summers are long and hot and humid too. The good news is that not everything is airconditioned, so you'll probably never get cold, till winter. Then you'll be cold (that white stuff even appears in southern Europe in the winter).

I would pick smaller cities, or even small towns, since I am a country boy at heart. I would also pick them because they lack congestion issues. Toulon (no tourists!) on the French Riveria, Leiden in The Netherlands, Arhaus (sp) in Denmark, Burgas in Bugaria are my top four, based on my travels. The first and the last (Toulon and Burgas) are palm tree coastal cities that do not attract westerners. Being willing to talk pidgen with the natives is important when you venture outside the biggest cities and the places that serve tourists.

I'd live in the Dutch countryside, Switzerland (an amazing country), or Bavaria (love the region). Maybe if I win the lottery (sigh)...

Since the question is asked in the Conditional, I'll answer it that way. Were I to stay in Europe beyond the time constaints of Schengen, say 5-6 months...I don't expect any problems in obtaining the Visa, I would choose Berlin or Paris as first choices...absolutely! The second best cities I would choose: London, simply a fascinating place, or Vienna...an enchanting but also haunting city unlike any other I have felt in Europe.

Amsterdam or Paris. I have a friend who lives in Amsterdam as her husband got a job there. She loves it.

Do you prefer big cities or smaller towns? If money is no object I would like London or some smaller town in Switzerland like Luzerne. But if I want to spend less money then I would be looking in Eastern Europe. In Czech Republic Prague (but it's already getting more expensive), Brno, Olomouc. In Slovakia Bratislava (my friend lives half year there and the other half here in PA). Bratislava is very close to Vienna but living there is just a fraction of price of living in Vienna. Or consider Croatia. I would prefer cities or towns on Dalmatian coast. Also Croatia is not in EU yet. What about Bulgarian Black Sea coast? Varna, Burgas? Or Poland (Krakow- close to Tatra mountains for hiking), Hungary (Budapest, Eger and many others worth investigating). Living anywhere in Eastern Europe is still quite cheaper than living here.

I'd pick Munich for location purposes, a hub for the many other unbelievable countries, cities, lakes, mountains, or events. However, if I was stranded in one place....Amsterdam with London a not so close second choice.

Any city in Europe! I spend 7 months a year in Hawaii and I would be very happy to spend the other 5 months anywhere in Europe and I have been thru most all of Europe from the Scandinavian countries thru Turkey, from the Atlantic to Eastern Europe. Only as far as we dream might we go.

True, the weather aspect has to be taken into consideration given the depth of winter one faces in various parts of Europe, especially if you come from Calif. as already been point out. If I were to stay during the winter months, then it's going to depend on what type of winter I would be experiencing; if I luck out, then I'll go through a mild one. Not seeing the sun for days on end doesn't bother me; more unpleasant and unannoying is the depth of the cold, that biting cold, that type of cold that sticks to one's jacket. Numerous other cities in France and Germany would fit the bill, apart from the top priority ones, for me to choose to live in, such as Duesseldorf, Minden, Frankfurt, Marburg, Munich, Mainz, Soest, Luebeck, etc. In France my choices would be: Arras, Amiens, Cambrai, Strasbourg, Colmar, Fontainebleau, Soissons, Lille, Nancy, etc. Maybe one day I shall.

I'm sure I would live a little South of the Alps. Probably Northern Italy or Southern France or perhaps in the Balkans near the Adriatic. I grew up in San Diego and the long winters and short days North of the Alps would take their toll on me. I've lived many places around the world and am still looking for something that has San Diego weather (warm and dry) but isn't crowded and expensive like Southern California has become. A government that hasn't succumbed to insanity would be a bonus.