Moving to Europe?

Roman,, you should go on to the tripadvisor.com Paris forums.. there are a serveral expats living there who have done very similar,, and with kids,, they know the websites to look at ,, the schools ,, how if all works.
I would go there and post .

Adam Gopnik wrote a book about the ex-pat life in Paris called From Paris to the Moon, which may give you some insight.

Yup, just google the country name plus "american expats", and you will find lots of great boards with American's in the same situation.

Can I go with you? I don't care where. I just want to live in Europe. Lucky you! Don't pass this opportunity up for you, your wife, or your kids!

The kids will have no problem assimilating, they will learn the language faster than you.

No matter which country you pick...it's a wonderful chance to be a citizen of the world.

One comment...the French and the Italians love protests, and strikes....perhaps Spain would be best because of that. Might make everyday life just a bit easier for your wife.

Where do you work? Are they hiring? I can be ready to leave in, say, 10 minutes. . .

Roman; from my experience of living in Europe for three years, the biggest issue by far (surprise, surprise) was language. I was lucky to live in Holland during my 'permanent' time overseas where everyone speaks English. That said, I still had to bring my dictionary to the supermarket to look up "garlic" in Dutch (it's 'knoflook' BTW) to choose the right spice bottle on the shelf.

Going to Europe as a tourist, staying in places where, because of tourism, most of the folks you meet speak English is not the same as living there.

Being from Texas perhaps you and your gang speaks some Spanish, or your given name being Roman, perhaps they speak Italian. If 'twas me, of the three countries you've listed, I'd choose the one where language would be the lowest hurdle.

If by chance English is the only language spoken/known in your house, my choice of countries from the three you listed would be France first; then Spain and Italy in that order. I've visited all three countries for various periods of time on business and as a tourist and though I speak French reasonably well, some Spanish and Italian, I found Italy the most difficult language-wise. And, IMO, it is language that will make or break it for the missus and the kids (although the younguns will pick it up in a matter of weeks) as a resident versus as a tourist.

Bottom line for me; whichever country the company offers, grab the opportunity and it'll work out with the help of all the expat communities and folks throughout Europe. My three years in Holland were the best experience I could ever imagine and notwithstanding the usual 'what the hell am I doing here' moments, I wouldn't trade them for anything.

Went back to Holland last April after being away for a few years and had to stay in my old 'neighbourhood' to get my Dutch fix; that'll never go away.

We moved from Australia to Spain several years ago to realise our dream of living in Europe. Neither of us is allowed to work here, one is retired and one works overseas so you are incredibly fortunate to have this opportunity.

In my perhaps limited view, less English is spoken in Spain than France or Italy but the Spanish are very very forgiving of rubbish spanish. They are also some of the friendliest people on earth.

In my view (and to generalise as it could depend on where in those countries) the positives about Spain over the other two would be - cost of living, weather and wonderful people. They are also very family oriented and adore children. The negatives - mainly the unemployment - about 18% and rising every day so I would be a bit concerned about any new division doing well in this economic climate.

Hope that helps a bit.

Thank you all so much for such outstanding guidance and responses. I find out more details today so we will see if it really can happen. I think Spain would be my preference. I speak Spanish and have lived in a Spanish speaking country before so along with the benefits offered by Liz, it would be my preference. With that said, I feel that the UK would offer an easier way to assimilate but we will see how the next set of meetings go.

Ciao

From my personal experience I'd give these thoughts to consider:

• Stay away from the capital cities. They have larger expat communities that are easy to connect with. But assimilation with the locals is much more difficult. Especially true for Paris. I never spoke to a Parisian during the entire time I lived there (well aside from shop keepers) but I connected instantly with locals in the provinces.

• Make language a priority. If you speak already some Spanish but no Italian or French the choice would be obvious for me. Especially if this is a temporary experience. It is hard to become proficient in a language within two years or so. If you intend to stay "forever" this is not as much of a factor as you will have enough time to learn the language.

• As your kids are still very young they will adapt easily to any country you'd choose. I guarantee they'll speak the local language quicker than you or your wife!

Good luck!