Moving to Europe for 1 year , maybe2…..

First find if you can do it by obtaining a long stay visa.

welcome to the forum, loris.garden. There are some forum participants who are long term stay folks, hopefully they can weigh in about the steps you will need to take to extend your stay past the normal tourist visit time period. It would be helpful to clarify your citizenship as requirements depend on that information. Depending on the country you choose to stay in the most, then you can figure out whether and how you can bring your pets along, the requirements vary by country (vaccinations, etc.) and quarantine of your animals on arrival is a definite possibility.

This site lists some options you may want to consider. While the site is probably mostly correct, you'll want to use official government sources for info to develop final plans.
https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/how-to-legally-stay-in-europe-for-more-than-90-days/

When you decide which country you might be able to move to, check for Facebook forums of expats for hints and tips. I understand they can be most helpful. And do be aware that quite a bit of red tape will undoubtedly be involved (proof of financial stability, medical insurance, etc.).

Lots of good advice above about getting a visa so you can establish residency for a year. Each country is so different in their requirements. We stayed in Italy for 18 months and the process was a bit arduous. Also, you may be required to file income tax returns in both countries (US and ???) if you stay over 6 months.

So selecting a possible location might be your best first step. Have you ever visited a country you thought you might want to live in?

Germany is quite handy but views by the sea are all north. Italy worked for us for visiting France, Switzerland, Croatia, and Austria easily. Certainly you can get almost anywhere by train or flight and we visited the UK 4 times, once flying and three times via France and the EuroStar train.

Italy means hot summers even by the sea, the UK means cold winters, especially by the sea.

You can spend up to 90 days out of 180 in the Schengen Zone without a visa, but you dare not overstay. I believe the UK allows up to 180 days without a visa. Maybe you can establish 2, 3, or 4 bases for your year?

BTW, as to pets, we moved two cats to Italy, no problem but a lot of hassle as all certifications of health have to happen in the final 10 days before departure including a Dept of Agriculture verification. There are services that help you for a fee. The airline may or may not allow one person to carry two pets in the cabin, so check that as well.

To add what others have said above- if you are thinking of coming to the UK with animals, it's important to know that the UK does not allow any animals in the cabin on either inbound or outbound flights- they must be in the cargo hold. They are quite strict here with bringing animals into the country as rabies has been eradicated here for many years and they want to keep it that way.

"You can spend up to 90 days out of 180 in the Schengen Zone without a visa, but you dare not overstay."

You might also want to look into reciprocal visa waiver agreements. I'm an Australian, and due to visa waiver agreements we can stay in quite a few European countries- Germany, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, Australia plus others, for 180 days without a visa. Does the US have something similar in place?

Also, do your parents or grandparents have a European citizenship making you eligible for residency or a long term visa?

I understand the advantages to living in Europe, you save on airfare, but. there are disadvantages:

1) You still have to pay taxes in your home country (USA, Canada, Australia?). Getting mail from home is more complicated. You would need to examine if you have to pay taxes in the country you stay. European taxes are higher than you have at home.

2) You will still have to maintain you home in your home country plus paying for lodging in Europe.

3) Would you bring a car, that would be another expensive issue. Also, research if you need a local drivers license. That could be another complication?

4) If you pick a place, I would suggest a warmer country in the south, also cheaper. Northern Europe is more expensive. The cheapest would be in Eastern Europe. Check out Hungary, Poland or Croatia.

We lived in Germany for 4 years, working for the US Army. It was nice, but didn't like the long winters.

You can stay 90 days in Ireland in addition to your Schengen and UK stays. That makes a full year with (potentially) just three bases. OTOH, Ireland has a housing shortage and isn't as affordable as many European countries, particularly in Dublin but also in some of the smaller cities. And the transportation infrastructure isn't great outside of those cities.
For a long-term rental (probably anything over 30 days), you will need to show proof of your right to remain. Also, you would need to establish local banking. Long-term short-term rentals (aka AirBnB) quickly become very expensive and are subject to all the usual complaints about the platforms.
You could look at a platform like HomeExchange.com. I am not familiar with that site, so I don't know if there are many long-term options.

"You still have to pay taxes in your home country (USA, Canada, Australia?)."

Not if you're Australian. If you've moved, you're not tax resident, so nothing to pay.

"European taxes are higher than you have at home."

Varies by country, but tax rates are fairly similar for Australians.

But true there's a lot to think about, and speaking from experience it's more complex than the OP may think.

More Americans Are Heading For Retirement In Europe. Will You Join Them?
Dreaming of retiring in Europe? More Americans are heading to countries like Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and Greece—for more affordable living and a better quality of life.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexledsom/2026/05/10/more-americans-are-heading-for-retirement-in-europe-will-you-join-them/

If you want to do a little "what if" and investigation, take a look at the Website and YouTube channel "Spain Revealed". It is run by James Blick, a cofounder of Devour Tours, and has produced many food and travel related videos, mostly on Spain. He has shifted gears a bit and now offers advice on moving to Spain. He offers some free resources and videos about how to do it, then also offers a "Masterclass" that covers all the aspects of a move...visas, medical, money issues, living arrangements, etc.

It looks to be a pretty comprehensive guide to how to move to Spain. It really does not speak to other EU/Schengen countries, but the basic elements would be similar.

Thank you everyone for all this great information! 🌸I really appreciate the advice. I'm starting from scratch so I’m looking into different alternatives. Spain, Croatia, Portugal may be great places to start.🌴

There are a lot of people on YouTube who have made the move. I have been watching Roaming Retirement, a couple who moved from the US to Nice (France). There are not many videos there so you could probably catch up quickly. You could do worse than Nice!

Lavandula

What country's passport do you have? That will make the biggest difference on whether or not this can be done easily.

She just whats to know where, not how. I would say Monaco.

Loris, welcome to the forum, what a great idea. My friends who immigrated to Portugal actually love the eastern area, not near the sea but SO inexpensive and lovely, absolutely lovely friendly people and excellent food!

Thank you Sandancisco, I think Portugal sounds lovely. Being around friendly people is very important too!