I have been meaning to reply to this for days now, but not had the time.

I have been in La Coruña NW Spain for 8 years now, been out of the UK for 15.

Generally things depend on what your circumstances are. If you need to earn money then obviously you have to go where you can work, or set up a successful business. If it's to retire you have to think about healthcare and mobility, and also things to keep you occupied - you cannot sit on the beach all day every day.

As regards to the location, I reckon that the place will choose you. I had no intention to live in Spain, let alone a far flung corner like La Coruña but I was sent here for reasons to do with work and fell in love with the place and made some very good friendships here. If you truly want to live somewhere then you can generally put up with the hard bits ... there are many.

Good things for ME about being in LA CORUÃ'A
I get to live where I want to.
I have learned a foreign language.
I am more relaxed than before.
I love my city.
I love the food.
The scenery is fantastic.
Galician people are similar to Brits.
It's not hot here and it rains aswell.
It's not cold either.
Being a city, there are bars, pubs, restaurants, cinemas, theatres, sports etc, etc.
The healthcare system works.
There is a reasonable public transport network - buses from where I live to the city centre every 15 minutes until 11PM (If I need them)
Beach only five minutes walking distance from the flat.
Spectacular, empty beaches less than 40 minutes in the car.

Bad things about being in La Coruña.
To Spanish people I will always be an immigrant.
Having to learn Spanish from scratch.
Jobs are hard to find, pay rubbish, are unstable and have long hours.
Beurocracy.
Civic pride is not what it is at home.
Whilst the family is very important here, community spirit isn't.
The television is rubbish.
Education system is not as good as the UK.

I live in Benidorm and have done so for the last 7 years (apart from one summer season in Ibiza in 2004!). Unlike riazorblue, I did choose to come and live here, it was my intention for a while before I actually did it. However, I want to go back to Ibiza for a while if I can!!

Pros of living here
It's healthier than the UK
There's always something going on at whatever time night or day
The food is good
I learned to speak Spanish with the locals
The healthcare system is excellent (I gave birth in a Spanish "NHS" hospital and can't fault them)
The way of life is so laid back
The weather is so much better than the UK
There are beautiful, clean beaches within walking distance of where I live
There are many other lovely towns within driving distance
The education system here in Benidorm/Albir is very good
Sky TV is easy to come by so you can still watch your soaps!!!

Cons of living here
Spanish Mortgages are hard to come by
There is a lot of bureaucracy regarding paperwork etc
Benidorm has a bad reputation regarding lager louts etc!
Jobs are hard to come by at the moment (credit crunch is here!), wages are quite low and hours are long
Spanish TV isn't good, but we have a Sky system so that doesn't really affect us!!
Some of the Spanish people are very bad mannered
Food shopping isn't as cheap as in the UK (obviously especially English brands)

Well that's all I can think of for the moment. On the whole though, I am glad I live here and will continue to do so for as long as I possibly can!!

I live in Antalya and would echo Riazor blues summary except it does get very hot here July and August.

As for working I am working month on month off in the oil ındustry currently so no worries now, when I first came here worked real estate but the credit crunch whacked that ( I still do a little bit).

I would not go back to the UK,and if it went wrong here I would move on but not back to the UK.

Best advice I can give is learn the language, and pick a place where there are things to do, so beware of holiday resorts that become ghost towns in the winter.

True Bryn, Benidorm is an all year round resort fortunately, but places like Ibiza virtually close down in the Winter. The only jobs available then are for people with trades, ie builders etc as they start refurbing hotels/apartments etc in the Winter.

And learning the language is a must, the amount of people that you see on things like Place in the Sun who want to move to, say Spain, but say "we've never been and can't speak the language, but we want to move there for good".!!!!!

Yes but you can learn the language once you get there, in fact it's the best place to learn, though some basic Spanish would probably be a help before moving. I came to Germany 38 years ago only knowing yes, no and thank you in the language, it took a while but I eventually learned. The fact that you don't speak the language shouldn't be a reason for not moving to a new country as long as you intend to learn. I would imagine that a large percentage of those moving to Spain are retirees so they have plenty of time to become proficient in the language. To work in a country then the language is needed but for retirees especially in Spain there seems to be a network of support in the English language that means they can live a British life in the sun. If that is all they want from their new home then it's their choice but I think they are missing out on a great experience.
I came to Germany 38 years ago because of work, intended to stay one year but it sort of stretched and I'm still here all of these years later. Most people think of Spain when they think of moving abroad and Spain is the most popular place in Europe but it wouldn't suit me as I can't stand very hot temperatures. I doub't many retirees would want to come here as the climate is similar to the UK, but if you like an outdoor life (skiing in winter, hiking etc in summer) Bavaria where I live is perfect and house prices are about half of what they are in the UK. The health service is superior though it's private so everyone (including retirees) has health insurance. Banks haven't been handing out silly mortagages and many Germany save for years for a deposit on a house and live in rented accomodation(of which there is lots)in the meantime. Many never buy property.
Germany is a cleaner and safer country. I feel quite safe walking alone down the streets of my nearest city at night. I often forget to lock my car and have on occasion left my patio doors unlocked. Children play outside on the streets and in parks without adult supervision and parents don't worry if their offspring are out of sight. If I go into town on a Saturday morning there aren't piles of vomit or pools of urine scattered around after the previous nights rowdiness. If I drive through the countryside I don't see any rubbish (flytipping is it called?).People have pride in the appearance of their villages, I often see women brushing leaves, dirt etc from the public footpath outside their houses. Thats not to say that there isn't any crime or violence it's just nowhere near the same as in the UK.
Over the years the difference in prices have varied greatly. Although the pound was extremely strong when I first came here (the equivalent to 5€ to the pound) prices in Germany still seemed very expensive . Prices of goods have increased in the UK to almost ridiculous amounts and only now because of the really bad exchange rate do UK prices seem to a person changing Euros at all manageable, though I still think a basket of groceries costs more in the UK than Germany.
I have never felt unwelcome in Germany, people wanted to make friends with me straight away, though possibily because I was a rarity in those days). There is very little anti-british feeling here not at all like the anti-german remarks that I read in newspapers or hear from people in the UK.
On the whole I believe quality of life better here than the UK and although I sometimes feel that I would like to move back to spend my remaining years I will probably stay here.
Anything I don't like, the red tape, everything has to be registered, dealing with officious officials. No Fish and Chip Shops. Living a long way from the sea, it's the best part of a days drive to my nearest ocean(the Med) Shops are not open on a Sunday (though I'm not sure whether that is a pro or a c o n) German TV. No Sainsburys, Tesco, Asda or Morrisons.

Psycolisa, when you say that it had been your intention to move to Benidorm for a long time; that's what I mean about somewhere choosing you. I imagine that it's a place where you felt at home long before you decided to move there. My partner also gave birth here, initially we couldn't get our son into the medical centre round the corner from us, but after being on the waitng list for five months a place became vacant - sergas - the Galician 'NHS' is good. Regarding education - our boy is in preschool - he had a free place in kindergarten from one year old until he started in preschool at 3 years old. As it's preschool and optional we have to pay books, paper, crayons, pens, plasticine etc. When he's in infant school proper we'll still have to buy pencils, crayons, notebooks, paper, plasticine, but the text books will be free. When I say that the education system isn't as good as the UK it's in secondary and higher education that the statistics say that Spain isn't working as it should be. They have another eight years to put things right !!

Judith, you are right, there are many places on the med where you could live without learning Spanish, I also lived in Holland without learning Dutch, but there's the problem, when everyone speaks English, it's very hard to pick up Dutch, or Spanish or German. It took me a year and a half to learn Spanish to a degree where I'm comfortable speaking, and that with the only exposure to English being two friends and the internet - I made sure that everything else was in Spanish, to this day we haven't got Sky or Canal Plus in English.

Yeah, we had been coming here on holiday for many many years before I moved here. I just felt at home here straight away. The locals are very friendly, and welcoming.

I applied for my medical card and was "assigned" a medical centre. The midwife was extremely nice, she used to practice her English on me!! I learnt so much more Spanish while I was in the hospital having our baby as they didn't speak hardly any English and I was in there for 5 days. (I only met the translator the day they were discharging me!!!)

I've not tried to enrol the baby in any nurseries etc yet, as he's only 8 months old. But obviously he'll be going to the local Spanish State School when he's old enough (can't afford private!!)

How old do they start infant school in Spain???

Compulsory schooling starts at 6 years, but free pre-school is available to all from 3 years. We got ours into a council nursery from 1 year, starting with 2 hours per morning then when he was older he also had his lunch there.

Question for Bryn,

Hi Bryn,

What are the best and worst things about living in Antalya? I'm thinking of an Apartment there for when I retire. Not all of the time just for say 6 months of the year. Also what areas of Antalya are good to buy in? Would appreciate your views.

Ace

Apologies for not getting back to you sooner but I do work in offshore oil and was away for 1 month.

Anyway living here as a lot of ups not too many downs at the moment.
1st traffic will drive you mad if you drive here - but you do get used to it after a while.
2nd the beurocracy is bad but again once you own your place you will not experience too much of it.
Antalya is slightly more expensive than some of the resorts(example you pay 1 lra more for a beer in a bar) but generally most things the same and we have better shopping etc than most areas.

You will need health insurance which isnt too expensive, but highly advisable.
you will when learning Turkish hit the frustration point- thats when you can ask a question but dont understand the response- bear with it you get there in the end.

Buying here- best area in my opinion is Konyaalti which is the western suberb of Antalya 24 minutes to the airport, walk to the beach, 10 minutes to town center, 5 minutes to Migros shopping mall with cinema in english etc. A 2 bed apartment can still be had for 50,000 Euros fairly close to the beach, but if you want to be as close as I am (150M) then you will have to go a lot higher.

I still help a lot of people with real estate, which I used to do full time,but now do part time so if you are interested you can contact me for info.

Once again apologies for not getting back to you sooner.

Bryn

PS for konyaalti goto google earth follow the western beach and find the Porto Bello Hotel thats where we are (I live behind the hotel)

Many thanks Bryn, it will be about 5 years before I retire so will be buying then. Who knows I will contact you then. Regards PS. Fantastic location for your place.

Ace

I have worked in the Middle East for 30yrs and have read this with interest as I feel choose where ever I have been England with ALL its faults is HOME and nothing beats the feeling I get when the plane lands in Manchester.When i retire i will still travel but England will always be my home.Just my feelings.My mobile phone ring tone Land of hope and Glory.

I moved to Bulgaria in 2006. Really enjoyed it initially but was not easy being a single woman. And getting any building work done at a decent cost and to a good standard was a nightmare. But got there in the end and now have a lovely house there and several investment and rental properties. However, many that move there do not consider how they will actually make a living and expect to get employment when they do not speak the language. Would advice renting long term first.

In 2009 relocated to France and now split my time between France and Bulgaria.

sounds like a good life

All good now, but last few years have been some of the best and also some of the worst of my life.
Not easy living in a foreign country and times when you just want your family close but not possible.

I have a friend who went through a similar time( but in Portugal). She was talking about coming home several times within the first 2 years, and now 5 years later she wouldn't dream of returning to the UK

Have to say never really considered ever going back to the UK. Went back for around 3 weeks to see family and get 'my head together' at one stage but would never move back to live in the UK.

We moved from UK to Limassol, Cyprus in March 2004.

I am in full time employment and but for about 6wks in all that time, I've been fully employed at various places. Husband sells stamps on the internet so that keeps him occupied most of the time although it started initially as a hobby!

We find most people speak English so it isn't totally necessary to learn the language but it helps and it's very much appreciated. We live in a large village on the outskirts of Limassol and there are only a handful of expats living here so Greek definitely is a plus. I took lessons in UK for 6mths and then private lessons after arriving for the same period and can read and write without problem. Speaking is always an issue as even if you speak in Greek they will invariably reply in English But, we get by without difficulty.

Cost of living has increased and we know that friends of ours who are reliant on UK pensions have noticed the difference mainly due to the crappy exchange rate for GBP to the Euro for almost the last 12 months. Food shopping is swings and roundabouts - but if you eat local produce it will work out cheaper. Imported goods will always be more expensive as after all, we're stuck on an island in the middle of the Med and don't produce anything much except Cyprus spuds and oranges!

We rent a property and have been in the same bungalow since we arrived. Our monthly rent on arrival was the equivalent of 423 Euros (Cyp250 per month) and increased 2yrs ago to 450 Euros. We have a 3 bedroom bungalow with large front patio, side patio and long driveway/yard. We're about 12km from the main tourist area but close to Akrotiri and Episkopi peninsula for Ladies Mile or Curium Beach with about 10 mins drive.

There are no huge shopping centres, clothing is a bit of a nightmare as sizes are hugely different so you can rarely buy anything without trying before you buy. Electricals are usually more expensive and you have to have a plan of campaign if you want to compare prices in a few shops or stores first.

We brought enough funds to last 2yrs without working and we still have money in the bank and purchased and run two vehicles as well as taking a holiday to Malta every year for a week. This year, we've already been to Malta and will be going to Egypt for a week later in the year - by earned funds, not those in the bank.

We have a few more years left to work before we can think about retirement - my husband is not 50 until 2011.

We have never looked back since we left and have no regrets. We may not end our days in Cyprus as now we've had a taste we would be happy to try pastures new but probably once we are ready to retire. Egypt is a favoured place and so is Tunisia but these are places where we will go with what we have in our suitcases in case we ever need to make a sharp exit.

The other alternative would be the Canaries or somewhere with a fairly constant temperature. The winters' although quite short do feel very cold in comparison but that issue is caused by the way houses are built here. The concrete does not repel the heat in summer nor does it keep the heat in over winter and you will see many people sitting outside in the early part of the day in winter as it's warmer out than in!

A lot of people say they would love to try living abroad but there's always one thing or another that stops them.... Sometimes, you just have to take the bull by the horns and try it. We sold everything in UK so we had no fallback plan and knew we had to make it work. In effect, it hasn't been so difficult.

Red tape is a bit of a nightmare and nothing gets rushed - its too hot and far too laid back for rushing anything here.

The saying in Cyprus is siga, siga (slowly, slowly). Remember that, and you will get by quite easily - just takes about 12 to 18mths to get into siga, siga mode

Hi

I lived the expat life in Dubai for 3 years and have now returned home. Yes the money was good, and it was a wonerful experience; I learnt a lot, met many people and thoroughly enjoyed it, most of the time. The work was hard, and I missed my family and friends and the longer I stayed there I relaised that I would find it so hard to adjust to life back in my real home country. Dubai is great, but it's false and simply not sustainable. As an expat looking in at the locals way of life, they are so lucky with the wealth and the support from their government and because of this cushion they really are so short-sighted and naive - and basically don't know what it's like to live in a society with crime and violence or having to work hard for a living. Everywhere has it's day, and I believe Dubai has had its day. I'm glad I'm home now.