Author Topic: EURO PALS: I am moving from the US to the EU (please help!)  (Read 7642 times)

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snickers

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Re: EURO PALS: I am moving from the US to the EU (please help!)
« Reply #90 on: January 22, 2021, 06:12:15 PM »
amsterdam, lisbon, berlin, + copenhagen are all decent shouts tho ams (and obviously cph) is expensive getting expensive. don't bother with london (where i'm based) unless you have reason to be here: it sucks right now and it's only getting worse due to brexit.
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Re: EURO PALS: I am moving from the US to the EU (please help!)
« Reply #91 on: January 23, 2021, 07:58:45 AM »
Expand Quote
Any EuroPals wanna chime in on how beneficial it is for an expat to have a higher degree (Masters level) when trying to get jobs/residence visas? Does a degree/experience go a long way or is money the biggest component to success in trying to get established?

I mean, here in California, shit back in Boston too, I know numerous dudes who overstayed their visa, married a US citizen, and they're all set to stay. Fuck, I know a Canadian-Bulgarian with no income, who got married, divorced, went rogue, got married again and now has a green card.
[close]

I think if you marry someone, it's pretty much the same everywhere, you're set to stay. As for the degree/experience factor, I think it does go a long way, much more than just "money". actually I've never heard of money being a criteria?
The other big thing IMO is mastering the local language. You're probably not going to find a good job if you don't speak german in Germany, Spanish in Spain and so on....
I've definitely heard of people going to travel agencies that help sort out working visas and heard that the company requires proof of a certain amount of money on bank statement before the person is cleared to get a visa and go abroad.

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Re: EURO PALS: I am moving from the US to the EU (please help!)
« Reply #92 on: January 23, 2021, 03:19:41 PM »
Expand Quote
Any EuroPals wanna chime in on how beneficial it is for an expat to have a higher degree (Masters level) when trying to get jobs/residence visas? Does a degree/experience go a long way or is money the biggest component to success in trying to get established?

I mean, here in California, shit back in Boston too, I know numerous dudes who overstayed their visa, married a US citizen, and they're all set to stay. Fuck, I know a Canadian-Bulgarian with no income, who got married, divorced, went rogue, got married again and now has a green card.
[close]


what do you mean by that exactly?

In spain, for instance, 500k Euro investment or real estate purchase makes one and their family eligible for visa/residency. Portugal, 350k Euro investment, eligible for citizenship in 5 years. Ireland 1million.

Not that I can even dream of affording that sort of thing, but I know a woman from Colombia who has numerous visas due to her family owning a multinational shipping corporation and dropping bank all over the globe. I think she's got US, British, Colombia, and maybe one more.

Expand Quote
Any EuroPals wanna chime in on how beneficial it is for an expat to have a higher degree (Masters level) when trying to get jobs/residence visas? Does a degree/experience go a long way or is money the biggest component to success in trying to get established?

I mean, here in California, shit back in Boston too, I know numerous dudes who overstayed their visa, married a US citizen, and they're all set to stay. Fuck, I know a Canadian-Bulgarian with no income, who got married, divorced, went rogue, got married again and now has a green card.
[close]

I think if you marry someone, it's pretty much the same everywhere, you're set to stay. As for the degree/experience factor, I think it does go a long way, much more than just "money". actually I've never heard of money being a criteria?
The other big thing IMO is mastering the local language. You're probably not going to find a good job if you don't speak german in Germany, Spanish in Spain and so on....

thanks for your insight.
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OldieButFrenchie

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Re: EURO PALS: I am moving from the US to the EU (please help!)
« Reply #93 on: January 25, 2021, 12:05:46 AM »
Expand Quote
Expand Quote
Any EuroPals wanna chime in on how beneficial it is for an expat to have a higher degree (Masters level) when trying to get jobs/residence visas? Does a degree/experience go a long way or is money the biggest component to success in trying to get established?

I mean, here in California, shit back in Boston too, I know numerous dudes who overstayed their visa, married a US citizen, and they're all set to stay. Fuck, I know a Canadian-Bulgarian with no income, who got married, divorced, went rogue, got married again and now has a green card.
[close]


what do you mean by that exactly?
[close]

In spain, for instance, 500k Euro investment or real estate purchase makes one and their family eligible for visa/residency. Portugal, 350k Euro investment, eligible for citizenship in 5 years. Ireland 1million.

Not that I can even dream of affording that sort of thing, but I know a woman from Colombia who has numerous visas due to her family owning a multinational shipping corporation and dropping bank all over the globe. I think she's got US, British, Colombia, and maybe one more.

that's crazy, I had no idea....I thought you guys meant proving you have X amount of money in your accounts, not actually investing in the local economy. Now I get it, I guess it makes sense from an economic point of view. You can't turn away investors.
Also to the guy who said there are english-speaking jobs: yes there are, but from what I've seen it's pretty much limited to teaching english, bartending in Irish pubs, things like that. I really doubt you can get any job with responsabilities whithout speaking the local language.

Mark Renton

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Re: EURO PALS: I am moving from the US to the EU (please help!)
« Reply #94 on: January 25, 2021, 02:26:52 AM »
^ yeah, plus I never got the ‘appeal’ of not speaking the local language.
I felt so off while I was living in Spain till I learned it.
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Kianou_rivz

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Re: EURO PALS: I am moving from the US to the EU (please help!)
« Reply #95 on: January 25, 2021, 02:31:05 AM »
I'm French and moved from Paris to Barcelona 3 years ago.

If you haven't decided yet, here are my 2 cents:

Paris:
* very expensive, if you don't plan on working that much, you'll end up stuck pretty much all the time because of the cost of living.
* rents are very high for small flats
* it does rain a lot, so skating from October to April can be a real struggle
* healthcare system is good, especially if you have Euro citizenship
* skate, music and art scenes are the best I've experienced in my life
* social life is great, easy to meet people and make friends through skating. Head to smaller spots like Jemmapes, Rue Léon Cladel or Palais de Tokyo if you want to meet people
* with the current situation, it will be hard to find a job and get started
* the city is full of stress, negativity and people thinking they're unique and better than everyone else
* there's literally nothing to do outside of the city, except maybe biking around. If you want to stay close to the country side, definitely not a good option.

Barcelona:
* cost of life is way better, rents are cheaper and getting down now that the tourists have fled the city.
* skate scene is a little bit harder to get into if you don't want to spend time in Parallel or Macba. FTC is a good place to start if you want to meet people, and lots of cool DIYs around and in the city
* the arts & music scene is pretty poor in my own experience. Hope you like house/electro because that's pretty much a lot of what you'll find
* weather is amazing, Catalan people can be pretty tough at first but they'll chill once they understand you're not here to get wasted and piss all over the city.
* healthcare system is really good, people speak english and are genuinely nice and caring for each others
* you can get to the mountains in 45 min, or 1h30 in the winter for skiing/snowboarding, then back to the beach in the evening for a couple drinks

I saw someone recommending northern Spain (Basque Country). I grew up in the region, Bilbao is really sick, surf scene is pretty strong too and you can get to the mountains in the winter. Food is amazing. It does rain a lot though, so you'll probably get some good weather from May to September, but the rest of the year you'll mostly be indoors.

Hope that helps, good luck with the move.

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Re: EURO PALS: I am moving from the US to the EU (please help!)
« Reply #96 on: January 25, 2021, 02:40:25 AM »
Expand Quote
Expand Quote
Expand Quote
Any EuroPals wanna chime in on how beneficial it is for an expat to have a higher degree (Masters level) when trying to get jobs/residence visas? Does a degree/experience go a long way or is money the biggest component to success in trying to get established?

I mean, here in California, shit back in Boston too, I know numerous dudes who overstayed their visa, married a US citizen, and they're all set to stay. Fuck, I know a Canadian-Bulgarian with no income, who got married, divorced, went rogue, got married again and now has a green card.
[close]


what do you mean by that exactly?
[close]

In spain, for instance, 500k Euro investment or real estate purchase makes one and their family eligible for visa/residency. Portugal, 350k Euro investment, eligible for citizenship in 5 years. Ireland 1million.

Not that I can even dream of affording that sort of thing, but I know a woman from Colombia who has numerous visas due to her family owning a multinational shipping corporation and dropping bank all over the globe. I think she's got US, British, Colombia, and maybe one more.
[close]

that's crazy, I had no idea....I thought you guys meant proving you have X amount of money in your accounts, not actually investing in the local economy. Now I get it, I guess it makes sense from an economic point of view. You can't turn away investors.
Also to the guy who said there are english-speaking jobs: yes there are, but from what I've seen it's pretty much limited to teaching english, bartending in Irish pubs, things like that. I really doubt you can get any job with responsabilities whithout speaking the local language.

Having money in your bank account doesn't really do anything for you visa/citizenship/residency wise because that money isn't really doing anything for X country. If you invest in property, a business, etc... then it kind of makes sense that they'd give you residency because you'll probably need to be there for an extended period of time.

But there is a catch for most countries that give you residency just for purchasing property - you're still not allowed to work there. Those schemes tend to be aged at retirees. They don't want you taking jobs from the country's citizens, they just want you putting money into their economy.

For marriage, your spouse will still have to meet certain requirements to get your resident permit approved but it's generally a shoe in - let's assume we're talking about a legitimate marriage here.

If you speak English and don't learn the local language, you generally restrict yourselves to the jobs mentioned above. You'll also ostracize yourself from the locals to a very large extent, depending. But it does also depend on the industry as well. If you work in tech then it will most likely be easier for you to get by on just English, for instance. Still, once you're living in X country, learning the local language will get you out of a bubble and open up more opportunities if you intend to stay there long term.

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Re: EURO PALS: I am moving from the US to the EU (please help!)
« Reply #97 on: January 25, 2021, 04:15:24 AM »
I'm French and moved from Paris to Barcelona 3 years ago.


Barcelona:
* cost of life is way better, rents are cheaper and getting down now that the tourists have fled the city.
* skate scene is a little bit harder to get into if you don't want to spend time in Parallel or Macba. FTC is a good place to start if you want to meet people, and lots of cool DIYs around and in the city
* the arts & music scene is pretty poor in my own experience. Hope you like house/electro because that's pretty much a lot of what you'll find
* weather is amazing, Catalan people can be pretty tough at first but they'll chill once they understand you're not here to get wasted and piss all over the city.
* healthcare system is really good, people speak english and are genuinely nice and caring for each others
* you can get to the mountains in 45 min, or 1h30 in the winter for skiing/snowboarding, then back to the beach in the evening for a couple drinks


Been livin in Barcelona for the past 4 years now, this description has to be the most accurate ever read.

If you wanna go skate around, give me a shout!
The '80s were the worst period. You had these horrible pop bands growing their hair and calling themselves metal.

OldieButFrenchie

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Re: EURO PALS: I am moving from the US to the EU (please help!)
« Reply #98 on: January 25, 2021, 05:20:54 AM »
I'm French and moved from Paris to Barcelona 3 years ago.

If you haven't decided yet, here are my 2 cents:

Paris:
* very expensive, if you don't plan on working that much, you'll end up stuck pretty much all the time because of the cost of living.
* rents are very high for small flats
* it does rain a lot, so skating from October to April can be a real struggle
* healthcare system is good, especially if you have Euro citizenship
* skate, music and art scenes are the best I've experienced in my life
* social life is great, easy to meet people and make friends through skating. Head to smaller spots like Jemmapes, Rue Léon Cladel or Palais de Tokyo if you want to meet people
* with the current situation, it will be hard to find a job and get started
* the city is full of stress, negativity and people thinking they're unique and better than everyone else
* there's literally nothing to do outside of the city, except maybe biking around. If you want to stay close to the country side, definitely not a good option.

Barcelona:
* cost of life is way better, rents are cheaper and getting down now that the tourists have fled the city.
* skate scene is a little bit harder to get into if you don't want to spend time in Parallel or Macba. FTC is a good place to start if you want to meet people, and lots of cool DIYs around and in the city
* the arts & music scene is pretty poor in my own experience. Hope you like house/electro because that's pretty much a lot of what you'll find
* weather is amazing, Catalan people can be pretty tough at first but they'll chill once they understand you're not here to get wasted and piss all over the city.
* healthcare system is really good, people speak english and are genuinely nice and caring for each others
* you can get to the mountains in 45 min, or 1h30 in the winter for skiing/snowboarding, then back to the beach in the evening for a couple drinks

I saw someone recommending northern Spain (Basque Country). I grew up in the region, Bilbao is really sick, surf scene is pretty strong too and you can get to the mountains in the winter. Food is amazing. It does rain a lot though, so you'll probably get some good weather from May to September, but the rest of the year you'll mostly be indoors.

Hope that helps, good luck with the move.

Paris description pretty spot on too!
and yeah, it is a stressful city....no wonder when you consider it has 2 times the population density of NY, 3 times that of London.
But still...I kinda miss the "fuck you" attitude of Paris to be honest. People there don't take bullshit. actually I miss Paris period, but it could very well be that if I moved back, I'd be sick of it again in 6 months....

Easy Slider

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Re: EURO PALS: I am moving from the US to the EU (please help!)
« Reply #99 on: January 25, 2021, 06:41:22 AM »
I love Paris but not sure I could live there. Here is a nice track about les Parigots.

https://youtu.be/NY5Xtc6YuCg
why come?

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Re: EURO PALS: I am moving from the US to the EU (please help!)
« Reply #100 on: January 25, 2021, 05:19:25 PM »
Expand Quote
Expand Quote
Expand Quote
Expand Quote
Any EuroPals wanna chime in on how beneficial it is for an expat to have a higher degree (Masters level) when trying to get jobs/residence visas? Does a degree/experience go a long way or is money the biggest component to success in trying to get established?

I mean, here in California, shit back in Boston too, I know numerous dudes who overstayed their visa, married a US citizen, and they're all set to stay. Fuck, I know a Canadian-Bulgarian with no income, who got married, divorced, went rogue, got married again and now has a green card.
[close]


what do you mean by that exactly?
[close]

In spain, for instance, 500k Euro investment or real estate purchase makes one and their family eligible for visa/residency. Portugal, 350k Euro investment, eligible for citizenship in 5 years. Ireland 1million.

Not that I can even dream of affording that sort of thing, but I know a woman from Colombia who has numerous visas due to her family owning a multinational shipping corporation and dropping bank all over the globe. I think she's got US, British, Colombia, and maybe one more.
[close]

that's crazy, I had no idea....I thought you guys meant proving you have X amount of money in your accounts, not actually investing in the local economy. Now I get it, I guess it makes sense from an economic point of view. You can't turn away investors.
Also to the guy who said there are english-speaking jobs: yes there are, but from what I've seen it's pretty much limited to teaching english, bartending in Irish pubs, things like that. I really doubt you can get any job with responsabilities whithout speaking the local language.
[close]

Having money in your bank account doesn't really do anything for you visa/citizenship/residency wise because that money isn't really doing anything for X country. If you invest in property, a business, etc... then it kind of makes sense that they'd give you residency because you'll probably need to be there for an extended period of time.

But there is a catch for most countries that give you residency just for purchasing property - you're still not allowed to work there. Those schemes tend to be aged at retirees. They don't want you taking jobs from the country's citizens, they just want you putting money into their economy.

For marriage, your spouse will still have to meet certain requirements to get your resident permit approved but it's generally a shoe in - let's assume we're talking about a legitimate marriage here.

If you speak English and don't learn the local language, you generally restrict yourselves to the jobs mentioned above. You'll also ostracize yourself from the locals to a very large extent, depending. But it does also depend on the industry as well. If you work in tech then it will most likely be easier for you to get by on just English, for instance. Still, once you're living in X country, learning the local language will get you out of a bubble and open up more opportunities if you intend to stay there long term.

can't speak for the whole UE but at least here in Spain if you plan to have a residency here without a local contract BUT you do have a contract on any country that certifies you're solvent money wise there's a kinda of visa that pretty much let you settle here (no time limits/visa problems).

US friend of mine found that out while figuring out ways to make Spain his residency having a contract with an USA company and he's had cero problems ever since (good 3-4 years now)

Rasmus

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Re: EURO PALS: I am moving from the US to the EU (please help!)
« Reply #101 on: January 26, 2021, 01:41:38 AM »
Expand Quote
Any EuroPals wanna chime in on how beneficial it is for an expat to have a higher degree (Masters level) when trying to get jobs/residence visas? Does a degree/experience go a long way or is money the biggest component to success in trying to get established?

I mean, here in California, shit back in Boston too, I know numerous dudes who overstayed their visa, married a US citizen, and they're all set to stay. Fuck, I know a Canadian-Bulgarian with no income, who got married, divorced, went rogue, got married again and now has a green card.
[close]

what do you mean by that exactly?

If you want to live in the nordic countries it generally is extremely beneficial for getting a job, since everyone gets a scholarship from the state, which means that almost no people in the universities stop before their masters. However I know that there is a huge demand for people with coding capabilities, so that specific field is easier to get in on, without a masters degree.

When I lived in Berlin, it was a very different story. The people who pursued a master's degree did it either to become very specialized in some hyper specific fields or to pursue a career in academia. A bachelor degree was - among the people I hung out with - generally seen as the key to enter the job market.

I'm not familiar with the job market in other countries.

Also - I have been visiting Berlin on and off for the last 15 years or so (it is not a lot further from the town I grew up in, than Copenhagen, so if I wanted to visit a bigger city, Hamburg or Berlin was just as much a choice). While it definitely has gotten a lot more expensive, it is still relatively a lot cheaper than the Scandinavian cities.

I still have some mental division between east and western Europe from the Cold War (which is stupid - and I have a deep love for the Eastern European countries!), but in the old western part of Europe, it has only been Lisboa, which have come off as actually cheap in the last 10 years, but I don't know how it is to live there - it is a beautiful city to visit, and they have amazing seafood!

Mark Renton

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Re: EURO PALS: I am moving from the US to the EU (please help!)
« Reply #102 on: January 26, 2021, 02:07:34 AM »
I'm French and moved from Paris to Barcelona 3 years ago.

If you haven't decided yet, here are my 2 cents:

Paris:
* very expensive, if you don't plan on working that much, you'll end up stuck pretty much all the time because of the cost of living.
* rents are very high for small flats
* it does rain a lot, so skating from October to April can be a real struggle
* healthcare system is good, especially if you have Euro citizenship
* skate, music and art scenes are the best I've experienced in my life
* social life is great, easy to meet people and make friends through skating. Head to smaller spots like Jemmapes, Rue Léon Cladel or Palais de Tokyo if you want to meet people
* with the current situation, it will be hard to find a job and get started
* the city is full of stress, negativity and people thinking they're unique and better than everyone else
* there's literally nothing to do outside of the city, except maybe biking around. If you want to stay close to the country side, definitely not a good option.

Barcelona:
* cost of life is way better, rents are cheaper and getting down now that the tourists have fled the city.
* skate scene is a little bit harder to get into if you don't want to spend time in Parallel or Macba. FTC is a good place to start if you want to meet people, and lots of cool DIYs around and in the city
* the arts & music scene is pretty poor in my own experience. Hope you like house/electro because that's pretty much a lot of what you'll find
* weather is amazing, Catalan people can be pretty tough at first but they'll chill once they understand you're not here to get wasted and piss all over the city.
* healthcare system is really good, people speak english and are genuinely nice and caring for each others
* you can get to the mountains in 45 min, or 1h30 in the winter for skiing/snowboarding, then back to the beach in the evening for a couple drinks

I saw someone recommending northern Spain (Basque Country). I grew up in the region, Bilbao is really sick, surf scene is pretty strong too and you can get to the mountains in the winter. Food is amazing. It does rain a lot though, so you'll probably get some good weather from May to September, but the rest of the year you'll mostly be indoors.

Hope that helps, good luck with the move.

Wow thanks man! That was really helpful.
Yeah Paris seems just as stressful as London and I am trying to escape that mindset.
Might be considering BCN at this point. Already been there (but for a couple of days visiting and I was staying too close to Ramblas) and I fluently speak the language.

Which neighborhoods would you guys recommend? I'd like something kinda green with not a lot of noise/tourists but still central. I browsed the board here and Gracia/Pueblo Seco came up as recommended, but please chime in.

P.S. this thread rules and got my mind off lockdown misery.
video tape yourself saving monks. dont just do it. make sure its caught on film.

Kianou_rivz

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Re: EURO PALS: I am moving from the US to the EU (please help!)
« Reply #103 on: January 26, 2021, 03:36:01 AM »
Sure man, always cool to share that kind of experience. Gracia and Poble Sec are definitely good options, Gracia might be a bit more expensive though and Poble Sec you're at the bottom of Montjuic which is perfect for chilling and hiking. Clot neighborhood is also cool, lots of local life, bars, restaurants etc and Poblenou is definitely a good place to consider even though the rents have gone up recently (not too many tourists, and really close to the beach). Stay aways from Raval, Gotic is becoming a dead neighborhood now that all tourists are gone...

Let me know if you make the move, there are a bunch of admin things you have to go through that can be tricky.

Expand Quote
I'm French and moved from Paris to Barcelona 3 years ago.

If you haven't decided yet, here are my 2 cents:

Paris:
* very expensive, if you don't plan on working that much, you'll end up stuck pretty much all the time because of the cost of living.
* rents are very high for small flats
* it does rain a lot, so skating from October to April can be a real struggle
* healthcare system is good, especially if you have Euro citizenship
* skate, music and art scenes are the best I've experienced in my life
* social life is great, easy to meet people and make friends through skating. Head to smaller spots like Jemmapes, Rue Léon Cladel or Palais de Tokyo if you want to meet people
* with the current situation, it will be hard to find a job and get started
* the city is full of stress, negativity and people thinking they're unique and better than everyone else
* there's literally nothing to do outside of the city, except maybe biking around. If you want to stay close to the country side, definitely not a good option.

Barcelona:
* cost of life is way better, rents are cheaper and getting down now that the tourists have fled the city.
* skate scene is a little bit harder to get into if you don't want to spend time in Parallel or Macba. FTC is a good place to start if you want to meet people, and lots of cool DIYs around and in the city
* the arts & music scene is pretty poor in my own experience. Hope you like house/electro because that's pretty much a lot of what you'll find
* weather is amazing, Catalan people can be pretty tough at first but they'll chill once they understand you're not here to get wasted and piss all over the city.
* healthcare system is really good, people speak english and are genuinely nice and caring for each others
* you can get to the mountains in 45 min, or 1h30 in the winter for skiing/snowboarding, then back to the beach in the evening for a couple drinks

I saw someone recommending northern Spain (Basque Country). I grew up in the region, Bilbao is really sick, surf scene is pretty strong too and you can get to the mountains in the winter. Food is amazing. It does rain a lot though, so you'll probably get some good weather from May to September, but the rest of the year you'll mostly be indoors.

Hope that helps, good luck with the move.
[close]

Wow thanks man! That was really helpful.
Yeah Paris seems just as stressful as London and I am trying to escape that mindset.
Might be considering BCN at this point. Already been there (but for a couple of days visiting and I was staying too close to Ramblas) and I fluently speak the language.

Which neighborhoods would you guys recommend? I'd like something kinda green with not a lot of noise/tourists but still central. I browsed the board here and Gracia/Pueblo Seco came up as recommended, but please chime in.

P.S. this thread rules and got my mind off lockdown misery.


Expand Quote
I'm French and moved from Paris to Barcelona 3 years ago.

If you haven't decided yet, here are my 2 cents:

Paris:
* very expensive, if you don't plan on working that much, you'll end up stuck pretty much all the time because of the cost of living.
* rents are very high for small flats
* it does rain a lot, so skating from October to April can be a real struggle
* healthcare system is good, especially if you have Euro citizenship
* skate, music and art scenes are the best I've experienced in my life
* social life is great, easy to meet people and make friends through skating. Head to smaller spots like Jemmapes, Rue Léon Cladel or Palais de Tokyo if you want to meet people
* with the current situation, it will be hard to find a job and get started
* the city is full of stress, negativity and people thinking they're unique and better than everyone else
* there's literally nothing to do outside of the city, except maybe biking around. If you want to stay close to the country side, definitely not a good option.

Barcelona:
* cost of life is way better, rents are cheaper and getting down now that the tourists have fled the city.
* skate scene is a little bit harder to get into if you don't want to spend time in Parallel or Macba. FTC is a good place to start if you want to meet people, and lots of cool DIYs around and in the city
* the arts & music scene is pretty poor in my own experience. Hope you like house/electro because that's pretty much a lot of what you'll find
* weather is amazing, Catalan people can be pretty tough at first but they'll chill once they understand you're not here to get wasted and piss all over the city.
* healthcare system is really good, people speak english and are genuinely nice and caring for each others
* you can get to the mountains in 45 min, or 1h30 in the winter for skiing/snowboarding, then back to the beach in the evening for a couple drinks

I saw someone recommending northern Spain (Basque Country). I grew up in the region, Bilbao is really sick, surf scene is pretty strong too and you can get to the mountains in the winter. Food is amazing. It does rain a lot though, so you'll probably get some good weather from May to September, but the rest of the year you'll mostly be indoors.

Hope that helps, good luck with the move.
[close]

Paris description pretty spot on too!
and yeah, it is a stressful city....no wonder when you consider it has 2 times the population density of NY, 3 times that of London.
But still...I kinda miss the "fuck you" attitude of Paris to be honest. People there don't take bullshit. actually I miss Paris period, but it could very well be that if I moved back, I'd be sick of it again in 6 months....

Yeah I do miss it too from time to time, especially around Spring/Summer. There were definitely some great times and memories, but I guess I'll enjoy it more if I go back there for short periods of time rather than moving back.

Giza Butler

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Re: EURO PALS: I am moving from the US to the EU (please help!)
« Reply #104 on: January 26, 2021, 05:29:53 AM »

Which neighborhoods would you guys recommend? I'd like something kinda green with not a lot of noise/tourists but still central. I browsed the board here and Gracia/Pueblo Seco came up as recommended, but please chime in.

P.S. this thread rules and got my mind off lockdown misery.


I haven't been actively looking at flats but as I've heard, a lot of opportunities opened up. Flats that before were only rented as Airb'n'b are now on the market. You'll still be looking at 7/8 hundred a month depending on the flat condition and the area.

I would suggest not going too far out but as well avoid Gotico and the center in general.

Clot is a very good option, it's close enough to the beach and not that far out, plus there are plenty of spots, but like every other neighbourhood here. 
The '80s were the worst period. You had these horrible pop bands growing their hair and calling themselves metal.

carlosthelizard

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Re: EURO PALS: I am moving from the US to the EU (please help!)
« Reply #105 on: February 07, 2021, 11:46:29 PM »
Hey, not sure if this has been suggested as a place to work if you want a steady paycheck (usually) a living wage to get your feet off the ground :

https://teleperformance.com

The best way to find job listings is to google the country you are curious about with teleperformance in the search field.

Call center jobs are plentiful in southern Europe, and you will likely get hired as a native English speaker.  This kind of job could help as a backup plan if you are ever unemployed, or just want to spend a few months in a country skating.

They should also be able to help provide a work Visa allowing you to stay more than 90+ days in Europe (usually it's a year work visa that is renewed, but kind of different for each country).

I have known and met a few skaters who work the call center hustle for a bit just as a way to travel and spend time in another country / culture.  They usually ended up quitting and going back home because the job sucks though (pretty much just a revolving door of jaded employees).

Hope this helps somehow and good luck.
« Last Edit: February 07, 2021, 11:54:14 PM by carlosthelizard »

Frank

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Re: EURO PALS: I am moving from the US to the EU (please help!)
« Reply #106 on: February 27, 2021, 02:50:35 AM »
i have no recommendations but if happen to be lost in hamburg, germany, dm me and i hook you up for a spot to crash.

Old_Dawg

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Re: EURO PALS: I am moving from the US to the EU (please help!)
« Reply #107 on: March 12, 2021, 02:31:12 PM »
Are you thinking long term or just a few years?

In order to make long term viable you will need to learn the language and assimilate. Being able to speak the language is critical, even in countries where everybody speaks fluent English. Becoming proficient in a foreign language as an adult takes years of hard work and is a huge investment of your time- so something to consider. I have British colleagues who have made little effort to learn the language after years and its fucking annoying and comes off as arrogant- don’t be that guy.

If you not long term thinking or unsure then here are some good alternative options not already mentioned for skating and life:

Budapest
+beautiful city with lots to do, amazing night life, very cheap
- impossible language, weird politics

Sofia
+ very skatable, cheap everything, interesting country
- English less common spoken, Kinda far away

Oslo
+ Compact city close to nature, long summer days, beautiful women
- very expensive, brutal winters








sexualhelon

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Re: EURO PALS: I am moving from the US to the EU (please help!)
« Reply #108 on: March 13, 2021, 02:08:04 AM »
Are you thinking long term or just a few years?

In order to make long term viable you will need to learn the language and assimilate. Being able to speak the language is critical, even in countries where everybody speaks fluent English. Becoming proficient in a foreign language as an adult takes years of hard work and is a huge investment of your time- so something to consider. I have British colleagues who have made little effort to learn the language after years and its fucking annoying and comes off as arrogant- don’t be that guy.

If you not long term thinking or unsure then here are some good alternative options not already mentioned for skating and life:

Budapest
+beautiful city with lots to do, amazing night life, very cheap
- impossible language, weird politics

Sofia
+ very skatable, cheap everything, interesting country
- English less common spoken, Kinda far away

Oslo
+ Compact city close to nature, long summer days, beautiful women
- very expensive, brutal winters

Curious why you'd recommend these three cities for short-term and not long-term? Unless I'm misunderstanding you.

 Sofia's amazing for skateboarding and, well, tons of things. The country is really interesting and I've spent a bit of time there - even a little over a month in a small village near Burgas. Everyone's super friendly in Sofia - really good vegan scene, craft beer scene, vintage, music scene, etc... and it's quite compact. I rented a nice flat there for around 300 euro a month.

I'd say overall Sofia is really easy to get by with only English. Actually, I found people's English to be pretty amazing in most of the Eastern European/Balkan capitals. Maybe even better than in a lot of the Western European one's.

Still, I'd second the bit about learning the local language if you're planning a long term move. Either way, nice to learn the common phrases and such. Depending on the language, your age, and aptitude for learning languages it can be years worth of commitment so some motivation to learn it helps. You just have to learn what's useful and keep building upon it. if you're living in a place and using the language every day, you'll get there eventually. The thing is, even if all the locals speak English, if you're hanging out with a group of natives they usually gravitate to speaking their native language which makes sense.

Anyway, interesting thread. For me, once all this covid stuff pans out, I'm planning on potentially moving to Barcelona. Also thought about Lisbon and Athens.

Old_Dawg

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Re: EURO PALS: I am moving from the US to the EU (please help!)
« Reply #109 on: March 13, 2021, 04:41:18 AM »
Definitely back you about Sofia, and the whole of Bulgaria really. Super interesting country and great skating terrain thanks to soviet planners, plus ski fields close by. I was there a while ago in 08 for a few weeks and things must have changed for the better, cos i remember the bar scene was a bit less sophisticated- more techno/Uber clubs etc.

As far as skating I remember the palace of culture in particular being pretty sick. Never got to Burgas at the time but travelled onwards Skope and Tirana instead. Didn’t see many skaters in either city and recall Skopje being a bit rough but having loads of great bars and young people spoke great English. Albania was like another planet.

sexualhelon

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Re: EURO PALS: I am moving from the US to the EU (please help!)
« Reply #110 on: March 13, 2021, 10:50:06 AM »
Definitely back you about Sofia, and the whole of Bulgaria really. Super interesting country and great skating terrain thanks to soviet planners, plus ski fields close by. I was there a while ago in 08 for a few weeks and things must have changed for the better, cos i remember the bar scene was a bit less sophisticated- more techno/Uber clubs etc.

As far as skating I remember the palace of culture in particular being pretty sick. Never got to Burgas at the time but travelled onwards Skope and Tirana instead. Didn’t see many skaters in either city and recall Skopje being a bit rough but having loads of great bars and young people spoke great English. Albania was like another planet.

Oh, yeah, Sofia definitely has a more sophisticated/diverse scene these days. One spot I really liked was this craft beer bar/store called Nosferatu. They always had old school horror movies and new wave / metal / post punk playing and the owner actually used to be an opera singer that was in a metal band. If that tells you anything haha. Palace of culture is still around - pretty close to the old plaza everyone used to skate with the soviet monuments.


I remember there used to be this spot in Skopje down under the famous bridge  by Vardar river but I don't think it's around anymore. Skopje and Albania don't have as big of skate scenes, I think, but I didn't really try to skate so much in either. Albania changed so much between the my last visit 2-3 years ago and the one 5 or so years before. Tirana didn't even have a proper bus station or anything. You'd just ask people how you get to some other city and they'd say something like "you'll take a mini van from this petrol station at 6am, get out at this city and wait a few hours then take another mini van from this corner in x city, and then that van will take you where you're trying to go". So a lot has probably changed there if it's been a while since your last visit.

Old_Dawg

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Re: EURO PALS: I am moving from the US to the EU (please help!)
« Reply #111 on: March 14, 2021, 02:53:21 PM »
Yeah Public transport system in Albania was pretty bare bones when i visited, just dudes in mini vans really. It felt weird to skate there for some reason so skateboard didn’t get much use.

I Spent maybe 4 months bobbing around the balkans in that trip, pre smart phone days so pretty much ‘winging it’ compared to today’s travel!

jtrpma

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Re: EURO PALS: I am moving from the US to the EU (please help!)
« Reply #112 on: March 14, 2021, 03:19:45 PM »
i am from frankfurt, germany and lived in austria, spain, boston and am now looking for a place around the northern italy and southern france.

spent 5 years in Vienna, austria and have strong pros:
safe, multicultural, great food, great insurance, everyone speaks english, you can find cheap rent, food and bars everywhere (with a little local help) decent spots, great parks, decent weather and stable good value job economy.
you can easily earn enough money to spend two-three months of winter on cheap holidays in the south and go to italy, portugal or spain, ...

BCN 4 years, nice city, skate mecca, weather is good but my big downside was that the drinking/drug and party culture is so tempting that it is hard to save up on the low minimum wage and it es extremely easy to get stuck there living month to month and not being able to save up, so had to force myself to get my shit together and move, now i can go there for cheap vacation without the danger of getting sucked into low minimum wage.

i love Lisbon, it is a bit grimy and has the bcn edginess but is packed with brazilian people and food, a very vibrant city and is so cheap, it is hard to believe, a bit trickier with english though, but you'll be fine. you shouldn't live in a country wthout learning that language anyways, in my opinion.

greece is paradise, so nice you might forget about skating completely because the shade of the olive trees is all you need and want for 6months/year

spent some great time in bilbao, spain which i liked a lot as a city, you can surf around the galician coast, it is quiet, safe, clean and culturally super interesting, nice spots too!

montpellier, france is nice too. good weather, young people, nice city to skate around in, has a little french mini bcn vibe.


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sexualhelon

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Re: EURO PALS: I am moving from the US to the EU (please help!)
« Reply #113 on: March 16, 2021, 01:32:43 AM »
i am from frankfurt, germany and lived in austria, spain, boston and am now looking for a place around the northern italy and southern france.

spent 5 years in Vienna, austria and have strong pros:
safe, multicultural, great food, great insurance, everyone speaks english, you can find cheap rent, food and bars everywhere (with a little local help) decent spots, great parks, decent weather and stable good value job economy.
you can easily earn enough money to spend two-three months of winter on cheap holidays in the south and go to italy, portugal or spain, ...

BCN 4 years, nice city, skate mecca, weather is good but my big downside was that the drinking/drug and party culture is so tempting that it is hard to save up on the low minimum wage and it es extremely easy to get stuck there living month to month and not being able to save up, so had to force myself to get my shit together and move, now i can go there for cheap vacation without the danger of getting sucked into low minimum wage.

i love Lisbon, it is a bit grimy and has the bcn edginess but is packed with brazilian people and food, a very vibrant city and is so cheap, it is hard to believe, a bit trickier with english though, but you'll be fine. you shouldn't live in a country wthout learning that language anyways, in my opinion.

greece is paradise, so nice you might forget about skating completely because the shade of the olive trees is all you need and want for 6months/year

spent some great time in bilbao, spain which i liked a lot as a city, you can surf around the galician coast, it is quiet, safe, clean and culturally super interesting, nice spots too!

montpellier, france is nice too. good weather, young people, nice city to skate around in, has a little french mini bcn vibe.

Really makes me want to go to Greece. Some friends and I were supposed to go to Athens this past October/Nov. but that got shut down because of the second corona wave. I was hanging out with someone from Greece the other day and they told me Athens was like a gritty Barcelona, made me pretty antsy to go check it out even more.

Your post also made me want to visit Montpellier, didn't have it on my radar.

My wife is from Vienna so we even thought about moving there from Berlin. I don't think she's that stoked on the idea of moving back to where she's from though. Where we would move to depends half depends on her though. She's working from now but doesn't have a remote contract so she's applying to stuff in BCN, Lisbon,  etc... cities we're keen to potentially move to. Wages definitely seem to be lower and there's also just fewer jobs. We're not really in any rush though, considering.

I suppose I'd still put BCN as my top pick - which in part has to do with me being a skateboarder, I'm sure haha. I always hear people say what you say about BCN but I'm not a big drinker/partier so I never have that issue when I've spent time there.

Oh, but actually, what I wanted to ask here is where you're living now?

mattchew

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Re: EURO PALS: I am moving from the US to the EU (please help!)
« Reply #114 on: March 19, 2021, 10:07:40 AM »
I live in Massachusetts.
I have been practicing Spanish because Spain seems like the place but regardless will most definitely be learning the local language wherever I move.

Thanks so much y’all. As always, please keep sharing info, even if it’s places you hate, haha. It’s all super helpful.
P R E P A R E  T O  T I M E C O D E

OldieButFrenchie

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Re: EURO PALS: I am moving from the US to the EU (please help!)
« Reply #115 on: March 20, 2021, 06:37:26 AM »
personally I don't find Paris very stressful and I would say its my favorite place to skate and live in Europe

I also didnt find it all that expensive compared to the USA. When I stayed there it averaged out to 38 euro per night.  Like most huge expensive cities theres some "bad" areas where you can find a cheaper place. and in Paris the bad area aren't really that bad. IMO.  Over 8 weeks across 2 summers I averaged about 38 euro a night to stay there ($45/m, $1350/m), which is what American "cities" like Des Moines cost these days.

that said basically everywhere else in the EU is cheaper than Paris. Not sure about Ireland costs, but the smaller city of France and almost anywhere in Spain are shockingly inexpensive if you are used to UK/US/Canada . Berlin is still pretty cheap too despite rising costs. But its gotten hard to find a place there.

Obviously the catch here is that being a typical skater and making any money in Europe is basically impossible. but if you have an independent means of making money its a great lifestyle.

for sure, compared to American cities. That goes for the whole of Europe basically, as guns are not as widespread as in the US. We have crime, drugs and all that but nothing like the worst parts of the US. Contrary to what some French rappers would have you believe haha....

jtrpma

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Re: EURO PALS: I am moving from the US to the EU (please help!)
« Reply #116 on: March 20, 2021, 10:07:07 AM »
Expand Quote
...
[close]

Really makes me want to go to Greece. Some friends and I were supposed to go to Athens this past October/Nov. but that got shut down because of the second corona wave. I was hanging out with someone from Greece the other day and they told me Athens was like a gritty Barcelona, made me pretty antsy to go check it out even more.

Your post also made me want to visit Montpellier, didn't have it on my radar.

My wife is from Vienna so we even thought about moving there from Berlin. I don't think she's that stoked on the idea of moving back to where she's from though. Where we would move to depends half depends on her though. She's working from now but doesn't have a remote contract so she's applying to stuff in BCN, Lisbon,  etc... cities we're keen to potentially move to. Wages definitely seem to be lower and there's also just fewer jobs. We're not really in any rush though, considering.

I suppose I'd still put BCN as my top pick - which in part has to do with me being a skateboarder, I'm sure haha. I always hear people say what you say about BCN but I'm not a big drinker/partier so I never have that issue when I've spent time there.

Oh, but actually, what I wanted to ask here is where you're living now?

i love in cambridge, massachusetts at the moment, because my wife is from the area and we had some stuff to figure out in the us. can't wait to peace out though, been living in an apartment without garden,porch or anything for two years now and i just live for nature, that is why were looking to pour some savings into a country house, grow veggies and peace out


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sbmfj

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Re: EURO PALS: I am moving from the US to the EU (please help!)
« Reply #117 on: March 24, 2021, 01:01:51 PM »
Awesome thread -great reads and makes you want to travel and see more of the world.

No moving for me, hopefully a skate in France one day.

I strongly suggest learing whatever local language is used. Makes things easier and somewhat more 'respectuful' - no trying to stir up stuff here guys. Im an English guy living in a French province....

Good luck!

Lloyd Braun

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Re: EURO PALS: I am moving from the US to the EU (please help!)
« Reply #118 on: April 10, 2021, 01:36:14 PM »
I don’t want to take away too much from OP but this threads been up for a minute and I don’t want to start a new one just for my question. But here goes:

My wife and I would love to move to Spain, she’s Mexican I’m American. Work Visas seem tough to come by especially for me (wife has a degree in business admin) as I have no college degree and all my work experience is construction/low level admin/manufacturing. Anyone got any advice for someone wanting to move to Spain or Europe in general without higher education? We are both fluent in Spanish so language is a non issue. I have looked into this on my own but looking for any advice for jobs that may not be as well known.

Edit: We aren’t looking to move for a while.
« Last Edit: April 10, 2021, 01:48:07 PM by Lloyd Braun »

jtrpma

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Re: EURO PALS: I am moving from the US to the EU (please help!)
« Reply #119 on: April 10, 2021, 09:48:12 PM »
I don’t want to take away too much from OP but this threads been up for a minute and I don’t want to start a new one just for my question. But here goes:

My wife and I would love to move to Spain, she’s Mexican I’m American. Work Visas seem tough to come by especially for me (wife has a degree in business admin) as I have no college degree and all my work experience is construction/low level admin/manufacturing. Anyone got any advice for someone wanting to move to Spain or Europe in general without higher education? We are both fluent in Spanish so language is a non issue. I have looked into this on my own but looking for any advice for jobs that may not be as well known.

Edit: We aren’t looking to move for a while.

My wife, who I met and lived with in Barcelona, Spain, is American too. She had some issues with getting a NIE (work permit) for the first year living there. However there is a good amount of international and American companies with a seat, branch or simply operating there that can help you get an appointment for your NIE quite easily and reliably. Language teachers, especially for English are in hot demand in bigger Spanish cities and can often help you with paperwork and/or hire competent people without. Look into getting a TEFL certificate or something similar. That helps a lot getting some first jobs (often without having to pay taxes) that later can help as references, etc.

Just be careful with rental fraud. There is a lot of fishy listings that try to get a deposit out of foreigners, especially Americans, moving to the city, because they would easily drop a Spanish monthly wage of a deposit for a place they have never seen before.


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