• About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Unsubscribe
No Result
View All Result
Live and Invest Overseas
FREE REPORT
BEST PLACES TO RETIRE
*No spam: We will NEVER give your email address to anyone else.
  • HOME
  • COUNTRIES
    • Top Destinations
      • Panama
      • Portugal
      • Colombia
      • Northern Cyprus
      • Belize
      • Spain
      • Mexico
      • France
      • Indonesia
      • Vietnam
    • Browse All Countries
    • Best For
      • Retire Overseas Index
      • Health Care
      • Cost of Living
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • Editor’s Picks For Retirement
      • Establishing Residency
      • Starting an Online Business
      • Single Women
      • Playing Golf
  • BUDGETS
    • Super Cheap ($)
      • Cuenca, Ecuador
      • Chiang Mai, Thailand
      • The Philippines
      • Las Tablas, Panama
      • Granada, Nicaragua
    • Cheap ($$)
      • Algarve, Portugal
      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Carcassone, France
      • Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • Affordable ($$$)
      • Abruzzo, Italy
      • Barcelona, Spain
      • Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
      • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
      • Costa de Oro, Uruguay
    • Luxury On A Budget ($$$$)
      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Paris, France
      • Panama City Beach Area
  • Real Estate
  • ARCHIVES
    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore Diversification
    • Our Latest On Coronavirus ⚠️
  • Making Money
    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing
  • CONFERENCES
  • BOOKSTORE
Live and Invest Overseas
  • HOME
  • COUNTRIES
    • Top Destinations
      • Panama
      • Portugal
      • Colombia
      • Northern Cyprus
      • Belize
      • Spain
      • Mexico
      • France
      • Indonesia
      • Vietnam
    • Browse All Countries
    • Best For
      • Retire Overseas Index
      • Health Care
      • Cost of Living
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • Editor’s Picks For Retirement
      • Establishing Residency
      • Starting an Online Business
      • Single Women
      • Playing Golf
  • BUDGETS
    • Super Cheap ($)
      • Cuenca, Ecuador
      • Chiang Mai, Thailand
      • The Philippines
      • Las Tablas, Panama
      • Granada, Nicaragua
    • Cheap ($$)
      • Algarve, Portugal
      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Carcassone, France
      • Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • Affordable ($$$)
      • Abruzzo, Italy
      • Barcelona, Spain
      • Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
      • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
      • Costa de Oro, Uruguay
    • Luxury On A Budget ($$$$)
      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Paris, France
      • Panama City Beach Area
  • Real Estate
  • ARCHIVES
    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore Diversification
    • Our Latest On Coronavirus ⚠️
  • Making Money
    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing
  • CONFERENCES
  • BOOKSTORE
No Result
View All Result
Live and Invest Overseas
No Result
View All Result
Home In Focus: Europe

The Top 10 Greatest Advantages Of Living In Europe

Top 11 Reasons We Love Life In Europe

Kat Kalashian by Kat Kalashian
Sep 02, 2021
in In Focus: Europe, Lifestyle, Retirement
0 0
0
434
SHARES
6.2k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Heart versus head.

When it comes to choosing where to live overseas, both have to play an important part.

We speak regularly about the head side of things—things like environment, climate, infrastructure, health care, etc.

But the more abstract side of things is equally important… things that can’t really be quantified or put into a checklist. These things are mostly cultural—the things you just love about spending time in a place because that’s the way life is there.

Some of these things might be so vague you can’t even really put your finger on them. And they are intensely personal—you can’t expect others to feel the same way. I’ve fallen in love with places based on their scent as I stepped off the plane. When it comes to the heart, no reason is too small or silly to be ignored.

For example, here are 10 of the top reasons I choose to live in Europe. They are completely subjective, but they might matter more than any more practical reason I’d put on a list.

I live in Europe…

I live in Europe…

#1. To be able to see some of the best art in the world conveniently.

I love art, and museum hopping is my life’s hobby… but that’s hard to do if the city you live in has just a couple of museums and the next city with a collection is a 12-hour drive or 3-hour plane ride away. Paris is home to dozens of museums, but if I ever want to see something new, within just a couple hours I could be in Italy, Spain, the U.K., etc. The beauty of the small region is that no matter where you base yourself in Europe, you’re within easy reach of anywhere else on the Continent.

#2. Because I like how Europeans raise their kids.

There’s no such thing as helicopter parenting in Europe—parents here are much more laissez-faire. Kids play by themselves and get hurt sometimes; they’re still allowed to eat gluten. Here, kids are allowed to free range a little bit and that’s the way I want my children to grow up.

#3. Also, the family dynamic in Europe is generally much less kid-centric than in the States.

Here in France, they say the kids adapt to the parents’ lifestyle, rather than parents changing their lifestyles to accommodate their children. Kids are expected to sit through a dinner out with their parents and they eat what’s on the café menu, not a kids’ menu.

#4. Because the health care is second to none. Here in France, that’s literally true.

The health care system here is ranked the best in the world by the WHO. Before I moved here, I knew I planned to have a baby soon, and I wanted to live somewhere I knew the health care would be unquestionably good. Western Europe has some of the best health care in the world, and Central Europe’s is generally ranked on par with the United States (which ranks far below the rest of Europe at 37th place).

#5. To learn and speak other languages.

I learned French at a young age, which helped me to learn Italian when I studied abroad in Rome and then to learn Spanish when I moved to Panama. This domino effect helped me realize what a massive benefit learning languages can be. I like being challenged by the language every day and by having to forever improve. Plus, it’s been shown that learning multiple languages helps cognitive health all throughout your life, even staving off dementia.

#6. Because I like living without a car.

I am not an experienced driver, and the years I lived with a car were costly because of it. I much prefer the freedom of public transport and, above all, being able to bike and walk most places. Europe has well developed transport systems, and Paris in particular is extremely walkable. Thanks to the loss of our car since moving to Paris, we’ve cut our bills significantly… and get lots more exercise.

#7. Because café society doesn’t really exist anywhere else.

What’s better than walking for a while and stopping when you start to flag for a coffee… or a champagne… perhaps a snack… Even if I’m not stopping for lunch or a drink, nothing beats being in a café city. I love walking down the street and hearing the clatter of silverware and dishes, the toasting of glasses, smelling the dish of the day, and strolling by slowly to people-watch as I pass.

#8. So that imported foods are local for me.

I love French and Dutch cheeses, Italian prosecco, Spanish meats, British biscuits, and Swiss chocolates. When I’m not in Europe, all those things are expensive imported luxury goods. In Europe, they’re a trip to the grocery store down the block and cost no more than anything else on the shelves.

#9. To meet interesting people.

Whether expat or foreigner, people here are more interesting than those I’m likely to meet back home—either they’re foreign or else they’re expats and have some story to share about how they came to be here. Most expats are serial—they have already been living in other countries before I met them, and they have so many experiences to share. And making local friends who have a whole new culture to open up to you is invaluable as well as interesting.

#10. To conveniently explore more of Europe.

I love traveling, and Europe is my favorite part of the world to explore. It’s so easy and affordable to do when you’re in the heart of the Continent already.

#11. To appreciate life.

The American work ethic truly is a unique thing in the world. It’s a cliché, but the rest of the world really does work to live. People here don’t care if they can make overtime on a holiday or that there might be tourists to shop on a Sunday. Nothing can cut into a non-American’s leisure time. In some parts of Europe, the daily siesta is still a time-honored tradition. I love that society here doesn’t push you to always go, go, go—it encourages you to slow down. I don’t want to miss out on the best part of life—my family—and I certainly don’t want to sacrifice time with them for work. I’m glad to live in a place that reminds me to appreciate what matters and respects this boundary.

That’s my list.

What’s yours? What matters most to you… and might you find it on the Continent…

Kat Kalashian
Editor, In Focus: Europe

Tags: 'France''Italy'EuropeLive abroadlive in europelive overseasmove overseasMove to EuropePanamaSpain'
Share174Tweet108
Kat Kalashian

Kat Kalashian

Kat Kalashian has grown up around the world, living in the United States, Ireland, France, and Panama, and has traveled extensively in her few years. Growing up as a young expat she is familiar with the trials and tribulations of an overseas move and the adjustments that must be made in every new destination. Living and learning through experience, she now considers no one place home and feels more comfortable in new environs than in familiar ones. After living in Panama for seven years, where she enjoyed living for a stint in the tropics, she and her husband relocated back to Paris, France, in 2018 where they now live full-time with their American-born cat, Panamanian-born dog, and French-born daughter. Her post as Special Projects Manager of Live and Invest Overseas keeps her busy… whether it’s spearheading a big new product, MCing Live and Invest conferences, or scouting out new locations for coverage, she’s always on the move and eager to discover new things.

Related Posts

iStock/espiegle
Lifestyle

Live On An Island Like Royalty For A Bargain

by Bart Walters
March 21, 2023
0

About 20 years ago, I made a trip to Vancouver, Canada, in February. It was cold, rainy, dark, and miserable....

Read more
View of the seaside town of Dunmore East, County Waterford, Ireland.

How We Made Friends While Living Abroad

March 12, 2023
Beautiful view of the main street of Larnaca and Phinikoudes beach in Cyprus

Why Larnaca Is The Future Of Cyprus

March 9, 2023
Duomo at sunrise, Milan, Italy

Milan, Italy: A Surprising Outlier In Europe

February 24, 2023
View of Tavira across the river Gilao

The Best Place To Retire In Europe In 2023

February 9, 2023
North Cyprus Kyrenia Castle surrounded by boats

Cyprus Real Estate: The Hidden Treasure Of The Mediterranean

February 6, 2023
Tavira in Portugal

The 5 Best Places To Live Overseas In 2023

February 2, 2023

Start Your New Life Today, Overseas ...

A world full of fun, adventure, and profit awaits! Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and we'll send you a FREE report on the 10 Best Places To Retire In Style Overseas Today.

LIOS Resources


  • New To LIOS
  • Ask An Expert
  • Media Center
  • Contact Us
  • FAQs

Quick Links


  • Best Places To Live
  • Best Places To Retire
  • Finding A Job Overseas
  • Real Estate

Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and get your FREE report: The 10 Best Places To Retire Overseas In 2023

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Unsubscribe

© 2008-2023 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Countries
  • Budgets
  • Archives
  • News
  • Events
  • Bookstore
  • Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Members Area
  • Contact Us

© 2008-2023 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Download your FREE report on

The Best Places To Retire In 2023

New Year, New You, New Life Overseas

Sign up for FREE and learn how to live the good life on a modest budget, find bargain property, and more. Plus, check out our free report on the 10 BEST PLACES TO RETIRE.

RETIRE OVERSEAS AND LIVE LIKE ROYALTY