Planning info

How we put this trip together

Planning for this trip has been a big job. We had a lot of different things to take into account - not just the countries we wanted to visit, but our individual criteria for different places.

Our criteria
Although we share the same deep values, we're also quite different in the things we like doing and experiencing on a day-to-day basis. For example, Ange loves hills, mountains and forests, whereas as Tim loves a more bustling town/city environment. However, we both appreciate the other's preferences too.

We both love café culture, building relationships, a good community vibe and experiencing the cultural side of anywhere we live - music, art, cinema, etc. Top of our list of criteria is also that where we end up needs to have a diverse multi-coloured, multi-cultural population.

A (relatively) warm, sunny climate would be great too.

Tim's a musician (drummer with The Little Unsaid), and his music is still largely UK based, so he needs an easy route back to the UK from time to time, either by plane or car, when necessary. He also needs to be able to find good rehearsal space wherever we set up a base.

Ange is a writer (Care To Be Different) and works online most of the time, so she can be anywhere - but access to good, reliable wifi is essential.

Ange speaks German and French, so those two countries are relatively easy options for her - but wherever we end up we'll both make language a priority.

There are of course a lot more things to evaluate that just these. Tax rates, transit systems, politics, population demographics, our status as residents - and many more - these are all important things to consider.

Tim spent weeks putting together an amazing spreadsheet by country, looking at all sorts from residency and citizenship rules to cost of living, which he'll upload soon. (He's called it our 'Spreadsheet of Doom'.)
The Plan B Facebook group has been immensely helpful for a lot of information gathering on specific countries, as has The 48% group and the Brexpats Hear Our Voice group. We've also found some excellent international relocation websites; these include Expatica, Just Landed which, among other things, give vital info on the specific residential requirements of each EU country.

Numbeo and Expatistan are both really excellent user-fed cost-of-living comparison sites, where you can go as far as comparing city-to-city pricing.

Ange has looked at various flight schedules by airline to/from different places in our list of countries to explore, as well as typical internet speeds across different locations and various national policies on Broadband development.

We've been in touch with friends and contacts in every country we intend exploring, and we've drawn up a list of specific questions to ask in each place - whether that's with people we get chatting with in cafés or people we know already.

When we arrive in a new place we check out the centre of town first, to see what kind of vibe it has - whether that's the style of cafés, the friendliness of the people, local papers, arts guides, transport network, etc. Then we explore some of the suburbs that have been recommended to us and visit some estate agents in each area to get an idea of property prices and value for money.

We also look at travel logistics for each place, for example how far the nearest airport, ferry port, etc. is. It's tiring at times, so we've given ourselves a day off here and there!

Ange is also working online while we travel, so Tim does a lot of the driving while Ange tethers her phone to her laptop in the car and gets things done that way.

5 comments:

  1. Wow! I'm impressed by your degree of organisation! Wishing both of you the best of luck. Hope you'll meet lots of nice people on your journey and find a place that will become a new home for you! xx Monika

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  2. Wonderful! You're both an inspiration!!

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    1. We had a dream of living in Catalonia prompted largely by brexit. Tricky now. Beginning to think perhaps France would be better, but my husband doesn't speak French. Also have 91 year old mother who I need to see regularly... Love your blog! Keep tab open so I can just touch base with you now and again. If you're ever in Sussex ...

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