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@heidifishercheshire

I'm British, and left the UK 16 years because the UK is a sh*t hole. The place was in decline back then. Ok, that was part of the reason but my better half is Austrian so I moved over here and never looked back.

I will never move back, to the UK, I've made it my home now, and very much part of the community here. The weather is fantastic, life is very much laid back here, crime is extremely low, eating out is cheap, healthcare is out of this world. (I had an operation on my spine, and was on the waiting list for 3 months.) If I need to see a doctor, I dont needvan appointment, I just walk in. Public transport is cheap and reliable. Sundays are regarded as family time, so shops are closed, no 24 hour shops, so the place is quiet.

Our internet is free because we have 2 mobile contracts with the same company and that both contracts are cheap (€25 a month, unlimited data, 2000 mins/SMS to Europe and 200 mins to the UK.)

So in all, life is very good.

Ah lovely! Thank you for your perspective. In what way is the weather better on Austria? More defined winter with actual snow I suppose and a proper summer!! Is it cheaper? Ironically when I was living in SE Asia I remember and expat family from Austria really moaning about having to move back there!! But I guess we may see our home land maybe like that. I know in other countries you can get better pay and actually feel appreciated for your work where as in the UK it’s a constant battle. I’m tired, I’m fed up!! Winter is an extension of autumn here as welll as summer! I’m just sick of it!!

Ah lovely! Thank you for your perspective. In what way is the weather better on Austria? More defined winter with actual snow I suppose and a proper summer!! Is it cheaper? Ironically when I was living in SE Asia I remember and expat family from Austria really moaning about having to move back there!! But I guess we may see our home land maybe like that. I know in other countries you can get better pay and actually feel appreciated for your work where as in the UK it’s a constant battle. I’m tired, I’m fed up!! Winter is an extension of autumn here as welll as summer! I’m just sick of it!! -@heidifishercheshire

I live in Lower Austria, our winters are getting milder, with less snow. But only a 40 min drive I can be in the mountains and go skiing. But our summers on the other hand are getting warmer 38°C.

It is strange, Austrians complain about their healthcare I can't fault it. I would be on a waiting list of 2 or more years back in the UK, so 3 months was pretty damn good, I guess it would have been quicker if it hadn't been Christmas and New Year and the end of COVID.

Another added bonus, living on the mainland, you are always finding somewhere new to explore, either by train or just get in the car drive.

I was a sort of political refugee, leaving Thatcher's UK when  I was 22 because I didn't want to be another 1 in 10 (unemployment rate at the time) I've just retired after 42 yrs permanent work all over Spain and agree with all the positive comments in other posts, especially education and healthcare. Life is great!

But I would mention the housing problem. To buy is expensive and to rent even more so - if you can find anywhere. There are good offers however to be found in la España Vacía - depopulated villages inland.

If it weren't for Brexit, i'd probably still be living there but the crime rate has gone through the roof now and streets and high streets resembling something post-apocalyptic. There's still opportunities work and all, something which Spain doesn't have, as got one of the highest unemployment rates in the EU.

Obviously family is important and Brexit has made that more difficult as is living and working in the rest of the EU.

In all honesty if I had the option to get a Spanish passport, I would and would still be living in the UK, primarily due to more work opportunities and a secure private pension scheme..but then again i'm younger and still need to take into account the 30-40 years i've yet to work. In Spain most of my Spanish friends are unemployed and have no real prospects.

I understand the UK is in dire straits right now, a shithole but I try not to see everything in a blinkered view. Life is undoubtedly better in Spain but it is a lot harder and the Spanish work a lot harder for very little money. I believe the rate of home ownership is worse and renting is half their salaries with little opportunity to earn more. The best thing about Spain is that families are close-knit and not common for even adult children over 40 still living at home.