In retrospect, would you move again to Italy?

Hi Christine

Yes definitely!

We love the good weather, the peace and quiet (no more traffic queues), the fantastic views, good food and the people. There are annoyances of course, but we laugh at them and write stories about those.

In a few months you'll be able to read them as my first book is being translated into English: "The Italy Challenge - Surviving the dolce vita"!

Well im no stranger to italy ive been all over from venice in the north to sorrento in the south and now in my 40s i find i wish to go again with the view of settling as permananetely as i can i cant really find anything that puts me off but i am a little anxious of trying to get everything to fall in order at the same time,ok its only myself i have to worry about but its the getting there .travelling,organising a rental property,getting the flights to fall on the days im sopposed to be there etc,,,,ok so now i have took the plunge and i am leaving the uk on 29 june i hope to have a rental property in hand at the end of this month,,firenze is going to be home base for a while and 600 euros a month is my rental budget,,,,,,any firenzians reading this ,,,,i will see you soon...paitence is my key i think.

I did the move first back in 2002 when I was 18, stayed for 4 years and loved it.  Everything beurocratic was hard to organise but only had to do that once. Couldn't secure long term work so eventually had to move back home. I decided to try the move again in 2008. I tried north italy for a change and did some teaching gigs up north. Although it paid an income I found the school directors dishonest and the contract they give you isn't worth the paper it's written on so wasn't able to settle in permenantly once again. What would I do differently? I'd pick the area wisely based on actual reviews. I think Milan, Rome, Florence etc would be good for xpats. Would I do it again? Absolutely, it's a hate love relashonship that calls me back time after time. Next time I'll be buying a piece of land. I think semi retiring to italy would be good stuff! Good luck guys!

On second thoughts, the worse bit of moving to Italy is that a 600 a month property turns into a 1200 a month property when you enquire

For more affordable areas in Italy to move to, the  Puglia region is definitely way more affordable than the popular cities to the north (Florence, Milan etc. as mentioned). HOWEVER, you encounter very few English speakers. Have been in Lecce over a month & the only English I've heard have been by tourists from Germany, Belgium, Holland ! Work opportunities probably far fewer if any.

I lived for 2 years in Florence in the 60's ( yes, I'm  ancient!) & even then, there were hordes of Americans & folks from the U.K.

Would love to be in contact occasionally just to converse in English. Will be in Lecce for a couple more months.

Good-day...
In two words...Absolutely NOT.
Regards,
George

You seem to be quite emphatic  - care to elaborate?

I'd have saved up more so that I could get an apartment in the South Tyrol region.  In my opinion, it is the best part of Italy.  I like that your children can grow up speaking German, it's more organized and more like Austria than Italy.  One might say, however, that the people there are nowhere near as warm and friendly as Italians from the rest of Italy, especially southern Italians.  Aside from that, South Tyrol is far from the coast so if you are coming to Italy for the beaches and sunny warm weather, it's not the best place and it's more expensive rent-wise.

yes,

if i have a good job!

Yes, I would move here again, but one thing for sure I would also leave! I made the mistake of hanging around way too long. Now I'm way too old to start any kind of remunerative career. This is a great place for an experience, but not for a 'real' life.

Buona sera!

I visited the Puglia, ( Lecce and tours to nearby cities) area a year ago to research living there at some point soon. I liked a lot about it and would like to discuss more with you in terms of how you are finding it socially.  It seemed to be lots of families and students, nothing in between. At the end of my trip I found a yoga Studio that was right on the Main Street in the old part of town. If you’re interested I’ll get the information for you.  Also there was a tiny family owned museum that was discovered while they were installing new plumbing where they found Roman artifacts, etc. it’s well known if you ask a hotel for info. If not I can find that for you too.  I also rented a bike which was a fun way to get around.  Hope to hear from you. Enjoy!

Ciao !

I am reading your post and take it that you live in Lecce. My husband  & I Just moved to Lecce , June 1, in the historic center.  We are from the US but have dual citizenship American/Italian.  How do you find Lecce and have you met any expats since your move. We are finding it very difficult to meet English speaking people, although we speak some Italian it is not enough to communicate over a long dinner with someone or with your medical doctor. It would be nice to share notes of your experience. if you prefer I could contact you in a private email.
Thank you

Hello, we a retired couple from USA, planning to move to Italy in a few months.  We are senior, we just want to live there enjoy life. not that we have any reason to dislike USA, we just desire a change.  We are a quiet couple, we are vegetarians, born in INDIA been in USA over sixty years.  Any info. that you could send will be sincerely appreciated; similarly we do not mind any & every question you send to us, and will definitely respond promptly.  you can call me 'charle' without an 'L'

Thanks so very much.  Send Sunday night 9/30/2018

I am back in California as I am an old  U.S. retiree lacking  the necessary income/resources to qualify for an extended residence visa to a Schengen country. I still plan on periodic visits  but unfortunately only within the 90 day limit.
Yes, extremely difficult to find English speakers in Lecce. A bit easier for me as I (unabashedly) speak bad Italian😊!I have heard of a language course where one can meet up. I also encountered some English speakers at the cafe in Pzza. Duomo, but mostly passing tourists. Also check out the cafes on Via Taranto. Not many in the winter months, though. Thinking of coming back in the spring.
Good luck!