[Closed] If you could live anywhere in the world

Can't see me rushing away from Shropshire any time soon, healthcare's a bit sub-optimal if you're a baby, but otherwise it ticks pretty much every box.

Edit: although surrounded by Tories, perhaps you could update your question to "not under the despotic control of ****wits"

Ardrossan.

A connoisseur’s shitehole.

Where I am just outside Edinburgh is good. I'd love to say rural mountainous france or italy but I don't think it's really compatible with earning a wage, with my skillset.

Every time I see the Gloucester College's Cinderford campus I think, wonder if they need a student recruiter 🙂 Absolutely love that part of the world.

New Zealand seems attractive at the moment!

Vancouver was excellent for a year, but the price of everything might prohibit long term living there. Maybe elsewhere on the Lower Mainland would work- one of my wife’s cousins has just moved to Port Moody which sounds like a good compromise.

As above I love the idea of rural/ mountainous France, Italy or Germany (in reverse order for the organisation, food/coffee and laid back lifestyle) but my language skills and European market in my job probably prohibit me.

Arran. Just to have my own harbour and a longship. Carve some seals and sell them.

Kerry - mountains, sea and quiet roads. BC in second place but not sure I could handle the winters

Genuine question we're considering at the moment for a house that will eventually become a retirement abode.

Probably south of France with proximity to the pyrenees. Close-ish to either Atlantic or med coast.

Great climate of warm summers and mild winters, good house prices, beautiful countryside, the food of course and a relaxed way of life.

Could be more accessible, but an hour or two from toulouse/bordeaux ain't too bad.

Having travelled a bit over the last few years I've come to the conclusion that it has to be a first world place for me. Some amazing spots in the world but you'd be conscious healthcare, stability and local corruption, unfortunately. Proximity to the UK and weather also factors which leaves a band across southern Europe. Wouldn't turn my nose up at Tuscany for example!

Right here in the highlands. Unless I could speak Norwegian, then Norway.

Been thinking about this, the shortlist is down to 3.
Canada, New Zealand and Sweden.
The latter is the most likely hopefully

I'm keeping mine a secret as it's outta this world

😜

I lived on Ko Phangan in the Gulf go Thailand for a decade. For me it was pretty much the best place to live I can imagine. Not great for cycling as it's a bit hot and humid, but the snorkelling and SCUBA make up for that.

Of course the country is run by a corrupt government, and ruled by a half-mad king (though you'd have to convince me that he's worse than Charles), but that didn't seem to matter in the Gulf.
Great food, friendly people, cute women, beautiful beaches - I don't know what more I'd want really.

N.Z.

greek islands for me......

Seoul is currently my favourite city. I’d also take Copenhagen if you could move it to the Himalayas, thank you.
Frankly, you can’t beat the vivid green spring foliage of the Forest of Dean (where I live now) at this time of year.
Anywhere that’s still in the EU is going to be my first choice after December.

New Zealand, I lived in Queenstown for a while and I’m still not sure why I came back. (OK, I do know, it was a girl...who I married...). I’d look at Christchurch too.

Austria, specifically Innsbruck. Close to being a proper city, but very close to the mountains as well.

I could probably live with the hardship of having Mount Teide on my doorstep. 😉

If the weather was better (drier more than anything), I'd be quite happy somewhere around Bala, so many lovely road bike climbs in North Wales.

@supernova - what's that ancient woodland rockery forest called where they filmed parts of Star Wars - do you know ?

Lovely place where literally get lost on a maze of tracks

Slough*

* I hate myself

Northeastern Germany. Hands down. Up towards the Baltic somewhere, but with access to Berlin.

I should add that I love my home and my life in South Wales, and as far as the UK is concerned, I could also be quite happy in Northumbria. But Germany is never far from my mind.

For a long time for me I thought Austria and it ticks most of the boxes - mountains, cold winters, hot summers. I think what would drive me mad though is the people, rule obsessed.

My house is the best house in the best place in the world, but I'm not telling you lot where because you'll all want to come. I've made a Cheese and Onion pie and a Pork and Beef pie for tea too.

partner is from Vancouver, and her folks still live there. so we've been over a few times, and I've gotta say, it would be top of my list.

Hawaii. Been fortunate to have been to a few places but Hawaii was amazing. Great scenery, nice people, good food and you dont need to learn a new language:)

Maybe 10 miles north of where I am.

Failing that, Far North Queensland in Australia.

But if I could ditch the missus, I'd go outback.

I just applied for a job running a microbrewery in the Caribbean

Moving to the Trossachs in the Autumn. House with 50 m2 heated workshop is half built, loch is 50 yards away, two great pubs within cycling distance, cycle trails everywhere, fantastic walking all round, Glasgow and Edinburgh airports about an hour, neighbours all friendly, installed their own 1gb broadband in the glen. Can't wait.

Hossegor or Capbreton, SW France. Not to far from home, good climate, cracking food, amazing waves and not far from the Basque country for mtb. I imagine all the sandy pine forests neaarby would be great fun on a cx bike too.

edit. To be fair thoguh i love where I live anyway, hard to beat it for the combination of things I like to do... a slightly bigger house would be nice though 🙂

Here.

Might move to somewhere along the Moray coast when I'm a bit older. Just for the warmer winters.

Ardrossan.

A connoisseur’s shitehole.

Sir has excellent taste.

Lake District is pretty much perfect at the moment without all the tourists there.

Rabac in Croatia really appeals to me. Great mountain biking, great diving, great food.

Good question, balancing reality with fantasy is tricky

I’d love to live somewhere with the propers outdoors on my doorstep but I have a job that requires working in London. So to do that I’d have a monster commute or live somewhere else during the week, which I don’t want to do

I’d quite like the Lake District, Snowdonia and the Peak District to replace Bedfordshire, Essex and Suffolk

Probably where I live if it wasn't for smack heads, crime and the general scrotes in the area.

Otherwise would have to be Iceland

I’m happy here in the Highlands, winters are a bit long and dark but you can’t have everything.

I really like where I live, it’s pretty easy to get to lots of places because of the road and rail networks that pass through, and it’s easy to get into nice countryside. Given money and a choice of location, South Devon, southern Eire, or one of the Scottish islands.

Vancouver would be top of my list. That or the Hebrides. Spent a fair bit of time in BC and loved the Canadian way of life generally. And being able to get in to proper mountains within a short drive makes the difference.

Hebrides appeal on a different level but pace of life there is what appeals. Probably one for when I get a bit older.

Mine was BC Canada, now I'm here though it's so expensive compared to wages I've gone right off it, you can't eat the scenery😩

Sorry to be a downer

Very poor no one seems to have noticed 🙁

yourguitarhero
Member

I just applied for a job running a microbrewery in the Caribbean

Mine was BC Canada, now I’m here though it’s so expensive compared to wages I’ve gone right off it, you can’t eat the scenery

There's no prices in fantasy land though so Vancouver is still up there on my list. NZ south island and Lake District also....and maybe Devon...

Kerry in the summer, Ibiza in the winter.

New Zealand appears to be very appealing right about now and I looked at it a while back.

I really like Finland although it's a bit too flat for a full time location and the dark for so long would be hard in real life.

I'd also really like to live in Briancon area, skiing, biking, boating, mountaineering and really good weather.

@tdog - Puzzlewood.

After you’ve been the first time, if you don’t want to pay to go in there’s a few paths nearby that go through more or less the same sort of landscape (scowles they’re called).

Lol I should've worked that 1 out 💩
🤣

Thanks for info 👍

New Zealand would be my choice, by a country mile.

I'm very happy to say I never want to move away from where I live. When I can't cope with the stairs it'll be a stairlift for me.

Vancouver Island. Especially with the island work/life balance. Three, maybe four day working week

I just applied for a job running a microbrewery in the Caribbean

@yourguitarhero, I get the sense I’m missing something here, but if you’re serious: which island?

Ingoldmells just for the used dildos that wash up on the beach. Happened in Italy too but it's a bit pretentious that place, no Sky Sports or Stella on draft like.

Dunno, it just says "an exclusive one"? Early stages of applying obviously, but seems decent - apartment, van, tax free salary and two flights home every year. Want you to commit for 2 years.
Lost my job here and feel like moving out of the city (it's junkie heaven where I live! - worse just now) and always fancied the Rum Punch style life.
No idea what's happening with international recruitment just now though.

Mine was BC Canada, now I’m here though it’s so expensive compared to wages I’ve gone right off it, you can’t eat the scenery😩

On the plus side, one doesn't need to go on holiday! The cost of living is a bit of a joke, but then loads of people want to live here and / or treat property as investments so it's not really surprising.
I have pretty cheap tastes so make it work. My Caribbean cruise is a minivan and a camp stove 😀

Cape Town, South Africa
Great Mountain biking.
Good surf although cold water.
Fresh fish.
Amazing wine.
Nice climate.
The real locals have the best accent.
If it weren’t for crime and corruption I’d be there now sending you guys weekly invites to come and visit.

Scotland

I have visited many countries and lived in few. I am very fond of Bolivia and I really like some of the ways the dutch run their society but Scotland is my home. I'll probably move south of Edinburgh once I retire.

Right to roam and the mountains are that important to me that I could not live anywhere else

La bresse or girona. Probably the latter, great weather and good hills.

We're pretty happy here in Southern Cataluña, obviously difficult atm but the finca has never looked better with our olive and almond trees pruned and the land cleared. Normally we have hundreds of km of trails from the doorstep, mountains up to 1,400m within 30km. Climate is perfect, proper seasons with cold clear winters and warm summers, it rarely freezes or goes beyond 30° The people are very welcoming and cost of living low, I did a week's shopping yesterday for 2 for £60. The Mediterranean is 15 mins away but we're very rural with little hotel development. We can be in the UK in 2 hours from our local airport. All in all a great spot. This is us
Casa Tomillo

*could* = won the lottery so don't need to work and no visa rules?

Obviously somewhere with good mountain biking but also with a high standard of living when it comes to education, healthcare, crime, pollution etc

Err nope, nope and nope. You're describing the UK. Unless you mean countries that have fabulous healthcare / education / life for the wealthy middle classes and naff all for the majority population. There are lots of places like that.

I would buy a place in Southern Africa but away from people, preferably within the unfenced rurla wildlife areas around the northern Botswana / Caprivi strip / into Zambia. Lots to read around on land ownership though, maybe have a very small campsite. Or just a quiet place near Kruger NP and a WildCard every year. All assuming I don't have to work.

If I had to work then I would fancy living in Sausalito and commuting over the Golden Gate bridge to San Francisco.

Iconic MTB locations on the doorstep plus a famous, cool city and everything else California has to offer.

Possibly the Italian Riviera.

Queenstown, Christchurch or Nelson in New Zealand.
Or somewhere around Briancon or Bourg St Maurice in the French Alps.

If the budget allowed, probably somewhere North West Vancouver. With the caveat I didn't have to work all the hours under the sun to be able to afford to live there. I haven't been to NZ for a long time, but that would definitely be on the list to consider.

More realistic - we're some of the way through a move to FOD. Very fortunate that our jobs allow us the flexibility of remote working. So we're moving out of a town, into a bigger property, with a lot of land, on a forest track, with the forest backing onto our garden.

If the realistic budget allows, we are considering a small apartment in somewhere near Finale Ligure as well - but that's a few years away yet.

New Zealand or Canada.

Somewhere on the Garden Route in SA would be well up there too.

Genuine question we’re considering at the moment for a house that will eventually become a retirement abode.

Probably south of France with proximity to the pyrenees. Close-ish to either Atlantic or med coast.

Great climate of warm summers and mild winters, good house prices, beautiful countryside, the food of course and a relaxed way of life.

Could be more accessible, but an hour or two from toulouse/bordeaux ain’t too bad.

Sounds like our village!

We've been here 5 years this weekend..... We're 90 mins to Toulouse, 2 hours to Bordeaux, 45 mins to the mountains and 2 hours to Ainsa.

Happy to share the good and bad via pm?

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Slovenia...

Rarotonga: lovely people, music, beer and not too many roads.

We should be in Portugal right now, looking at properties around Ponte de Lima ....... #covid-19 sucks!

Slightly outside the terms of reference but

Mars

Far enough away from the horrible neighbours to be quiet and peaceful.

The mountain biking is probably quite good as well.

Hmm.. I had a flying visit to Calgary + Edmonton a couple of months back for work and i'd like to re-visit both.. i felt very comfortable and love all the checked shirts/pick-up trucks without having to deal with Trump.
The mountains are day trip-able from Calgary as well.

I'm also a big fan of Italy - could quite happily live in either Sorrento or Lake Garda.. was blown away by Garda last summer.
I love the madness of Italy.

Can I pick two?
I want to live in the Alps in winter, and maybe visit in the summer.
I want to live on a nice island in the Med in the summer, and maybe visit in the winter.

I've thought about New Zealand, but it's (literally) miles from anywhere. This may be the appeal to some people.

If I can solve the Middle East issue at the same time in fantasy land, I wouldn't mind Lebanon. You can ski in the morning and hit the beach in the afternoon. People are lovely too.

Hossegor or Capbreton, SW France.

South of there to the French Basque country for me, where I've just cancelled our June hols near St Jean de Luz. Hey ho. More wind/shelter/reef options than further north where it can be one massive whomping onshore beach. And really nice mtb from the door. And walking in Lakes sized hills. Great vibe, good food. All I need to do is persuade my wife before I'm too old to enjoy all bar the food and bloody rambling.

Huddersfield obvs...

I live in British Columbia, Canada now, but I've lived all over North America. It took awhile before Mrs. Bitchin and I both got decent jobs in the same town. The downside is that we are stuck in our starter home as house prices have skyrocketed out of our range. The plus side is yesterday I went biking and flyfishing and got to drive around in my redneck truck cuz gas is only $1/litre.

Scotland...oh no wait, here I am.

Though ideally a bit further north, the Great Glen, fort Augustus way, or any of the Ayeeelands.

commuting over the Golden Gate bridge to San Francisco

I'd rather be a bit further up the road, sipping wine in Sonoma valley. Cos I'm a bit pretentious like that 😉

1. On a small yacht boat in the MED.

2. Spain, maybe Granada.

3. Kerry, ROI (winters though?)

Costa Rica

Bamff I know some will think its Blackpool with mountains but I get board riding the trials

Aosta valley. Italian food great riding and skiing in the valley and less than 2 hr drive to  loads of other riding in France and Switzerland

Done the Caribbean living thing for a few years and been on many of the islands. Spent lots of time on sunny beaches around the world and the only places I’d want to move to are Lake Garda, Tarifa, Ullswater but more than likely it will be back to my beloved Weymouth. I was supposed to be moving back down the weekend after lockdown. My guitars and off road bikes are down there. Grrr.

I did - will you need a deputy beer brewer, I'd to apply if you do.....