Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
As a Scandinavian man, with blood lines from Norway and Sweden, (Peterson) I also adore Scandinavian women. I would love to go back and find a new wife. Tiger woods is a moron.
Well, I found people talking about the job prospects in Copenhagen and it sounds nearly as difficult for foreigners there as it is in Sweden. Same complaints about being highly qualified, well versed in Danish, and applying for hundreds of jobs with few responses, fewer interviews. Add to that their avg salary is comparable to Sweden, but cost of living in Copenhagen is higher. Looks like Norway is the only place up there to take a chance in, but Oslo honestly seems like one of the most bland, least fun major cities in Europe and there's no way I'd live in rain drenched Bergen. Wonder if Scandinavians tend to study/work abroad in certain European cities more than others. Vienna is a new option as they also have low unemployment, good location, just know little about the city and people. Prague as well as I hear it's still possible to find ESL work there, but worry about crime.
- low cost of living
- multicultural with most people speaking English very well
- not very "corporate" but very artsy lifestyle (a lot like SFO but bigger)
- very safe
Yeah. Think Berlin is my best option all things considered. Diverse, good location, cheap, major city. Close enough to Scandinavia, and I'm guessing quite a few hang out, study, work there as well for similar reasons.
Well, I found people talking about the job prospects in Copenhagen and it sounds nearly as difficult for foreigners there as it is in Sweden. Same complaints about being highly qualified, well versed in Danish, and applying for hundreds of jobs with few responses, fewer interviews. Add to that their avg salary is comparable to Sweden, but cost of living in Copenhagen is higher. Looks like Norway is the only place up there to take a chance in, but Oslo honestly seems like one of the most bland, least fun major cities in Europe and there's no way I'd live in rain drenched Bergen. Wonder if Scandinavians tend to study/work abroad in certain European cities more than others. Vienna is a new option as they also have low unemployment, good location, just know little about the city and people. Prague as well as I hear it's still possible to find ESL work there, but worry about crime.
come on - the weather isn't that bad over here!
I have to say.. Stockholm and Bergen are the two Scandinavian cities which I feel are the most unique and beautiful (while not being tiny).
Obviously Bergens natural landscape is unmatched but Stockholm is much bigger How long do you plan to stay in Scandinavia?
To be honest, I recommend that you stay out of this region during the winter.. Munich probably has the mildest climate out of the ones you listed.. It also has better acces to Europe and German is a more useful language.
You can't go wrong with Scandinavian chicks, though not sure if I helped much.. Good luck with your decision and be sure to ask me if you have any questions
Thanks. I think I'm a walking Wikipedia on this region, at least in terms of daily life, climate, and university options, after all the research I've been doing. I'm probably shooting for the Netherlands now (see other thread) due to the better university options, better location, slightly more mild weather, and it ranks with Sweden, Denmark, and Norway in most regards, in some ways even better (unemployment 4%, employment 77%).
I agree about the women, but I can't make such big decisions largely based on that. Otherwise, I'd never leave Japan!
Quick question for anyone who's lived in Berlin. Is the high unemployment rate attributed to the city as a whole due to factoring in the quite high unemployment in the east side? In other words, would the unemployment rate in west Berlin, where expats are most likely to live, be comparable to the national average, which is between 7-8%.
Berlin seems a bit too exciting to pass up because of the high unemployment rate quoted online (if it is in fact misleading) and it not having as many women matching Scandinavian women physical stereotypes. I imagine the larger population, diversity, and friendlier reputation perhaps makes up for the latter.
Prague as well as I hear it's still possible to find ESL work there, but worry about crime.
From everything I know...they pay extremely LOW in Prague, and the cost of living is quite high now. Most people who end up teaching in the Czech Republic have to stay clear from Prague to make ends meet on a teacher's salary.
It was about ten years ago, but I went to Budapest...a bit tired of Asia at the time...and thinking of ESL career over there. I remember they offered me a job for $300/month at that time - 1998)!
It's probably a bit better now, but I hightailed it out of Budapest for 'greener pasteurs' afterwards. Prague being even more popular than Budapest, I would imagine the pay probably hasn't risen substantially (and I remember it was about the same at the time), yet the cost of living certainly has gone up since then.
---
Anyways, I am not really qualified on the Scandinavia region. I have spent a summer in Austria though, and Vienna is a great place to consider. I spent my time in Innsbruck, Austria.
However, having just read the thread, it seems you have your heart set on Scandinavia, and the other places are somewhat compromises to your heart's intent. Personally, I feel you should go back to the orginal Scandinavia area once again, re-examine just those countries, and choose the best one of that particular region.
Also, even if one isn't set up perfectly with the lowest unemployment, etc. I wouldn't necessarily go with those stats to make the move. The 1-2% might not make a big difference. All you have to do is be part of the 94% or whatever that are employed.
Plus, having known some Scandinavians, not all of them necessarily have to be employed. The social nets are cast quite well, that people can get by without employment quite easily. Years ago when I was in Brazil, I met a few Norwegian guys living it up down there on gov't money and probably ranked as part of the unemployed statistics...so all of that can be a bit deceiving when you have countries well-known for their social welfare programs.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
How long do you plan to stay in Scandinavia? 
