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I'm considering a move elsewhere in Europe but I need to choose a country. I'm torn between Sweden, Germany (Bavaria), Madeira (Portugal) and the Czech Republic. Does anyone have advice or insight about expats living in either country (American or not, I myself am an EU citizen)? Thanks!
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I did quite a lot of street view to find areas that I click with in all of Europe and I like Stockholm, Madeira, places in Bavaria like Regensburg, Nuremberg, Bamberg, etc. and Czechia the most. I like Swedish nature and culture but I'm not sure I could sustain the chilly winters there, the lack of hills and the isolation from Europe. We have daily flights to Germany from Bulgaria, not so to Sweden. Madeira's isolated, too, but it looks tropical, locals are friendly & has the best climate in Europe. Germany's ethnic diversity rules! I can buy Turkish, Russian, Polish & even Bulgarian food in Amberg (40k ppl).
However, my German's A1/elementary. There aren't that many job opportunities in Frankonia/Upper Palatinate for EN speakers. I'm not an engineer, doctor or in IT, I have a business degree. I know in Czechia the outsourcing industry is big due to the lower salaries, which is a great option for foreigners to get their foot in the door & test the waters, so to say. I've already lived in Slovakia & Prague but Prague felt too big while Bratislava lacked the architecture and medieval feel of Czechia. Too bad Czech republic's all about Prague or Brno.
On Bavaian salary, the Czech republic would be a great destination to visit and do shopping once in a while (anyone doing that?). Madeiran architecture reminds me of Mexico but I'm not sure there are any jobs there. Sweden's great except the climate in winter, flatness and isolation. I already disqualified Poland as the salaries are even lower than in CZ, it's flatter than Bavaria/Czech, winters are even colder while summers even less sunny. Pollution there is also a problem with my rhinitis issues. As for career, I'm mostly interested in education/teaching, performing arts and medicine. I could get a PhD and teach or even retrain for a dietitian/medical assistant. As a side career I'm into songwriting/music. Hope that helps!
I'm considering a move elsewhere in Europe but I need to choose a country. I'm torn between Sweden, Germany (Bavaria), Madeira (Portugal) and the Czech Republic. Does anyone have advice or insight about expats living in either country (American or not, I myself am an EU citizen)? Thanks!
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I did quite a lot of street view to find areas that I click with in all of Europe and I like Stockholm, Madeira, places in Bavaria like Regensburg, Nuremberg, Bamberg, etc. and Czechia the most. I like Swedish nature and culture but I'm not sure I could sustain the chilly winters there, the lack of hills and the isolation from Europe. We have daily flights to Germany from Bulgaria, not so to Sweden. Madeira's isolated, too, but it looks tropical, locals are friendly & has the best climate in Europe. Germany's ethnic diversity rules! I can buy Turkish, Russian, Polish & even Bulgarian food in Amberg (40k ppl).
However, my German's A1/elementary. There aren't that many job opportunities in Frankonia/Upper Palatinate for EN speakers. I'm not an engineer, doctor or in IT, I have a business degree. I know in Czechia the outsourcing industry is big due to the lower salaries, which is a great option for foreigners to get their foot in the door & test the waters, so to say. I've already lived in Slovakia & Prague but Prague felt too big while Bratislava lacked the architecture and medieval feel of Czechia. Too bad Czech republic's all about Prague or Brno.
On Bavaian salary, the Czech republic would be a great destination to visit and do shopping once in a while (anyone doing that?). Madeiran architecture reminds me of Mexico but I'm not sure there are any jobs there. Sweden's great except the climate in winter, flatness and isolation. I already disqualified Poland as the salaries are even lower than in CZ, it's flatter than Bavaria/Czech, winters are even colder while summers even less sunny. Pollution there is also a problem with my rhinitis issues. As for career, I'm mostly interested in education/teaching, performing arts and medicine. I could get a PhD and teach or even retrain for a dietitian/medical assistant. As a side career I'm into songwriting/music. Hope that helps!
Germany would be #1 on my list, followed by Czech Republic.
Regarding your comment I bolded, well, Czechia is more then just Prague and Brno. Olomouc (I don't know if it's just me but it feels like people in Moravia area are more friendly then everywhere else ), or Pardubice/Hradec Kralove, I would maybe look at Plzen also.
I'm not sure about job prospects but if you want to teach, I don't think you would have any problem finding work in Czech Republic.
You've been doing this for years, always starting a thread about what western european country to move to, you're kind of like myself with Japan lol except I am not asking others for opinion and I'm consistent. Just pick one.
Olomouc (I don't know if it's just me but it feels like people in Moravia area are more friendly then everywhere else ), or Pardubice/Hradec Kralove
Olomouc looks fantastic but it borders Slovakia and Poland. I like Slovak hills but most of their towns look less pleasant to me than Czech ones. Ditto for Pardubice/Hradec Kralove and Poland. Plzeň, however, is close to Bavaria with its medieval vibes which beat any Slovak or Polish architecture for me.
Plzeň itself has a better (or better preserved) version of Renaissance & Baroque styles than most Slovak/Polish places. Sweden like Poland and Slovakia is too much into (Post)Modernist architecture out of Stockholm (with some exceptions like tiny Visby). Madeira looks quite exotic and has a milder climate than the Canary islands and less clouds/rain than the Azores. There are cheap holiday packages from Germany. I wonder what are the locals in Plzeň and Bavaria like compared to Swedes?
If I had such a choice, I would probably consider between Germany and the Czech Republic. Madeira of Portugal is warm but still too isolated. I would probably prefer a larger city, if only because it is probably easier for a foreigner to integrate into local life. Sweden is in 4th place.
I think you would do best in Czech republic, followed by Portugal. Sweden would be a disaster without knowing Swedish and having tons of money.
Wrong. In Sweden (along with rest of the Nordic countries and the Netherlands) over 90% of the population speak English fluently. Of that list, Sweden has the most English speakers by far.
Quality of life is also highest in Sweden followed by Germany.
Sweden is more expensive than the other countries but salaries are also higher and you still find affordable prices in smaller cities.
I would lean toward Germany mainly because of the language, which is easy to pick up and lots of people seem to know German throughout the EU. I have traveled extensively throughout the Czech Republic and Slovakia and while the people are friendly and helpful, the language is a real bear. It's a sad day when the best way for two people to communicate is via very broken German! LOL But we were always able to do so.
Also, Germany is beautiful, especially Bavaria. And clean, and it functions well. It's an economic powerhouse in the EU, even with COVID 19. And it's centrally located so it's easy to get to other countries for a little weekend trip.
And finally, Germans learn English in school. I believe it's mandatory. Anyway, they may not like to speak it but they do know how.
I personally really like the German people. I think they're funny, whether they intend to be or not. I like their overall brusque, down to earth nature. I always find them to be pleasant overall but they do tend to have a streak of sarcasm that's especially funny to me.
Yeah, I decided for now to learn German. Bit a bit of course as it's haaard. I've always liked how they dub everything (helped me pick up many words as a kid!). I couldn't find any local course in Swedish and they rarely dub anything. Japanese anime and The Simpsons really helped me with picking simple phrases in German.
Bavaria seems like a great home base for traveling within it, Thuringia, Hesse, etc., the Czech Republic (Karlovy Vary and Pilsen) and Austria. I think the German market also gets cheap flights and trips to Madeira and the Canary Islands we don't get here.
That said if I find an English/French language position in one of the multinationals that outsource in Pilsen I'd take it as it's right next door to Germany and I can visit it often. I already did that in Prague but it's too big and overcrowded for me, even more than my birth city of Sofia.
What's the ethnic food/shop scene there like in Scandinavia? In Bavaria there seem to be Eastern European/Turkish grocery stores (Mix Marks and other similar) in even in some small towns (i.e. Schwandorf). Are there such things in Scandinavia? And other Western countries?
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), or Pardubice/Hradec Kralove, I would maybe look at Plzen also. 
