Work in UK, live in Europe

[NotAllThere]

If you cannot speak the local lingo fluently, expect to be socialising in British expat communities. You need to speak the local language to fully integrate. And anything else is subpar. I advise joining an expensive club to find local winners and hang out there.

In some places, you need to have had your grandparents born in the same town in order to fully integrate.

[vetran]

In some places, you need to have had your grandparents born in the same town in order to fully integrate.

He is moving to France not Wales

[Pip in a Poke]

PSS: You've got a French passport? (Brexit regarding) lucky you.

No, but I think I'd need to prioritise it.

[scooterscot]

British population set to overtake France within 13 years due to immigration | Daily Mail Online



Oh Dear

It should not come as a surprise but I suspect it might.. migration to the UK is greatest from outside of Europe. Perhaps we should have a WorldExit.

[VectraMan]

It should not come as a surprise but I suspect it might.. migration to the UK is greatest from outside of Europe. Perhaps we should have a WorldExit.

I'm confused. Surely France as part of Schengen and remaining in the EU will be overrun by immigrants?

Sometimes it seems like the Brexit arguments make no sense at all.

[Fronttoback]

PS: regarding expats, we meet expats from all over the world. It's one thing to integrate (which we do) but there's a wealth of opportunity to meet people from a much larger community.
.

If you live near a major international city like Munich, this may be true. But not in the majority of places in Spain and France (wasn't it Brittany that was mentioned) that the OP would be targeting. You won't find quality expats there. And unless you are outstanding the quality locals won't want to know.

Trust me, outside of major hubs, to make it as a migrant with the high end locals you have to be very impressive. Only in big places do you get the chance to mingle with locals that are "like you" and have travelled. Locals that have not traveled will view you with suspicion- what are you running from.

So you end up mixing with other migrants. If you are in a big city that bunch may be high quality- but they are still transient, and can move on quickly - therefore no stability and long term integration on offer.

[VectraMan]

My Dad lives in a peasants village in the Loire Valley (France) and it's full of British people. There's a local restaurant I've been to a couple of times with them and it's run by a couple from Manchester. The locals are actually quite appreciative of all the Brits because otherwise these houses would be going to ruin, and without them the supermarkets etc. would be closing.

I was WFH all last year, and could have done that from anywhere with only the occasional trip back for a meeting. Maybe I should have hung onto it and could beat Article 50 and do that now. But it always seems to me going somewhere by yourself and WFH would be extremely miserable, which is why I've been looking at proper jobs. If you have to go to an office every day then to an extent you have to integrate.

[cojak]

In some places, you need to have had your grandparents born in the same town in order to fully integrate.

No different from many (most?) rural villages in the U.K.

I remember it being the same in the Devonshire village my father came from.

[BlasterBates]

Speaking to a French friend of mine, plenty of British people all over France. The chances of you finding a thriving expat community in the middle of nowhere in France is very high indeed.

[Fronttoback]

My Dad lives in a peasants village in the Loire Valley (France) and it's full of British people. There's a local restaurant I've been to a couple of times with them and it's run by a couple from Manchester. The locals are actually quite appreciative of all the Brits because otherwise these houses would be going to ruin, and without them the supermarkets etc. would be closing.

I was WFH all last year, and could have done that from anywhere with only the occasional trip back for a meeting. Maybe I should have hung onto it and could beat Article 50 and do that now. But it always seems to me going somewhere by yourself and WFH would be extremely miserable, which is why I've been looking at proper jobs. If you have to go to an office every day then to an extent you have to integrate.

Yeah the locals are friendly to the Brits while they are making money from the Brits! You've been done by the "Thai smile".

You are right, wfh in a retirement setting overseas can be grim due to isolation. Hotdesking your wfh can help somewhat (in major hubs). Local jobs offer integration opportunities. But if you try for a good job (which you must to avoid a social downgrade) you will be competing with locals. You won't get what you can back home. And if you take a low end local job, you are now working class - in a romantic dream it might be nice sweeping the pier as the fishing boats come in- you'll probably end up cleaning the toilets while the local gaffer now puts his feet up.