Where is better than Britain as a place to live?
Discussion
Mars said:
Manks said:
Who has lived in a country other than Britain, and was it a better palace to live?
Manks
What would your comparison criteria be?Manks
Manks
Busa_Rush said:
France - more space, much cheaper houses and land, better food, better attitude to other people, better weather . . . better roads of course 
It's a better place to live all round - not including Paris of course.
Would agree with the roads. Route Napolean and other mountain pass roads compares to Snake Pass and Cat & Fiddle. I know which i prefer..... Vive la France It's a better place to live all round - not including Paris of course.Busa_Rush said:
France - more space, much cheaper houses and land, better food, better attitude to other people, better weather . . . better roads of course It's a better place to live all round - not including Paris of course.
Crap wages and the French being the flies in the ointment. It's a better place to live all round - not including Paris of course.In Europe based on my experiences spending several months to several years, Netherlands, Germany and Austria offer far higher standards of quality of life. You only realise this onec you have lived in countries such as these. Before this happens you'll come across all sorts of propaganda stating that no where is better than the UK but it's nonsense because so many belive this since they have no experience of anything else.. The three countries I mentioned here also have significantly lower overall tax burdens and much higher investments in their infrastructures which can be seen in day to day life.
I'm sure France, Italy, Spain and now some of the eastern european countries are also now well ahead in the quality of life stakes compared to the UK.
I voted with my feet years ago
I'm sure France, Italy, Spain and now some of the eastern european countries are also now well ahead in the quality of life stakes compared to the UK.
I voted with my feet years ago
Busa_Rush said:
France - more space, much cheaper houses and land, better food, better attitude to other people, better weather . . . better roads of course It's a better place to live all round - not including Paris of
course.
Isn't france about 4-5 times bigger than britain with the same pop ?. It's a better place to live all round - not including Paris of course.
Think i'd plump for somewhere like britain. With all it's benefits (not dss ones "biglaugh") but with a warmer not wet
climate. English speaking would help.Where does that leave me america.oz or the canaries
how big does the place have to be apart from work how far do you generally move about ?
I've lived in Belgium since 1996.
My standard of living is much higher than I ever remember in the UK. I live in a small village, where people still know each other, with enough local services (baker/butcher etc.). We have excellent local schools, the doctors is within walking distance. The closest town has a small hospital with everything you'd ever need.
My mother is a cancer patient in remission (10 years). Last year she had a scare - pain in the same place as her cancer. She was told that she would have to wait between 6 weeks and 3 months to go in the scanner. I mentioned this to our local doctor and he got her an appointment over here - we picked her up from the plane, took her to the hospital, and she left with an envelope with the scans and an initial diagnosis (luckily the cancer was not back) late in the afternoon. When she got back to the UK her GP initially refused to treat her any more as she'd been "outside the system" as she put it. Eventually got this turned around by threatening to involve local papers etc. What a cow!
On the down side, basic rate income tax is about 50% and VAT is 21%, and car tax has been on the basis that the UK is now trying to introduce. I pay €700 per year for the privilege of running a LR Discovery, BUT I can afford to buy and run a whole fleet of cars (LR Disco, Sunbeam Alpine, Mini Cooper, Alfa Spider, Daihatsu Fourtrak - for really muddy playing).
I don't see me returning to the UK (certainly not under that w
ker Brown and his cronies- or the equivalent). We're close enough that I can get back very quickly in an emergency (I could be further away in travelling time on mainland UK), and we still enjoy visiting the UK.
The countryside is much more beautiful in the UK, and you can't beat a good country pub.
My standard of living is much higher than I ever remember in the UK. I live in a small village, where people still know each other, with enough local services (baker/butcher etc.). We have excellent local schools, the doctors is within walking distance. The closest town has a small hospital with everything you'd ever need.
My mother is a cancer patient in remission (10 years). Last year she had a scare - pain in the same place as her cancer. She was told that she would have to wait between 6 weeks and 3 months to go in the scanner. I mentioned this to our local doctor and he got her an appointment over here - we picked her up from the plane, took her to the hospital, and she left with an envelope with the scans and an initial diagnosis (luckily the cancer was not back) late in the afternoon. When she got back to the UK her GP initially refused to treat her any more as she'd been "outside the system" as she put it. Eventually got this turned around by threatening to involve local papers etc. What a cow!
On the down side, basic rate income tax is about 50% and VAT is 21%, and car tax has been on the basis that the UK is now trying to introduce. I pay €700 per year for the privilege of running a LR Discovery, BUT I can afford to buy and run a whole fleet of cars (LR Disco, Sunbeam Alpine, Mini Cooper, Alfa Spider, Daihatsu Fourtrak - for really muddy playing).
I don't see me returning to the UK (certainly not under that w
ker Brown and his cronies- or the equivalent). We're close enough that I can get back very quickly in an emergency (I could be further away in travelling time on mainland UK), and we still enjoy visiting the UK. The countryside is much more beautiful in the UK, and you can't beat a good country pub.
sunbeam_alpine said:
I've lived in Belgium since 1996.
My standard of living is much higher than I ever remember in the UK. I live in a small village, where people still know each other, with enough local services (baker/butcher etc.). We have excellent local schools, the doctors is within walking distance. The closest town has a small hospital with everything you'd ever need.
I am salivating at the thought of fresh warm croissants just down the road in a little local bakers...My standard of living is much higher than I ever remember in the UK. I live in a small village, where people still know each other, with enough local services (baker/butcher etc.). We have excellent local schools, the doctors is within walking distance. The closest town has a small hospital with everything you'd ever need.
sunbeam_alpine said:
I don't see me returning to the UK (certainly not under that wker Brown and his cronies- or the equivalent). We're close enough that I can get back very quickly in an emergency (I could be further away in travelling time on mainland UK), and we still enjoy visiting the UK.
ker Brown and his cronies- or the equivalent). We're close enough that I can get back very quickly in an emergency (I could be further away in travelling time on mainland UK), and we still enjoy visiting the UK. I've got this the wrong way round haven't I? I go to Belgium on business / leisure trips a few times a year....
sunbeam_alpine said:
The countryside is much more beautiful in the UK, and you can't beat a good country pub.
Yeah, but you've got Spa... And parts of Belgium are really beautiful if you like hills and trees and green grass (very green, with all the rain you get!)And I've got that blustery, boring, flat old airfield, known as Silverstone on my doorstep...
Hmmm.... (Don't like the 50% tax idea much though - but are there as many stealth taxes as here, like NI, for example? I bet we all REALLY pay way over 50% anyway here in the UK)
sunbeam_alpine said:
On the down side, basic rate income tax is about 50% and VAT is 21%, and car tax has been on the basis that the UK is now trying to introduce.
As you've already explained, the money is being spent more wisely though.Same in Sweden, visible taxes look horrific to us, but the value for money that the government provides is beyond our comprehension.
In the UK we now pay comparable taxes to France and Sweden, because of Brown's countless stealth taxes. However, our public services lag way behind - with most of the cash being used to form a public sector management elite.
Baby Huey said:
Busa_Rush said:
France - more space, much cheaper houses and land, better food, better attitude to other people, better weather . . . better roads of course It's a better place to live all round - not including Paris of course.
Crap wages and the French being the flies in the ointment. It's a better place to live all round - not including Paris of course.ajf said:
hi
lived in Dubai for a couple of years
wish i could go back everyday
better why of life
lower tax
lower prices if you know where to go
still try to go out there twice a year on holiaday
Adrian
I have lived in Dubai for 5 months now.lived in Dubai for a couple of years
wish i could go back everyday
better why of life
lower tax
lower prices if you know where to go
still try to go out there twice a year on holiaday
Adrian
I live 10 mins from the office
I earn more than I did in the City, doing the same sort of job
I pay zero income tax/Ni
I pay no road tax
I live in a quiet area, and have a nice private pool - I couldnt afford that in the UK
The maid costs very little
I drive a nice 4.8 BM X5 - I couldnt afford to run it in the UK, but here is costs around 20 quid to fill up
The sun is always shining, although the Summers are too hot, so I'm told.
Pretty much everyone speaks English
Love the waterparks here...perhaps still on holiday mode, but nice to have them up the road.
I'm of average intelligence, but here I'm way above average!
Life is pretty stress free, once you have settled in. Getting settled is a nightmare.Alcohol is expensive though!
All in all, I love the place. Might be a different story in a few years, but then I'll move again.
Mazda Baiter said:
My list of places that I would move to is short. Sweden, Canada and Germany.
Australia was on the list until some people on PH were complaining that it has turned into a nanny state.
Sweden is very high tax I believe.Australia was on the list until some people on PH were complaining that it has turned into a nanny state.
A friend of mine moved to Canada not so long ago and has now moved to America because he couldn't deal with the winters.
Germany is interesting. Not been there but I plan to go this year.
Manks
Chilli said:
I have lived in Dubai for 5 months now.
I live 10 mins from the office
I earn more than I did in the City, doing the same sort of job
I pay zero income tax/Ni
I pay no road tax
I live in a quiet area, and have a nice private pool - I couldnt afford that in the UK
The maid costs very little..........................
As I live two streets away from Chilli I would have to agree with the above. Life ain't perfect but it pretty good.I live 10 mins from the office
I earn more than I did in the City, doing the same sort of job
I pay zero income tax/Ni
I pay no road tax
I live in a quiet area, and have a nice private pool - I couldnt afford that in the UK
The maid costs very little..........................
dictys said:
Chilli said:
I have lived in Dubai for 5 months now.
I live 10 mins from the office
I earn more than I did in the City, doing the same sort of job
I pay zero income tax/Ni
I pay no road tax
I live in a quiet area, and have a nice private pool - I couldnt afford that in the UK
The maid costs very little..........................
As I live two streets away from Chilli I would have to agree with the above. Life ain't perfect but it pretty good.I live 10 mins from the office
I earn more than I did in the City, doing the same sort of job
I pay zero income tax/Ni
I pay no road tax
I live in a quiet area, and have a nice private pool - I couldnt afford that in the UK
The maid costs very little..........................
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