If you have moved away from the UK, how have you found it?

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Revolutionary-Tie-77@reddit

Moved to Australia 9 years ago. It’s not off the table but I doubt I’d move back. I’m in a bit of a weird place, mentally, where neither the UK or Sydney quite feel like home.

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New Zealand. Would have to be a pretty significant life change to bring me back to the UK. Never ever found I "fit in" in the UK and if it weren't for my family, I would have cut ties as soon as Ieft. NZ is having its host of problems too, with a wrecked housing market and a godawful bunch of morons in charge, but its still preferable.

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amanset@reddit

Moved to Stockholm. Been here quite some time now.

There's no way I would move back to the UK. Every time I am back the UK feels a bit more like a foreign country.

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Quinnyluca@reddit

I wonder why

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BeneficialRole9655@reddit

What do you prefer about Stockholm compared to the UK?

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amanset@reddit

I find the UK to be too individualistic. People don’t seem to care about society much anymore, just themselves. Sweden isn’t perfect and has moved more towards how the UK is in my time here, but it is still a long way off how the UK is.

I also very much prefer the weather.

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ModJambo@reddit

Your first point rings true for me after moving back from having spent 3 years abroad.

Common decency here for others has went out the window.

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Charlie-Bell@reddit

I think it's just the syndrome

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BeneficialRole9655@reddit

😆

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cccccjdvidn@reddit

I moved to Switzerland. I would never move back to the UK.

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Beneficial-Pitch-430@reddit

Why?

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cccccjdvidn@reddit

I received a job offer that I really couldn't refuse. It was a MASSIVE increase in salary, better conditions, relocation etc. Life is so much better here for me personally.

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National-Cookies@reddit

How did that come about for you if you don’t mind me asking? I’m thinking about that as a potential option if possible for me whilst I’m still young and there’s less impact on me

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cccccjdvidn@reddit

I just applied for the job. I also have an EU nationality so that greased the wheels.

If you don't have an EU nationality and speak one of the national languages, you may as well not bother, unless your experience and job is exceptionally niche.

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ImKrakin@reddit

Do you speak in English or have you learnt the local languages?

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cccccjdvidn@reddit

I already speak French to a near-native level

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Beneficial-Pitch-430@reddit

Ah! I suppose, if paid enough, you could reasonably move to a vast array of countries and not want to come back!

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frusoh@reddit

What do you like about it?

I've been tempted to move to Zurich myself but have heard the Swiss make it very difficult to integrate and you can feel like an outsider.

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humblepaul@reddit

My best man lives near Geneva and has found it hard to get work and integrate. His missus is Swiss.

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lickedoffmalibu@reddit

Same best decision ever

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Weylane@reddit

I did the opposite 🤣

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ImKrakin@reddit

Why?

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Weylane@reddit

Wanted a change, my granddad had british origins. His british mom basically raised my mom. My mom made me suffer with christmas cake every winter. Got a work opportunity and made an impulsive decision to leave for the north-east.

I love it here. Still hate christmas cake and christmas pudding though.

And damn I don't miss the 35 degrees weather 🤣 it's cool up-north.

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marxistopportunist@reddit

Germany, small town but 50k for a detached extended townhouse with garden

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mattymattymatty96@reddit

Yeah Germany quite effectively stops house prices spiralling.

Rent controls, mortgage controls and subsidies for building.

Basically Germany (and france theough a different method) understand Housing is a human right.

For further reading id recommend r/georgism

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tr0028@reddit

Oh man, I found my people. Thank you for the educational link!

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Pure_Cantaloupe_341@reddit

Barely any population growth over the last twenty years is a major factor too, if not the deciding one…

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Jo_LaRoint@reddit

It’d be great to know more. I just had a driving holiday through Germany and loved it! Huge fan of the beer and food, our friends are having their first kid out there they say the state is super nice in lots of ways, it seems like a well run place in many respects

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Frequent-You369@reddit

Out of curiosity, what do you mean by 'townhouse'? I always thought a townhouse was how those with mansions in the country referred to their 'pads' in the city - possibly a pied-à-terre.

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OrangeBeast01@reddit

Terraced house with at least 3 stories is how I've always thought of it.

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Accurate-Income-6794@reddit

Town house is usually like name for similar to a terraced

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marxistopportunist@reddit

Basically more levels than you need, because the footprint isn't massive. I've got a ground level cellar, two full floors of rooms, and a final floor (half bedroom, half storage) AND a huge loft space

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National_Command6270@reddit

moved to canada and honestly the quality of life is just better, but I do miss a decent chippy tea. never say never to moving back but it'd take a lot to drag me home now lol.

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silver-w1nd@reddit

I moved to Toronto about 3.5 years ago I just can't settle here... it's completely upsidedown compared to the UK and I'm from the east midlands so it says something lol hoping to move back one day :/

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No-Wealth4955@reddit

I understand as lived in Toronto to try it out and it was a good city but something felt missing and I can’t stand the winters.

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Midnightmerfrog@reddit

Could you expand a bit more on upsidedown.

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geeksandlies@reddit

I have a daily ritual of daydreaming about moving there, have never actually been but for some reason I locked into it years ago. Really should visit we have long lost family there too

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Dis-Charge@reddit

China.

I was a depressed teacher in the UK.

Life is good here.

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Best_Judgment_1147@reddit

Germany, small town, both of us working, own a garden in a club and grow vegetables... Honestly blissful.

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jamesmb@reddit

Moved to a very small town in north west France 13 years ago. Rarely go back to the UK. If it didn't work out here or we decided to move, it wouldn't be back. France is simultaneously a tedious administrative struggle and a fantastic place with lovely people, food and functioning public services. Nothing I've seen on my trips back to the UK has shown me that anything has improved in the past 13 years - in fact, quite the opposite. Sorry.

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elbapo@reddit

I moved to new Zealand and almost four years later I moved back to the UK. I was pretty desperate to come back tbh. New Zealand is beautiful and a great adventure and all that but once you've explored it all, its pretty insular/ backwards- quite boring actually-and some cultural differences just grind after a while.

The uk is pretty brilliantly placed to be both historic and modern, have access to so many places and cultures and have quite a lot of cool stuff quite easy to get to

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BackupThunder16@reddit

Could you give an example of the insular/backwards cultural differences? I'm a bit perplexed.

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elbapo@reddit

I probably could have put that better. My reflections are that nz seems to be full of examples of the vices and virtues of the uk maybe 40 years ago. So it has both positive and negative sides.

Positives include seeming respect for public spaces, public services and a feeling of general safety and community etc. Positive and negative is there seemed a cohort of people who didnt feel the need to grow up too fast and bum around on beaches. The unapologetic hippies and cowboys juxtaspotion was also wild.

Sadly, there's overt racism-.and a sense of isolation in many communities which hides some (anecdotal) shady stuff.

There's a lack of choice in what you can buy as its an island with a small population and a sown up market. Then, there not a lot to do after a point- nowheres open after five - city centres are dead zones- bank holidays and Sundays are also full of what seem like arcane rules on closure times/ pubs cant sell alcohol unless with food etc. You cant park facing the wrong direction. I dunno, I'm struggling for examples but there was just a constraining feeling of restrictions we've got rid of in the uk.

Overall, after a bit you get the feeling it would be a great place to be a child, an extreme sports enthusiast or a retiree- but you can feel that you are surrounded by nothing but ocean where the nearest other culture is Australia and even the nearest bit of that is 4.5hrs away by plane. It gets heavy on you after a while.

Great adventure, dont regret. Wouldnt want to live there long term.

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notyourcupofteamate@reddit

I moved to Germany for work, have to move back due to the job, but wouldn't otherwise.

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humblepaul@reddit

I think i would explode living in Germany with those German women. Wow, just wow!

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__ElonMusk@reddit

Ick

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teeseoncoast@reddit

Your other comment in this thread is talking about your best man…

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humblepaul@reddit

Yes, It's why I don't live in Germany!

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teeseoncoast@reddit

😂😂

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teeseoncoast@reddit

I lived in Germany on the river Mosel for 5 years and I miss it every day.

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BeneficialRole9655@reddit

Sounds wonderful. Why did you return? What did you do for work?

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teeseoncoast@reddit

We had our own hotel and I worked for a Dutch hotel in the neighbouring village. in the spring/summer I worked in the vineyards as well. Some of the steepest in Europe are there so it got quite hairy.

We came back early 2022. Had to sell our own hotel that we also ran as we were closed for nearly two years with the pandemic. Most of the tourism on the Mosel came from cyclists/hikers doing the entirety of the river. The winter months were too harsh so only opened March-October/November. Pandemic really hit us hard.

I played for a Sunday league team out there and I used to run a lot. The closest McDonalds was an 1h 30min round trip so we rarely go it. The only ‘treat’ we had was a pizza place in the village and that was once a week. I’ve really struggled being back here without all the endless valleys to explore and with anything available to your doorstep in half an hour is a daily battle.

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apeliott@reddit

I've been in Japan for the last 20 years.

It's been great. I go back to the UK once or twice a year but never considered returning for good.

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Ok-Fig-7510@reddit

I’m moving to Japan in a few months time, do you have any tips for someone starting out? (it’s for a WHV, so not permanently moving but who knows what could happen lol)

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apeliott@reddit

Carry your passport or foreigner ID card at all times. It's illegal for foreigners to be in public without them.
Always check over your shoulder when moving from one side of the pavement to the other. Cyclists can be dangerous to the point that the government brought in new laws and mandatory insurance for them.
Be prepared for landlords to turn you down for being foreign. It's extremely common.
Be careful of joining a black company. They can make your life miserable. Check them out online first.

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otrohombrebi@reddit

I moved away for many years. I loved experiencing other countries but the UK is always home to me.

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Familiar-Pain6134@reddit

moved from germany to uk last month and missing it! the cleanliness, less people and generally a sense of calm

i could never exit from Boots without losing my mind. so many people!!

But Londons been great employment-wise. already landed 5 interviews in just a month whereas germans always prefer someone who knows the language. anyways London is a great place for someone who doesnt want a mediocre life and wants to excel at their career. i belong to software industry

As they say, germany doesn’t punish the losers. don’t wanna sound harsh but it is what it is.

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ZeroFraks@reddit

I left the UK for over 20 years, came back end of COVID.

I feel like a tourist in the UK now, just don’t understand the mentality or how it went so wrong.

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ME-McG-Scot@reddit

2007-2009 went backpacking to Australia and ended up renting a flat snd working in Perth WA. Bloody loved it, great city, great weather. Wanted to stay but My mum became terminally ill so came home and after a year back home, got settled here again. The distance and time difference did put me off a bit, the thought of moving back never fully grapped hold of me again. If leaving the UK again always fancied Spain or France.

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az-johubb@reddit

Moved to western Norway 18 months ago. It’s both very similar and quite different, mostly in a good way apart from the odd few things. It’s close enough that I can easily be back in the UK in a couple of hours by plane. Would I move back to the UK? Probably not, in the short to medium term at least

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TreadheadS@reddit

I lived in Belarus nd Cyprus for just over a decade combined.

Moved back to the UK because it is honestly better in almost evety way.

Shame so many businesses realised they could rip off the British public after Covid but otherwise it is still great.

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Dry_Action1734@reddit

What on earth took you to Belarus? Also, is it true that Cyprus is full of Russians?

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TreadheadS@reddit

There are 3 languages in Cyprus - Greek, English, and Russian.

So long as you speak two of those you'll always be able to talk as everyone knows two.

Maybe Greek & Russian. Or English and Greek but no one speeks just one language!

Limassol has the greatest concetration of Russians, Pafos is full of the English.

Nicosia is a mixed bag!

As for Belarus, I was working for the Games Development company "Wargaming" that makes World of Tanks and World of Warships

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Short--Stuff@reddit

I know North Cyprus is not recognised and a log of people are not familiar with the history but...

"There are 3 languages in Cyprus" Greek, English and Russian? 😂 what happened to the Turkish Cypriots??

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Appropriate-Roof1422@reddit

It's not, they live in some pockets and the majority of them are one city, Limassol.

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MistifyingSmoke@reddit

Anyone commenting ain't gonna say many negative things because sunk cost fallacy

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ImKrakin@reddit

True economist

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Conscious_Analysis98@reddit

6 years in Sydney, Australia.
Moved back mainly because its tough being away from family and parents particuarly as they get older. Started a family as well and thats easier with support.

In general we don't regret it other than the obvious stuff during the long and dark winters. There are so many things to appreciate about the UK you dont really realise until you leave.

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BackupThunder16@reddit

I've always fantasized about moving out there. My uncle moved there in the 90s and now has my aunt and cousins, they live in Brisbane. I think I have a second cousin in Melbourne too.

It just seems more laid back and less uptight than here. Can you chime in at all?

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Tiny_Major_7514@reddit

As an aussie here considering moving back i'd love to pick your brains about that

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Conscious_Analysis98@reddit

Feel free to send me a DM!

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InvestigatorSoft3606@reddit

Moved to Australia - Loved it.

Family hated us being away

So we came back.

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Tacklestiffener@reddit

I remember a family moving to Oz in 1967 from our block of flats. They had a big family party as if they would never see each other again, and they probably didn't.

Contrast that to nowadays where my friend goes to visit her son twice a year and, if you can get the right fare deal, it can be relatively cheap.

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BackupThunder16@reddit

Imagine what it was like back in the 1800s-early 1900s, you truly wouldn't ever see them again. Mad.

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czavjdlqgjdqjdg@reddit

I live in Italy, it's beautiful and the people are lovely but culturally it's so different, if I didn't have a house, cats and business I would pack my bags and leave today

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Ayeeeitsgrand@reddit

Where in Germany did you find a townhouse for 50k? Not looking your exact location or anything. I’m just curious as I’m living in NRW.

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GasQuirky3938@reddit

I moved to Sweden in 2006 to be with my then girlfriend.

We split up after a couple of years but as I'd already found somewhere else to live and I had a job I decided to stay put.

It would have been stupidly expensive to move back to the UK, especially as I wouldn't have any money - no benefits for six months - no job or nowhere to live. Much better to stay here.

And here I am still.

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DD2711@reddit

New girlfriend?

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FrustratedPlantMum@reddit

I moved to California, years ago now. I miss the UK. Nowhere is quite like it, I think because we have quite a specific sense of humour, it's just different from in the US. Also, America is very built on the individual and the idea of rugged individualism, and I think we have more of a sense of community in thr UK. I would like to move home, but I have managed to make a career of something quite specialized to the US so finding a job is challenging. But I'm going to be back in July and I'm going to eat M&S vegan hoisin duck wraps and watch Countryfile and Eastenders on TV at the same time as everyone else.

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gandhi_theft@reddit

California seems like such a dream destination to so many brits

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Ok_Handle_3530@reddit

I’d like to try it. Huge culture of praising success and people more in the sticks there were some of the best people I’ve ever met. Really felt like I could breathe there and the diversity of wilderness beats just about anywhere else in the world.

Then again, visiting for an extended time and living there are two completely different things

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gandhi_theft@reddit

Perfect weather too

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Ok_Handle_3530@reddit

Yeah depends where, we fell in love with Santa Barbara, but the guy we stayed with has lives there for 20 years and he’s moving because he’s that bored of the perfect weather. Literally hovers between 18-27°C all year

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MildlyCombative@reddit

I visited Santa Barbara for a morning. It was cloudy and gray. That’s apparently a thing before the sun burns away the mist

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Ok_Handle_3530@reddit

Yeah, if you’re up on the Mesa the mist stays longer, so it’s quite cool looking up at it from downtown

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gregd303@reddit

I just came back for a week and i had a vegan hoisin duck wrap. Lovely!

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Constant-Pound7254@reddit

As someone in the same boat who finally moved back last year, I very much relate. Even down to Eastenders and the vegan hoisin duck wrap from M&S 🤣.

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IntrepidMaybe8579@reddit

Moved to america, would definitely move back besides jobs+weather

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BakingJake91@reddit

Lived in the USA for 5 years up until one year ago. I struggled with a lot there. Never truly settle.

Also lived in Ireland. Did not feel foreign really. I loved it. A slightly more laid back mix of UK and US culture.

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IntrepidMaybe8579@reddit

I really really really struggled there.. doesnt even seem like real life, nothing is familiar nothing at all.. no one understands you ect ect feels like living in a simulation

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No-Row-9994@reddit

USA?

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IntrepidMaybe8579@reddit

Yea

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No-Row-9994@reddit

I relate. I lived there for years and felt the same!

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IntrepidMaybe8579@reddit

Thought i was just defective because ive met brits who were happy there but definitely some kind of negative psychological effects it had

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No-Row-9994@reddit

Which state were you in?

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IntrepidMaybe8579@reddit

Arizona

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No-Row-9994@reddit

Kind of similar to me, I was in California. How did you cope with the Arizona heat?

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IntrepidMaybe8579@reddit

Just had to all the good jobs were outside sort of labor

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gandhi_theft@reddit

What did you struggle with out of curiosity? Thinking of a similar move but the other way round

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IntrepidMaybe8579@reddit

I havent really heard of Americans struggling with the uk besides the difficulties of learning any new government system obviously besides the bad weather, the uk is very lively and theres always something going on somewhere

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humblepaul@reddit

What exactly is 'bad weather' to you? The UK isn't the same size as the USA, but we still get lots of different weather. If you like rain, Wales and NI are your go too. If you dont like rain, then London and Kent. I live in London where it hasn't rained in over a month and is hotter than LA. It hit 35c last week. Maybe your missing tornadoes or hurricanes, sorry, haven't had those since the 80s.

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IntrepidMaybe8579@reddit

London rains loads brobro where i lived in the states was hot year round besides around February and only rained like 10 times a year it felt like, basically no rain at all besides extreme traveling rainstorm clouds which ended fast, england is freezing 7 months out the year and rains on and off for weeks straight with zero blue in the sky

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humblepaul@reddit

I'd hate to live somewhere warm all year round. It really doesn't rain enough in SE UK, and I love a cold winter so I can wear jumpers and trousers.

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IntrepidMaybe8579@reddit

Pros and cons to both obviously.. even bad uk weather is kind of nice because it makes everything feel cozy and you can wear comfy clothes but its also much nicer to be outside all the time if its always sunny and it makes you feel a little happier in general plus the uk heat is humid which is far worse and AC isnt everywhere like the US so being able to get ice cold the second your sick of the heat is better

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humblepaul@reddit

The bad USA weather is unbearable. I remember going to historic Jamestown in the summer, and we got literally drenched in sweat 2mins after getting out the car. While working in rural Massachusetts we would try to run 100m in the awful humidity and collapse. Couldn't drink a beer without passing out. Just drinking water all the time. Went to Orlando and remember sitting on theme park rides in all the obese people's sweat. Much prefer Seattle and Vancouver.

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IntrepidMaybe8579@reddit

Its like that wherever the wind blows over the ocean the middle/south aint bad dry heat is nice i hate being sticky

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BakingJake91@reddit

I lived in a small town nearish Chicago first. Very car dependant, lots of fast food chains and very little job opportunity. Moved to Nashville, TN. Also very car dependant but with heavy traffic. It was just to expensive to live there and we could never afford to go out and enjoy what makes Nashville fun.

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IntrepidMaybe8579@reddit

You were probably in the least car dependent places too, uk feels like a lived in society.. you have to go walk around a area crowed with people and streets lined with shops ect, america is driving distance to literally everything no general activities or signs of life really and if you see people waking usually homeless and on meth

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starsandshard@reddit

My initial 1 - 2 year move to Thailand turned into a 20 year plan very rapidly after I moved here

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gandhi_theft@reddit

A fellow man of culture.

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starsandshard@reddit

Sawasdee krap khun Ghandi

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PootPasaAngritMaiDai@reddit

Bleh not the second 's' in an English transliteration

What do you do for work there out of interest?

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redspike77@reddit

I moved to Mauritius a couple of decades ago and haven't looked back (except for when I miss my friends from time to time). It's still pretty nice here and I'm quite comfy so staying for the foreseeable future.

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KookyFarmer7@reddit

I always assumed the job market must be quite limited due to the physical size of the island, is it mostly tourism dependant and then agriculture/fishing otherwise?

I went when I was young and obviously it seems like paradise but you can’t just spend the entire day sat on the beach in reality

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redspike77@reddit

The old agricultural-based economy (sugar) has dwindled significantly and been replaced by BPO and call-centers. It's an English and French bilingual country and they're generally so much better at language than we are. Tourism is still a significant sector but it feels like BPO might be the main thing now.

Funny you should mention sitting at the beach all day. Before I had children (and thus had to move more inland for the schools) I was living next to the beach. I had fully intended to spend hours hanging around by the sea but after a while it became something I took for granted and only really ventured down there to walk to the shops. I'm probably just getting old and seeking more home comforts though.

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Unusual_Sherbert2671@reddit

It's great, move to the Middle East, tax free money.

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Sufficient-Till-6022@reddit

I moved to Germany 10 years ago by accident. I was on vacation and I met what is now my wife and mother of my child.

I'd love my kid to grow up in the UK but nothing works. The public services are fucked. In Germany I can get seen by a GP every day (there is a lot of waiting involved). An ambulance will turn up. Government insurance dental care is free / low cost (there are optional extras).

However this is all paid for by a mega tax / social insurance bill. 35% of my wage is taken in total by insurance contributions and taxes.

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Whappo88@reddit

I am in a similar situation. My main concern is the huge battering the tax and pension system will take over the next decade or so with all the boomers retiring and too few taxpayers to bear the burden. Successive German governments have done nothing to address the issue which has been inevitable for 20 years.

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EyeAware3519@reddit

We get taxed slightly less in the UK but the value for money we receive is much, much worse.

I've been trying to see an NHS specialist for over a year so just ended up going private. The roads are straight up dangerous. Non-violent crime is effectively unpunished.

I would pay more tax with a smile on my face if I knew it was being used to improve the country rather than just being creamed off by corruption.

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rainbow84uk@reddit

Similar in Spain, well over 1/3 of my salary goes to taxes and social contributions, but I can see what I'm paying for in the public services we have here.

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govnyuuk@reddit

I moved to Kazakhstan. It's alright I guess. Just waiting now for someone in the UK to offer me 40k and I'll come running back.

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SnooHamsters5480@reddit

Left the UK in 2013 to move to South East Asia, moved back to Kent in 2020 and then left again in 2025 to move to the Middle East.

Honestly, I now could not imagine ever living in the UK again. Everything and everyone in the UK seem to want to drag you down. Life especially in the Middle East is much smoother, pay is far better, better safety, better weather etc.

Apart from family, there is not one thing I miss about the uk.

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Tesco_Meal_Deals@reddit

Moved to Texas years ago and life’s been pretty kind to me here. Got myself a nice detached place in a peaceful neighborhood.

Back in Northampton I was paying hag my rent to live in a tiny 1 bed flat in an area you wouldn’t want to be out after dark.

I won’t return but I do miss my friends and fam.

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IdiotBearPinkEdition@reddit

It was an Erasmus year abroad, but I'll count it. As a treat.

I lived in Siena, Italy for a year. It was awful. It would have been great if I were confident and not terrified of all things. Siena is a great place and I loved it, but as someone who'd picked up Italian from scratch two years hence and was therefore not immediately fluent and also incredibly anxious, it made communication difficult and often left me with frustrated and unimpressed Italians who'd talk about me in front of me. It was TERRIBLE for my anxiety. I fell into a bad way, barely went outside, sometimes starving in my room too afraid to go into the kitchen to make food in case I ran into my flatmates.

It was great when friends or family came to visit, though. But I was literally counting down the days (in my 'coping' scrapbook) to when I could finally leave and go back to the UK.

Wish I lived in Spain though. Had better experiences there. They loved it when I spoke Spanish non-fluently.

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Adventurous-Read-765@reddit

I moved to Oman for 9 months ended up staying for 3 years, then 3 years in UAE. I was always very homesick for Glasgow - I missed the people and the culture. Came home and missed the sunshine and tax free salary. I'm never happy...

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Unfair-Owl-5204@reddit

moved away for 20 years. it had its up and downs. came back to the uk.

wow its easy to make and keep hold of money.

everything is so cheap

things just work

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Tythan@reddit

Whereabouts? I've been toying with the idea.

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Unfair-Owl-5204@reddit

I moved to Sotogrande. nice and all. but full of self important assholes and very expensive

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Tythan@reddit

More expensive than Cambridge here?

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ah5178@reddit

I went to Netherlands from the UK, 21 years ago to this day, on a 'let's see how this works out', and here I still am.

I took the option to integrate rather than hide in an expat bubble, and there have been mixed blessings. The benefits are that country is more organised, more liveable, and there is more access to a higher quality of living on a lower income. The downside is that I will really never be fully proficient in the language, and I am at a distance from the friends I grew up with. Making friends is really difficult, also for the Dutch - there is the joke that applications for friendships with the Dutch close at the age of 12, and whilst the internationals can be more open, they tend not to stick around in the country for more than a few years.

I go to the UK once or twice a year, and no way would I move back.

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LordPurloin@reddit

Similar boat - though haven’t been here that long. Don’t give yourself a hard time on the language either. I work with someone who’s near enough fluent in the language and he’s been here less time than me. No idea how he pulled it off to be honest.

Having Dutch friends definitely helps, I’ve also tried to distance myself from the “expat” bubble too, for similar reasons as you (mostly as they don’t stick around)

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BeneficialRole9655@reddit

Why would you not move back? What does the UK not have?

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ah5178@reddit

Terrible poverty and social inequality, high cost of living, ragebait culture, little investment in public services, and little likely to ever change because people keep voting for politicians that are only interested in abusing their position to make themselves and their friends richer.

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carolomnipresence@reddit

Yep, that's us.

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LordPurloin@reddit

I moved to the Netherlands. I love it. I don’t see myself ever moving back to the UK to be honest.

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In_Praise_of_Shadow@reddit

I moved from east Asia to uk, find most of the things is uk much cheaper and life is more chill in uk.

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dom_eden@reddit

Moved to UAE nearly 2 years ago. Love it here - better weather (I love the dry heat), great travel opportunities - I've just got back from a weekend diving off the coast of Oman. Trips to Asia are a lot easier, Sri Lanka and Maldives are 4 hours away.

I'm much fitter as I'm running outside a lot more these days, and then the fitness scene is exceptional. Hiking in the mountains is an experience. Been back to the UK twice for a week to see family but can't see myself moving back. Every time I come back it just seems dirty and run down.

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Desperate-Drawer-572@reddit (OP)

How are things at the moment with everything thats going on?

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TheSquireOfTheShire@reddit

I moved to the Netherlands about 8 years ago. I didn’t really have a plan, but my partner’s mother had a terminal illness and it seemed like the right thing to do. Deep down, I was desperately unhappy in the UK, with myself more than anything with a real deep down feeling of hopelessness (work, homeownership etc) Within 3 months of moving I discovered a completely new career. Within 18 months managed to buy a house - right now I’m a director in an international company and have increased my income compared to the uk by a factor 5 (sometimes 6 on a good year) Do I feel at home? Nope. Not really. I don’t take it personally, but Dutch social circles are impenetrable. Am I happy? I’ve overcome a lifetime of challenges over the last 4 years that have cemented my faith in myself. Regardless of where I am and who I’m with, I know I can survive and thrive just with myself.

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Funky_monkey2026@reddit

2 week holiday to Cyprus. Ended up building a gym on a patch of land, stayed there for 7 years. Back in UK now. Customer ls asking if they can pay at the start of the month as that's when they get paid. On the 3rd of the month.

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10642alh@reddit

Spain. We absolutely love it here. Both WFH, lovely weather, food amazing, people are lovely and friendly, always lots going on! We don't plan on returning to the UK any time soon.

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barriedalenick@reddit

I moved to Portugal a few years back. It's pretty great really but not without issues and I expected that to be honest. I have a decent house with a guest cottage and 5 acres of land, cats and a dog, chickens and I grow a lot of my own food. I haven't even been back to the UK for a visit. I have nothing against the UK - I had wanted to do this for a long time and with my Dad passing I had the opportunity to do so.

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Low_Stress_9180@reddit

Lived in 6 countries, and apart from I save more than I would earn in UK, little things like my mum waiting 3 weeks to see a gp while I can pop on lunchtime for an appointment on same day, matter.

And hardly any crime and no feral wild mad teenage gangs roaming the streets.

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Tythan@reddit

You didn't say where is this paradise.

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thatcambridgebird@reddit

Moved to France during covid, had a wee adventure, moving back in summer!

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_halfmoonangel@reddit

Similar here, moved to Spain at the end of 2019, now preparing the move back to the UK.

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letsbeavenu@reddit

Oui adventure?

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firthy@reddit

May we?

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6lackPrincess@reddit

I think you mean petit or??? Idk it would make more sense to say that if you went to Scotland, or if you're Scottish I get it but it takes some work lol

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TheRealVinosity@reddit

I moved to Bolivia.

It's been a wild ride; but it has been amazing.

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StreetSurveyor@reddit

Cool! What's your story?

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TheRealVinosity@reddit

I make wine, and came out here for a job.

Bolivia is one of those places that gets under your skin.

It's pretty screwed up, but there's so much potential.

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Tythan@reddit

That's the right attitude!

I wish I had this knowledge back when I moved to England

From Italy

And thought that I would be rich for my holidays in Italy because £1 was >€1,5. This was late 2015.

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Sufficient-Till-6022@reddit

Sucre is beautiful

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TheRealVinosity@reddit

So stunning!

And, it has dinosaur footprints...

https://www.reddit.com/r/fossils/s/NFH2Pad09k

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Sufficient-Till-6022@reddit

Been there!

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TheRealVinosity@reddit

I would have been disappointed if you hadn't.

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thehoneybadger1223@reddit

Ngl I would love whole-heartedly to hear more about this. When people talking about immigrating to another place, Bolivia isn't a place often mentioned.

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lornamabob@reddit

Denmark, but not Copenhagen. Everyone still speaks English but it has to be prompted rather than assumed like it is in the capital. Its hard moving away with a little one as all my mum friends are back in the UK but I'm sure I'll make some here too. Danish is hard to learn too but I just need to get better at using it day to day.

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bisikletci@reddit

I moved to Brussels, from London.

There are a lot of things I prefer about Brussels, but I nonetheless wish I hadn't left London, for one reason: crossing roads. I walked loads in London and crossing roads just wasn't an issue. Here I have just constant bad experiences, due to aggressive driving, lack of traffic law enforcement, and badly designed junctions and crossings. Above all, drivers in London mostly give you a lot of space crossing the road and come to a full stop at pedestrian crossings, plus you don't have drivers crossing your path when you have a green man. Here you constantly have cars moving at you when you're crossing, even on a green man, and even if they've slowed down a bit to 'allow' you to cross. It makes just walking around horrible and endlessly stressful.

Overlapping with that, outside the downtown tourist area, it is almost impossible to get away from cars, and indeed heavy car traffic. In London I would chain parks together, use canal paths, walk on filtered streets and so on. Here pretty much all public space outside the tourist zone is completely dominated by cars and through traffic. It's fucking rubbish.

On a more minor note I also miss pubs (and pub gardens), and decent Indian food.

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GrabbedByTheGhost@reddit

Moved to Denmark for a year.

Glorious. Absolutely glorious.

When I moved back I was genuinely depressed for a year.

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mmoonbelly@reddit

Left in 2016 for the Netherlands. Was easy. Dutch ways of living are straightforward (Dutch attitudes to speaking Dutch with English native speakers aside, they get bored waiting so switch to English because it’s easier on their ears) good six years, then moved to SW France.

Easy living, sunshine, good wine and friendly people (small town)

Still annoyed with my cousins back in Grimsby for forcing me to get visas. At some point I’ll become French.

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Pukit@reddit

I lived in Sydney for nearly four years. Got bored of it, missed seasons, missed countryside walks and pub lunches. Sure it was great. Often sailed on the harbour, swam in the sea, did love the long evenings. But just had had enough so came back to the uk.

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smallshinyant@reddit

Moved to the US about 11 years ago. Love my life and my local area. Country is weird and amazing. We got on the housing ladder here when we couldn’t in the UK, but I think a lot about it was lucky timing. We landed right at the end of Obamas second term and it felt like there was a lot of opportunity and growth.

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yourefunny@reddit

Moved to Hong Kong. Loved it. Fantastic city with loads of amazing food, culture and sights. Really easy to get out in to nature, especially beaches, while being a huge cosmopolitan city. Great cheap flights all over Asia. Moved back mid pandemic due to work mainly as well as China becoming far more controlling and it feeling a bit dicey! Not the same city I fell in love with, bit less magical now. Still great though. Would of happily stayed if we could. Enjoying being back in the UK and living a slower life in the countryside though.

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Groovy66@reddit

Turn right at Ireland. You can’t miss it.

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moofacemoo@reddit

Lived in vancouver, Canada for 5 years. First few months weren't so easy but got into it. Had to knave as I would never be able to buy half decent property there. Also prefer the UK work culture generally.

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richStoke@reddit

Isle of Man. We have a Wimpy and it’s legal to marry your cousin

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yearsofpractice@reddit

Hey OP. 50 year old married father of two here. My wife and I moved to Spain for work in Gibraltar in 2013 just after we’d got married. We had an open-ended intention regards how long we’d stay, but came back to the UK to have our first baby after just a year.

Spain itself is a great place, but when you’re working in a country it becomes very normal very quickly. Can’t fault the weather though!

I’d recommend it to anyone to spend an extended period away from their own country - if anything it gives a clear view of how similar people and their lives are across the world… it also gives a fresh view of Britain in terms of positive aspects too!

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Honey-Badger@reddit

Montreal about 4 years ago.

Yeah it's good, similar enough to feel a bit European (not American) but also different enough to feel foreign and interesting.

Affordable (compared to the UK), decent access to nature and it's a vibrant city

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msma46@reddit

I moved to the US for a three-year stint with work, met my wife and never looked back. I regret that my parents didn’t get to see much of their grandchildren, and miss a decent pint in a pub, and a walk in the countryside, and cathedrals. But apart from that it’s fine here in New England.

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hunnbee@reddit

I moved to Spain for a year, 9 years ago. I wouldn't move back unless I was offered a job that paid very, very well, or unless I had to for family.

I moved alone when I was early 20s, and ended up meeting my partner, making friends and just making a life in general here. I find it quite difficult to go back to the UK in some aspects, like the prices, the fact that doing anything outside your house costs money and also usually involves rain or bad weather and how much everyone complains haha. But there are some things I do like about it too, but usually for shorter amounts of time.

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rainbow84uk@reddit

Very similar story here, minus the partner. I enjoy visiting family in the UK, but find the current state of the country pretty depressing. Spain has plenty of issues, as anywhere does, but I've lived here for a long time and overall find the quality of life great here.

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FabulousEnglishman@reddit

I lived in South Korea from 2022-2025. Throughly loved my time there but I ended up moving back to the UK for better career opportunities in my field.

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alfiesred47@reddit

I moved to America, found it quite easy - turned left at Greenland

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Objective_Mousse7216@reddit

So go to USA turn left and you reach the USA? /s

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Tacklestiffener@reddit

I'm retired and have been back and forth to rural Spain (inland) for years. We had a house here but six years ago we decided to move lock stock, mainly forced by the B word.

Honestly, it's not without issues. Spanish bureaucracy is like a dystopian nightmare but... healthcare is better, internet is faster, eating out is cheaper, booze is cheaper, the gym is cheaper, utilities are cheaper, petrol is cheaper.

Downsides: furniture and cars are stupidly expensive. It takes some getting used to that you can't pop out to the shops on Sunday.

I suppose I should mention the weather... Christmas dinner outside on the terrace 5 years running and I've sort of acclimatised to 40C for a couple of months in the summer. I'd rather avoid the heat for two months than the cold and damp for 5 months.

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Responsible-Total909@reddit

Not originally from the UK but lived there for years, I moved to Spain and will hopefully stay here for good

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budapest_budapest@reddit

I’ve lived in Italy, France and Australia. I enjoyed my time in each but don’t regret moving back to the UK. I didn’t find the daily quality of life was overall better in any of them, each had different pros and cons.

I was trying to live like a local rather than expat bubbles though, which perhaps made the cons more dramatic. I was highly competent in the languages, but not perfect so the workplace was a challenge and so was working out how to do simple life admin tasks. Most people I know who have decided to live abroad permanently either largely living in English speaking environments or have a native partner to support them.

Australia came the closest to being somewhere I’d stay forever, but the distance from the UK was too much for me in the end.

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The_39th_Step@reddit

I have lived in France and Malaysia. I liked both but ultimately I’m happy back in the UK. The real difference was moving from the Home Counties to Manchester. I like it up here the most of any of these places.

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gandhi_theft@reddit

Singapore. Good tax savings

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pokaprophet@reddit

After moved away from the UK I didn’t need a map to find it. I just booked an aeroplane that had the destination of UK. That is how I found it.

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aleximoso@reddit

I've moved a few times but I'm now settled in Bangkok. I expect I'll be here for at least another year or so yet. Day to day life is very good here, but I miss the distinct change of seasons and cold weather winter brings in the UK more than anything (YMMV though as I'm very much a cold weather person). It is hard at times being so far away from family as well, particularly with aging parents. Besides that though, I really can't think of anything that I feel like I'm missing out on from living in London to be honest.

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