Like so many of us from the Baby Boomer generation, international travel has become a top priority of mine. In fact, I may even want to eventually live or retire overseas part-time. So the question is … how do you live or retire overseas, part-time or full, if you’re not yet retired or if you don’t even plan to retire?
Why Live or Retire Overseas Part-Time
Luckily, we don’t have to actually retire in order to increase our travel adventures or to enjoy part-time living overseas. There are at least six fun and easy travel styles that yield longer trips abroad while helping you stay within budget. And, since the travel is only part-time, not full-time, you can accommodate family priorities (like grandchildren) and fulfill any work responsibilities.
For example, a solution that currently works for my retirement planning, is to scout potential part-time retire overseas destinations and see if they satisfy my personal travel preferences. That way, I can kick the tires and see how well they work for me before committing to any long-term arrangement. I also adopt the live like a local abroad approach which encourages me to stay longer, spend less, and experience more.
My personal best choice for part-timing is Europe. So far, I’ve been pleasantly surprised that I can stay within budget in top European destinations. Even Europe becomes affordable when living like a local ($2,300-$2,800/month including lodging, electricity, WiFi, groceries, and restaurants).
Over the past five years, I’ve explored Nice on the Riviera, Florence in Tuscany, Barcelona on Spain’s Mediterranean coast, and Lagos in Portugal’s Algarve. I enjoyed part-time living for three months in each of them, except for one – the Algarve where (unfortunately) I could only stay for 2 weeks.
Before going on any retire overseas discovery tours, it’s always a good idea to first self-profile your travel preferences and match them with candidate destinations. For example, two of my ‘must-haves’ is the ability to walk downtown from my apartment or hotel and that there’s either an ocean, lake or river nearby.
6 Fun Ways to Live or Retire Overseas Part-Time
Out of all the different ways to live or retire part-time overseas, I’ve picked the following six because they motivate and encourage many of us to take the leap and live abroad part-time. The reward is that you are given the opportunity to live two very different lifestyles concurrently. By exchanging a hometown lifestyle temporarily for a foreign lifestyle, you can enjoy invigorating experiences in new intriguing places.
Test Drive & Kick the Tires – Not ready to commit to full-time retirement, this travel lifestyle best fits the type of travel I’ve adopted over the past five years. I test-drive potential destinations, dipping my toe in a sea of incredible choices.
Explore from Home Base – Choosing one home base with good transportation such as Florence, and taking day trips outside the city, is a very popular travel option for exploring regions like Tuscany. It’s a great way to experience both the anchor city and its gorgeous surroundings, all in one trip.
Work & Play- I often part-time work abroad so my trip planning ensures that I stay long enough to allow a healthy and stimulating balance between work and play. Also, any potential destination must have a healthy serving of things to see and do in the city and beyond. If working abroad, a short-term apartment is usually a better choice than a hotel since they’re more affordable and suitable for working part-time.
Snow Bird Anywhere – My stateside home is Ft. Lauderdale so I’m very familiar with the snow bird concept! Ironically, I’ve met some ‘reverse’ snow birds whose goal is to swap their normal climate for a while, even if it’s a sunny one. For example, they choose a coastal stay because they don’t live near water or they choose a small mountain village to escape their hectic city life. Obviously, climate is a major travel lifestyle consideration for many, but not for all.
Budget Affordably – When affordability is a top priority, staying within budget is key. Many travelers adopt the live like a local abroad lifestyle, and significantly lower their daily expenses by staying weeks or months, renting a short-term apartment, and shopping on the local economy for groceries. In fact, sometimes living overseas gifts a better lifestyle at a lower cost than back home.
Immerse in a Different Culture – For those travelers seeking a change of pace, wanting to shake things up a bit, part-time living overseas is perfect for them. For example, if someone is from a big metropolitan city like Cleveland, living a while in France’s Provence or along Spain’s Costa del Sol would certainly rock their world! Or, if from a small New England town, living in historic Rome for a while would definitely be a dramatic change of lifestyle.
For the moment, I plan to continue kicking those tires and test-driving potential spots. Frankly though, I suspect that test-driving through the rest of Europe and beyond, will end up being my permanent part-time retirement lifestyle. I figure, if not now, when?
Related Articles:
Where to Live or Retire on the Riviera
How to Live Like a Local in Europe
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