Perfect Places to Retire Abroad

As retirement age approaches and the cost of living seems to keep escalating in the United States, I have been thinking that I might want to think of retiring and living abroad. Somewhere warm and sunny year round would be nice, possibly some place with a beach nearby, maybe a yard lined with palm trees would be nice. Sure, there could be language barriers, long distances to see the kids, or even culture shock for awhile, but it could also be an adventure. After looking into this some and doing a little research, I have found a few places that I might be interested in and some that I am sure others might consider retiring to as well.

First, I have always dreamed of traveling to Italy so why not consider it as one of my retirement options. The art, food, and culture are enough to make anyone think that this could be the home for rest and relaxation. Venice, Rome, Florence, and Tuscany might be a little overpriced for retirement, but how about Le Marche (pronounced Lay Markay). Le Marche is an area that borders the Adriatic and offers beaches as well as snow-capped mountains. There are vine-yard lined areas to enjoy as well.

Le Marche is known for having some of the most natural beauty in all of central Italy and is a trendy area where stars have visited for several years now. The climate is mostly sunny and warm with summers tending to be dry and winters tending to be cool with some rain. If you are looking for snow, you can always make your way to the mountains.

Le Marche is not particularly art filled, but there is Renaissance architecture in and around the walled city of Urbino which is considered some of the best in Italy. There may not be famous art museums or art treasures as found in other parts of Italy, but art is not lost here.

The cost of living is reasonable here. An annual of income of $20,000 is feasible but if you intend to have many housing costs, you might want to have a little higher income. I am sure that $30,000 annually would be quite sufficient to live a comfortable lifestyle in a beautiful area of one of the most well-known countries in the world.

My second choice would be the French scene, but no one could possibly live cheap in Paris, but the Languedoc- Roussillion region in the southwestern part of the country seems to be rich in history and style while much more affordable to live in.

Cities like Nimes, Montpellier, and Perpignan are all full of plenty to see and do while offering life at an affordable price. Personally for me, I believe that I would choose to live in Montpellier as it seems to be the area that is richest in history and offers plenty to do for anyone visiting there.

Montpellier offers medieval towns and castles, ancient vineyards, and French history in the museums, festivals, and concerts that people can see and take part in. The picturesque hills and Mediterranean shoreline offers plenty of beauty and scenery for those who love the outdoors.

One of the most interesting reasons I would choose this area is the healthcare and beauty. Offering some of the best health care in the world and even recognized by the World Health organization, it is much cheaper and more humane than most places in the world.

The climate brings almost perfect weather as the summers are hot and dry and the winters are cool. Although this is not one of the cheapest places to live, it is surely one of the better places to retire outside of the United States if for no other reason than having access to affordable and high quality healthcare.

Whether choosing an area for beauty, art, climate, or costs, living abroad during the golden years is possible and could be much more financially manageable than you would expect. Find the area that you have always wanted to visit and research what is available for retiring and the elderly.