Hi sgtshep,
To retire abroad, you will need a spirit of adventure, and a
willingness to accept that life is different outside the US. You may
not have perfect telephone service, finding an English newspaper may
be difficult, and you may not have a choice of 31 flavors of ice
cream. If you can handle that, then retirement overseas may be for
you. Hving internet access today will help trmendously in coping with
a new country. (I felt I could cope well outside the US, but sorely
missed an American newspaper, water and power outages were not
pleasant, and I craved peanut butter while in Venezuela). Be sure
your vaccinations are up to date, and remember that electrical
appliances such as radios, hair dryers, etc. will need an adapter in
most countries.
According to this InfoPlease site, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Spain,
Italy, France and New Zealand are included in the Top 25 Most Livable
Countries in the world!
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0778562.html
Retiring Abroad says ?Not all countries are easy to retire to ? Canada
and Australia, for example, are extremely difficult unless you have
family there? This site says that the following countries are the
easiest for retirees: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany,
Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Netherlands, Spain,
Sweden , the UK, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The site also
recommends learning the language, making a will before leaving home,
get a driving permit, and have internet access to keep in touch!
http://www.phaexpat.com/retiring-abroad.html
Professor Russell King, of The University of Sussex says ?Spain and
Italy are at opposite ends of the scale," he explains. "Those who move
to Spain tend to know the country through past holidays. They are less
interested in learning the language and integrating into Spanish
society."
Professor King believes people often choose Italy because of a love of
the country and its culture. "They may have had business links with a
particular area, they usually speak Italian and are interested in the
arts and music. They are described as having a higher level of
intellectual as opposed to financial capital. Portugal is a hybrid
between the two countries."
http://money.guardian.co.uk/pensions/story/0,6453,914401,00.html
I have made a list of 6 countries, instead of the requested 5, because
there was less information to be found on Australia, Ireland, and the
Czech Republic. I left out Chile, because I see this was covered in a
previous question. I left out Canada because it is not known for it?s
warm climate. I left out Costa Rica and Mexico only because it is
easier to travel in Europe than in Latin America, and crime is known
to be very high in Mexico.
======================================
1) Spain
======================================
I begin with Spain, for it is the country deemed least expensive, with
a nice climate, and because it?s the country I personally would
choose. On my last trip to Spain, my husband said ?Let?s call the
states, have the house sold, and just stay here.? If I didn?t have so
many family ties here in the US, I would have taken him up on the
offer, instantly! We met many happy retirees in Spain, and I?d have
loved to have joined them! As a Navy brat, I lived in Spain, before
Rota was completed. I accompanied my parents all over Europe, and felt
so at home, I didn?t want to return to the states, 3 years later. As
an adult, I?ve returned to Spain, three times, courtesy of MAC
flights, and truly would love to stay there.
Good locations for living in Spain would be outside of Sevilla, or
anywhere in Andalucia. Sevilla itself is marvelous, but if you want a
more rural location, go south of Sevilla. This will locate you close
to the Rota NAS. There is a high-speed express highway from Sevilla to
Cadiz, close to Rota.
Living in Andalucia
http://www.andalucia.com/living/home.htm
Cutting costs
http://www.andalucia.com/living/propertysavings.htm
Chipiona is a charming town, near Rota, on the beach.
http://www.world66.com/europe/spain/andalucia/chipiona
http://www.chipiona.net/vr4/modules.php?set_albumName=album81&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php
http://www.chipiona.net/vr4/modules.php?set_albumName=album03&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php
http://experts.about.com/q/156/859090.htm
Ronda may be a good place to settle down, and it?s not far from Rota.
Ronda is town divided by a huge chasm from an ancient earthquake.
Whitewashed 2 and 3 story houses line the crevice. Placido Domingo
owns a home here. A shopkeeper in this town once begged me to take her
10 year old daughter back to the states! She even sent the girl to
pack a suitcase while we were browsing though her shawls and
castanets! It was very difficult to make her understand I could not
take her with us!
See photos of Ronda here:
http://www.quovadimus.org/spain99/ronda/
Realtors in Ronda
http://www.themovechannel.com/SiteFinder/spain.asp?cat=INT&typ=SAL&loc=SPA&rgn=Southern%20Spain
From Spain, you have easy access to all of Europe, by rail, car, and
MAC Space-A flights. I found the people to be extraordinarily warm and
friendly, particularly in Southern Spain. (I am fluent in Spanish, and
this certainly helped.) You have several bases close by for support
and services. In case you ever feel isolated from other Americans (I
did, on rare occasions, especially in Germany. I loved Germany, but I
didn?t speak the language.) you can easily find other Americans in
Spain.
Spain has delicious seafood, flamenco music and dancing, beaches,
mountains, history, wine, horses, olive trees, and the famous ferias
(Each town has it?s ?feria?, a fair, in honor of the town?s patron
saint.) The literacy rate is 97% !
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107987.html
Teaching Abroad:
Daily Living in Spain
http://www.teachingabroad.net/artman/publish/article_152.shtml
Read an essay by Tom Strong, and another by Ted Stressen, on living in
Spain. (Scroll down to ?Cultural Differences? In the first one, Spain
is compared to Eisenhower era USA. (I tend to agree with his
generalizations, and could not have said it better)
http://spainexpat.com/expat-links.htm
A Cost of Living page on the above site describes some expenses. (This
site was last updated Feb. 2004). I believe the currency, as indicated
by small squares, should be Euros, and sadly not pesetas. One US
dollar currently equals 1.14 Euros.
http://spainexpat.com/moving-to-spain.htm#Moving
?Spain, for example, enjoys the cheapest cost of living in Europe
according to figures from Eurostat, the European Commission's
statistics office.?
The Guardian, March, 2003
http://money.guardian.co.uk/pensions/story/0,6453,914401,00.html
This retiree newsletter is informative, and has an e-mail address of
Col. Carlos Soto, Rota, Spain,on page 3. He may be willing to address
any concerns you have over selecting Spain as your retirement country!
http://usmra-se.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/nov-dec2003newsletter.pdf
Banking in Spain:
Checks are not often used. You may consider having your retirement pay
directly deposited in a US bank, and using an ATM to withdraw funds.
We did this safely and successfully while in Europe.
http://spainexpat.com/taxes-spain.htm
According to this site, you are actually *required* to have your funds
deposited in a US bank.
http://www.dfas.mil/money/retired/q-a.htm
Strong Abogados has a great article on buying property in Spain:
http://www.strongabogados.com/property.htm#BuyProperty
This page of Spain Expat has links to Spanish Realtors
http://spainexpat.com/real-estate-spain.htm#RealEstate
The site above, Spain Expat has loads of information for living inSpain.
http://spainexpat.com/index.html
Crime: This NationMaster site compares crime statistics. Surprisingly,
Spain is at the top for robberies L , above even the US. Costa Rica,
Italy, Canada, and France are significantly lower.
http://www.nationmaster.com/country/sp/Crime
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/cri_rob
Your chances of being assaulted however, are far greater in the US!
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/cri_ass
Your chances of being murdered in Spain, are practically nil!
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/cri_mur
As far as anti-American sentiments, truly, the only anti-American
behavior was, in my opinion, warranted. I saw plenty of US Americans
being disrespectful, arrogant and treating the locals as their private
servants, throughout Europe, and it was they who experienced
resentment and unfriendliness. I never experienced anything but
friendliness, and a desire to know more about America. (I?m fairly
loquacious and talk to everyone!).
More information on life in Spain, covering sports and leisure,
utilities, weather, etc.
Practical Spain
http://www.practicalspain.com/General.htm#H
Teaching in Spain, Part 1
http://www.teachingabroad.net/artman/publish/article_149.shtml
Teaching in Spain, Part 2
http://www.teachingabroad.net/artman/publish/article_150.shtml
Working in Spain
http://www.idealspain.com/Pages/Information/WorkingInSpain.htm
IdealSpain has links to all things Spain
http://www.idealspain.com/
485 sights to see in Spain
Planetware
http://www.planetware.com/photos/PHE.HTM
======================================
2) Italy
======================================
According to this site, (Last updated Jan. 2002) living in Italy can
be fairly inexpensive. Vegetables and fruits are cheap, and better
tasting than in the US, while fish, and meats are comparable to US
prices. Utilities other than water are higher than the US, public
transportation is a bargain, but renting a car is costly. ?Finally, a
budget of about $2,000-2500 per month per couple is realistic (we are
coming in around $1800 as I write). This is at the current exchange
rate of L1800 per dollar. You must keep your housing costs down and
walk past the expensive shops. The $2,000 includes basic health
insurance coverage, renting not buying an apartment or house, using
public transportation, not a car, and only one fantastic cappucino per
person per day; what a pity. With so much to see and do for free,
especially in the big cities, your $2000 goes a long way without you
having to feel deprived. We do not think that the introduction of the
Euro will change this very much, but that will depend on the exchange
rates. ?
http://www.escapeartist.com/efam5/Living_In_Italy.html
EscapeArtist has articles on real estate and living in Italy:
http://www.escapeartist.com/italy/italy.html
Documents you may need to move to Italy
http://www.informer.it/index.asp?Page=moving
and
http://www.informer.it/index.asp?Page=immigration
To read about Italian Red Tape, you?ll need to sign up for a free subscription
http://www.informer.it/indexmag.asp
It would be very difficult to select one good place in Italy. Sicily,
speaking from experience, is a nice place to visit, but I wouldn?t
want to live there! Catania AFB puts on great air shows though!
Tuscany seems to have a lot that is appealing:
Living in Florence seems to offer plenty of art, food, coffee shops
and museums! The writer of this site recommends an American real
estate firm, in Italy, Milligan and Milligan, because, and I quote:
?Nobody can rip you off with more charm than the Italians? Life in
Florence is slow paced, meaning you?ll have to adjust your lifestyle.
No big malls, and frequent shortages of certain foods in stores. The
trade off is a leisurely lifestyle, with quality food, art and
excellent leather!
http://www.escapeartist.com/international/florence_living.html
Tuscany has numerous parks, reserves, and wetlands to explore,
gorgeous countryside, peppered with farmhouses, good food,
cathedrals,and fortresses to see. Tuscany offers boating, fishing,
golf, windsurfing, canoeing, and waterskiing.
http://www.initaly.com/regions/tuscany/parks/parks.htm
http://www.initaly.com/agri/livefarm.htm
http://www.initaly.com/regions/tuscany/lucca.htm
http://www.traditionaltuscany.co.uk/borgodivagli.htm
Seems that there is a fair or festival somewhere in Tuscany, almost each month
http://www.initaly.com/regions/tuscany/calendar.htm
Pictures of Tuscany
http://www.initaly.com/regions/tuscany/sims3.htm
Read other?s views on Italy, on this Virtual Italy forum:
http://www.virtualitalia.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=2
A UK Tuscany realtor
http://www.tuscanyrealestate.co.uk/
Other locations in Tuscany:
http://www.escapeartist.com/International_Living/Italy.html
Climate: ?The climate is mild generally, especially in the coastal
band. The shore has often beaten from Scirocco, a deriving damp warm
wind from Africa, that provokes frequent precipitations. The chains of
Appennini mend the Region from the twenty colds that blow from north
east.?
http://www.mediasoft.it/italy/toscana/toscana_en.htm#climate
Get a real time weather report, in the lower right hand corner of this site:
http://www.castellitoscani.com/map2.htm
This Teaching Abroad site has costs of living it cities in Italy. At
the bottom of the page, you can purchase cost comparisons.
http://www.teachingabroad.net/artman/publish/subscriber/article_156.shtml
US Retiree Association of Southern Italy
http://usmra-si.tripod.com/
NAS Sigonella web site:
http://www.sicily.navy.mil/home.htm?
Banking in Italy
http://www.italydaily.it/Italian_life/Living_Italy/living/money.shtml
An American ExAPt group, based inItaly
http://american.meetup.com/members/863
The US Military Retiree Association of Southern Italy publishes a fact
sheet, found here:
http://usmra-se.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/consinfoshtitaly.pdf
671 sights to see in Italy
http://www.planetware.com/free/cli.htm
Living in Italy
http://www.recruitaly.it/pagine/Home_Page/living/Living%20in%20Italy
The State Department encourages all US Americans living abroad to
register their address:
http://usmra-si.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/acsnotificationinstructions.pdf
======================================
3) Ireland
======================================
The literacy rate is 99% in Ireland, real estate is purported to be
very cheap, and you won?t have a great deal of trouble with the
language. However, goods and services are very expensive, and taxes
are very high. According to Retirement Havens? web site, 15,000 US
citizens are retired in Ireland. It seems you have to have Irish
approval to make Ireland your residence, by showing proof of
financial independence. ?A single person could live comfortably in
Ireland on an American pension of $10,000 a year; a couple could live
on $12,000 a year. (The average income in Ireland is Ir?20,000 to
Ir?22,000 per year.) ? (It is unknown how recent this information is)
http://www.familyhaven.com/retirement/moneym.html
http://www.retirementhavens.com/residencehavens/republicofireland.html
Recommended locations include Dublin (Dublin has the highest real
estate prices), Sligo, Counties Clare, Jerry and Galway. Western
Ireland has the cheapest real estate prices)
http://www.familyhaven.com/retirement/live.html
http://www.familyhaven.com/retirement/auldsod.html
This MSN groups site suggests asking yourself these questions, before
retiring in Ireland:
How often will you see family again?
* Will you miss too many of the great family
occasions?
* Will your grandchildren have children of their
own by the time you return or meet them again?
* How good are you at making friends? We Irish
have a reputation for being friendly, but
there's a big difference in being friendly and
making friends.
* Do you know anyone in Ireland - other than
relatives?
This site suggests ?test driving? a country for 6 months before
committing to a permanent move.
Many folks retire part-time to Ireland, for April through October. You
must register with the Aliens?s office. If you will be receiving US
Social Security, you may be entitled to the following reciprocal
services in Ireland:
Free electricity allowance (1500 units per year)
Free Television licence
Telephone Rental Allowance
Fuel Allowance
Free Travel (open to everyone resident in Ireland...see explanation below)
For these you must be residing permanently in
Ireland and fulfill the conditions. For further
information and to see if you would qualify write
to: International Operations Section, Department
of Social, Community & Family Affairs, Floor 1,
O'Connell Bridge House, D'Olier Street, Dublin 1,
Telephone: ++353 1 874 8444
Free travel: Everyone residing in Ireland is
entitled to Free Travel within the state if they
are over the age of 66.
http://groups.msn.com/Eire/retiringinireland.msnw
County Clare is on the western shore, with a rocky Atlantic facing
beach. People come to this part of Ireland to hike, take photographs,
and visit the underground caves, and for it?s history.
http://www.irelandmidwest.com/clare/features/theburren.htm
http://www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/Union/UBSS/cocc/cocc_index.htm
http://indigo.ie/~waterfnt/Aillweecaves.html
http://www.connorsgenealogy.com/clare/
Cliffs of Moher, County Clare
http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/5f548/ee/4/
Climate:
?Average summer temperatures in Ireland generally range between 57 and
68 degrees F (about 14 to 20 degrees C), while average winter
temperatures usually fall between 40 and 45 degrees F (about 7 to 14
degrees C). Rainfall averages about 40 inches (100 centimeters) per
year.?
Retirement Havens
http://www.retirementhavens.com/residencehavens/republicofireland.html
See County Clare real time weather here:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~irlcla2/#weather
See some pictures of County Clare here:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~irlcla2/#photos
The writer, Tom Richards gives an eye-opening report on living in
Ireland. Over 60,000 US Americans currently live in Ireland. Mr.
Richards says ?But move here and the odds are that you?ll never go
back. I say this because it?s something to think about before you
choose the path of immigration, and it?s an issue that I find is
rarely discussed. Immigrating is hard work. It can be an emotional
roller coaster out of which few emerge unscathed. But something
magical happens when a person moves here. Despite all of the
difficulties of immigrating to this country, Ireland seems to root
itself into the very fabric of your being. And once the roots have
become established it?s very difficult to shake yourself loose." Real
estate is fairly affordable, and taxes are still low.
http://www.escapeartist.com/e_Books/Ireland_Report/
Crime Statistics in Ireland
http://www.nationmaster.com/country/ei/Crime
You have a very slim chance of being murdered in Ireland!
http://www.nationmaster.com/red/graph-T/cri_mur&int=56
======================================
4) Australia
======================================
To retire in Australia, you?ll need to simply get a Retirement Visa,
good for 4 years. You apply for an extension after that. To qualify
you need to be 55, have no dependents, and be of good health and
character. Australia has has the highest skin cancer rate in the
world, and the beaches boast plany of ?nasties? - poisonous jellyfish
and snakes, crocodiles, and sharks. It is not advisable to swim on a
beach in Australia without an ?All Clear? sign.
http://www.immi.gov.au/faq/temporary/temporary02.htm#what
http://www.hoteltravel.com/australia/guides/tips.htm
Cost of living: Currently $1 USD = 1.31804 AUD
This AussieMove site has links to see costs of living (September
2003). According to this site, costs are similar the country over.
http://www.aussiemove.com/aus/costlive.asp
This GoMatilda site has a set of calculators to determine the cost of
living in different cities, and to convert USD to AUD. Even though the
site above states that costs are fairly consistent throughout the
country, this calculator shows what costs $500 a week in Sydney, would
only cost $325.25 in Canberra.
http://www.gomatilda.com/calculator/index.cfm
Moving to Canberra:
According to Escape Artist ?Australia remains one of the best
expatriate destinations on the planet. With it's low population
density, good quality of life and an unpolluted environment Australia
is as good as it gets. Escape Artist gives Australia the highest
rating. Despite some human rights violations regarding Aboriginal
people and a slight degree of racism, Australia has one of the best
records in the world regarding human rights. It has freedom of the
press and it remains an open society in which the will of it's people
is voiced and heard.?
Australia has 2.4 people per square mile, compared to the US, which
has 27.8 people per square mile. The country is unpolluted, and
pristine in many areas, and has a Western-style economy.
http://www.escapeartist.com/efam12/Evaluation_Of_Australia.html
http://www.bcl.com.au/canberra/movetocanberra/default.htm
Spring and fall, as in the US brings the best weather.
http://www.hoteltravel.com/australia/canberra/guides/tips.htm
Culture in Australia
http://www.escapeartist.com/australia/australia3.html
What to do in Canberra:
Here?s an Event Locator, to see what is happening in Canberra
http://www.canberratourism.com.au/default_2.htm
Map of Canberra
http://www.netspeed.com.au/cr/bicycle/canberra.htm
National Capital
http://www.nationalcapital.gov.au/
Banks in Australia
http://www.escapeartist.com/banks3/banks3.htm
Australian Newspapers
http://www.bcl.com.au/canberra/news.htm
Crime in Australia
You?ll have to look up each year and crime individually:
http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/facts/2002/index.html
?Given Australia's relaxed ways, it's easy to be seduced into
believing that crime is practically nonexistent. In fact, Australia
has its share of poverty, drugs, and crime. If you encounter anything
it will most likely be theft, and although crime rates are not high by
world standards, you need to exercise caution. In major tourist areas,
the risk increases. When you park your vehicle, hide any valuables.
Under no conditions should you hitchhike. Always be cautious with your
money and documents. Be particularly careful when withdrawing money
from an ATM, where a number of locals and travellers have been robbed.
If you need to withdraw funds, do so during daylight hours, in the
company of family or friends, or in a safe location.?
Hotel Travel
http://www.hoteltravel.com/australia/canberra/guides/tips.htm
US Defense Attache, Canberra, Australia
http://usembassy-australia.state.gov/dao/retirees-aust.html
======================================
5) France
======================================
LePoint Magazine, Jan. 2004 issue, rated the best places to live in
France. Cannes, and Montpelier came in top 2 for the most enjoyable
cities. Cholet and Aurillac came in the top 2 safest. Paris and Lyon
had the most to do. Have a look at this site, and find places that
match your criteria!
http://www.americansinfrance.net/MovingPlanner/Where_To_Live_2004.cfm
Living in France
It seems France offers affordable housing, low cost of living and an
pleasant climate. Apparently, the French don?t despise Americans as
some may think.?This anti-Bush Administration feeling is not carried
over to Americans in general. A distinction is made between the
American government and its people.?, according to the Americans in
France site. The same writer says ?Personally I find the French to be
very welcoming and helpful.?
Grocery shopping in France is similar to the US, but most stores are
closed on Sundays, and close in the evenings. To use a cart, you?ll
have to have some coins, which are returned, and you?ll usually bag
your own groceries.
See pictures of the cart process here:
http://www.americansinfrance.net/DailyLife/ShoppingCart.cfm
http://www.americansinfrance.net/Culture/Anti-Americanism.cfm
http://www.urlwire.com/news/103003.html
http://www.americansinfrance.net/DailyLife/GroceryShopping.cfm
This online journal of Ken Saxon, a semi-retired American, living in
France,states that the cost of living in Nice, has risen dramatically
the last few years. Nov. 2003
http://kensaxon.typepad.com/blog/2003/11/my_underwear_an.html
Americans in France site says ?But I have heard it is very
bureaucratic, the French want every paper to be just right and the
French tax system you will have to deal with, for me is
un-comprehendible.?
http://www.americansinfrance.net/QAndA/Retiring_and_moving_to_France.cfm
According to this Expatica site, large numbers of people are retiring
to rural France. France has 54 people per square kilometer, compared
to 100 in Germany.
http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=25&story_id=1713
http://www.phaexpat.com/living-in-france.html
Southern France sees 300 sunny days a year, while the northeast sees
cooler and cold rainy days.
http://www.americansinfrance.net/DailyLife/WeatherInFrance.cfm
Get current weather for any part of France, in real time. This site
also has a concert, festival, fair, and things to do calendar.
AngloFrance, for ExpPatriots
http://www.anglofrance.net/
According to this site, Americans in France, getting a French driver?s
license can be somewhat of an ordeal. If you are lucky enough to be
from one of 13 states listed on the site, then you can simply exchange
your US license for a French one. If you are from another, non
French-approved state, you will need ample funds and plenty of
patience.
http://www.americansinfrance.net/Driving/FrenchLicense.cfm
Monitor these Life in France forums
http://www.lifeinfrance.free.fr/xmb/viewthread.php?tid=492
and
http://www.francemag.com/frmag/content/bulletinBoard/default.asp?GroupID=12
Expatica France News
http://www.expatica.com/source/site_content_subchannel.asp?subchannel_id=25
732 sights to see in France
http://www.planetware.com/free/cli.htm
Here?s an interesting take on French TV
http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=59&story_id=874
Crime in France:
http://www.nationmaster.com/country/fr/Crime
Your chance of getting murdered in France is less than one tenth than in the US
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/cri_mur
This site warns women to watch their purses in restaurants, and to
avoid ATMs. Pickpocketing , purse snatching and car break ins are
pretty common.
http://www.expatexchange.com/ct.cfm?networkID=45&articleID=984
Consider subscribing to Living in France
http://www.livingfrance.com/magazine/seminar04.html
French Realtors:
http://www.french-property.com/
http://www.frenchconnections.co.uk/realestate/
http://www.real-estate-in-france.com/
======================================
6) Czech Republic
======================================
According to this site, living in Prague is expensive to Czechs, but
inexpensive to visiting Americans. Public transportation,the excellent
beer, and meals out are relatively cheap. Credit cards are rarely
used-cash is the preferred manner of paying.
http://www.skyhighway.com/~rose/xczech.htm
http://www.czechpoint101.com/czech-republic-living.htm
The Escape Artist site write found Prague to be the ?cheapest
beautiful city?, with plenty of inexpensive entertainment and bars. To
buy real estate, you must be a legal resident, or use the often used
loophole of forming your own company. If you plan on staying longer
than 6 months, you?ll need a visa. Post Offices and copy centers are
open 24 hours a day, but the phone system is rather outdated.
http://www.escapeartist.com/efam7/Prague_City.html
http://www.escapeartist.com/efam28/tips.html
A Czech realtor:
http://www.escapeartist.com/International_Real_Estate/Czech_Rep/Czech_Rep.html
This AskanOwner site has a short blurb from someone who had a
favorable experience while living in the Czech Republic.
Crime:
You have a very slim chance of being murdered in the Czech Republic
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/cri_mur
Crimes overall
http://www.nationmaster.com/country/ez/Crime
34 sights to see in the Czech Republic
http://www.planetware.com/photos/PHCZ.HTM
Photos from a personal web site, of the Czech Republic
http://www.skyhighway.com/~rose/xczechP.htm
Prague?s Official Website
http://pis.eunet.cz/a/index.html
======================================
Retired Military Benefits:
I found some additional information for you in the 2003 Retired
Military Almanac, given to us recently by the DAV. You might consider
picking one up at your local chapter. It?s a compact little book, of
255 pages, brimming with good information on all aspects of retiring.
Medical:
TriCare for Life may cover medical expenses overseas, and often you
can be seen in a military installation hospital after one year in the
retirement country. (TriCare Prime is not accepted overseas for
retirees)
When searching the TriCare site for coverage overseas, this is what was returned:
Can I use the TRICARE For Life (TFL) benefit if I reside overseas?
Yes. Eligible beneficiaries and their eligible family members, who are
receiving health care overseas can take advantage of TRICARE For Life
(TFL). By statute, to be eligible for TFL, Medicare-eligible
beneficiaries must be enrolled in Medicare Part B. The Part B
requirement applies regardless of whether you live in the United
States or abroad. Because Medicare typically does not provide benefits
for medical care received overseas, TRICARE becomes the primary source
of health benefits. TFL will provide the same level of coverage
afforded retirees under the age of 65, and you will be responsible for
the same cost shares and deductibles as under-65 retirees. Where
Medicare does not pay for services, TRICARE Standard rules will apply.
TRICARE will pay 75 percent, and you will pay 25 percent of the
TRICARE Standard covered charge.?
http://www.tricare.osd.mil/faqs/question.aspx?ID=510&page=0&search=overseas%20coverage&click=ibGo.X
?How do I get a Certificate of Creditable Coverage if I live overseas?
If you make sure your mailing address is correct in DEERS when you
lose eligibility, the certificate will be mailed to your overseas
address. It is also important that your dependents are correctly
listed in DEERS since their names will also show?
http://www.tricare.osd.mil/faqs/question.aspx?ID=394&page=0&search=overseas%20coverage&click=ibGo.X
?Overseas,TRICARE will pay for covered services,and you pay
an annual deductible and cost share. Medicare does not pay for services
rendered overseas,but does pay for stateside services.
TFL Eligibility
TRICARE For Life is provided to the following beneficiaries:
Medicare-eligible uniformed service retirees, including retired guard
and reservists.
Medicare-eligible family members, including widows/widowers.
Certain former spouses if they were eligible for TRICARE before age 65.
TFL is Free. There are no enrollment fees for TRICARE For
Life.You are required to enroll in Medicare Part B and must pay
Medicare Part B monthly fees.?TEO FS-12 Fact Sheet
http://webserver.europe.tricare.osd.mil/main/PAO/Factsheets/FS12-TFL.pdf
TriCare?s home page:
http://www.tricare.osd.mil/
TriCare Europe:
http://webserver.europe.tricare.osd.mil/
TriCare Europe Retiree Information
http://webserver.europe.tricare.osd.mil/benefit/retiree.asp
Express-Scripts, the mail order pharmacy, used by TriCare:
http://www.express-scripts.com/
US Military medical facilities all over Europe put on health fairs,
where retirees can obtain health screenings, consisting of blood
pressure check, cholesterol check, nutrition information, and cancer
screenings.
http://webserver.europe.tricare.osd.mil/main/PAO/Factsheets/FS11-Retirees.pdf
Pictures of one such fair, at Rota, Spain.
http://usmra-se.tripod.com/ramic/id15.html
Delta Dental for Military Retirees. I found no information about
Europena or Latin American dental coverage, but it does cover dental
care in Canada.
http://www.ddpdelta.org/retiree/index.html
Commissary and BX/PX:
Use of these facilities depends in which country you would be living.
The Status of Forces agreements vary from country to country, as do
the base commander?s decisions.
Sometimes permission to retirees is granted, and sometimes one must
wait a year or so for permission.
Space A
Rota, Spain is a main Space A gateway:
Page 41 of this directory:
http://www.eucom.mil/Community/Retirees/Military%20Retiree%20-%2012%20March%202002.pdf
Since 9/11. MAC Space-A flight schedules are no longer online. You?ll
have to call or visit the base closest to you. Here is the site, open
to the public. If you have a military password, you can enter the
other site, listed on the page.
http://public.amc.af.mil/SPACEA/24_203.htm
Being near a military base has its advantages! You can eat at the
Officer?s Club or the NCO, for a reasonable price! Many bases have
golf courses, swimming, tours, and other recreation. While traveling
Space A throughout Europe, we used the laundry facilities on base for
free, or very inexpensively.
Household Goods:
Military Retirees may have their household goods shipped from their
last duty assignment station to the location of retirement. If you
plan ahead, this may be very beneficial to you. Additionally, up to 90
days for temporary storage may be covered as well. It is up to the
retiree to arrange any clearances with foreign embassy as far as duty
and customs. Contact your transportation officer for details.
Other:
Thousand of articles, per this web site, can be found here, on living abroad:
Escape Artist
http://www.escapeartist.com/Articles/Articles.html
Hope this helps you decide on a good retirement location. I still
favor Spain! Retiring in Spain will allow you to travel to the other
locations, while enjoying a warm and wonderful country and people!
Best of luck!
If any part of my answer is unclear, please request an Answer
clarification, before rating. This will allow me to assist you
further, if possible.
Regards,
crabcakes-ga
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