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Living overseas

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Original poster

Italy for expats to live?

53 replies

Oioiioi · 03/09/2025 21:51

We are considering moving to Italy, looking at Lucca as it seems to be a beautiful village and good amenities and transportation. We wanted ti know of anyone has experienced living in Italy and where you lived? Would you suggest further south? We would be a couple with grown up kids who would visit. Villas with a pool, good community .. will def integrate but would be nice to have some expats around… any advice?

OP posts:
Original poster
Oioiioi · 04/09/2025 17:49

HundredMilesAnHour · 04/09/2025 17:30

@Oioiioi have a look north of Lucca at somewhere like Barga as it has strong Scottish connections so that means there tends to be more English speakers there.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/travel/article/20250702-barga-the-most-scottish-town-in-italy

I have English friends who own property north of Barga (for many, many years now) and they speak intermediate Italian but aren’t fluent and they manage just fine. They employ a local housekeeper and estate manager who initially did a lot of the dealing with local workmen, pool maintenance people but they’re able to manage most of these comms themselves after so many years living there (not full time, just a few months a year and they rent it out the rest of the time).

Wonderful advice! Thank you .. will take a look

OP posts:
socialdilemmawhattodo · 04/09/2025 18:13

ladybirdsanchez · 04/09/2025 08:56

Lucca is not a village! It's a small city. So if you're looking for a village, keep looking, because Lucca isn't one!

As someone who's lived in Italy I would be cautious about moving there if you don't speak Italian or have family/friends there. Italy is extremely bureaucratic, quite xenophobic on an official level and it's also very nepotistic. If you don't have people to help you integrate and get things done, life can be quite difficult there.

I agree with this. Had an apartment in Como for many years - primarily for holidays but any time we could get out there. We had lovely neighbours and loved the city and what we could do there. Tried to learn Italian but even after 5 years plus nowhere near fluent, and I do have other languages. A village? I think that would be lonely after a while.

waminty · 04/09/2025 18:24

There are houses for a €1 in certain depopulated villages in Italy. I think it would be great if you could buy one and get all the grants for doing it up (you must live there for a number of years I think), revitalise the village, get to know the tradies and the villagers (that are left!) etc.

I would do it, but I don't want to live there permanently. I do love Italy though, off to Ostia next week and will pop over to Roma and down to Napoli on the train.

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