The most useful websites to visit before moving to Europe
“Life might be difficult for a while, but I would tough it out because living in a foreign country is one of those things that everyone should try at least once. My understanding was that it completed a person, sanding down the rough provincial edges and transforming you into a citizen of the world.
— David Sedaris
Moving abroad had a pretty significant over my personality, identity, and life. After living in South America and Asia, I moved to Europe where I've lived in France for seven years, and recently, have been living the nomad life in Albania, Luxembourg, Portugal, and currently Denmark.
And I'm still counting the countries, of course...
So, speaking of living-working-loving-studying overseas, today I'll be sharing with you, who feel the urge to get out of your comfort zone and live a different life, the best tips to help you move and adapt to a European country with ease.
In this post, we will provide the best websites out there to find a job, housing, connect with people, travel best deals, and more.
when living in Europe and why they're so useful to the practical life of an expat in Europe.
Why is it Important? (Optional)
Living abroad as an expat is never easy. Sometimes you'll feel lost, lonely, like an outsider, and probably also fall into a lot of tourist traps.
Being aware of a few cons of living abroad in advance is definitely helpful. But even more helpful is this list to improve your practical life living in a European country that will help you to save time, money, and patience. To make the most of your searching for your new life, housing and jobs, I hope you will feel more confident after reading these tips:
Now, if you've made it this far then hopefully you're someone taking your plans of moving to Europe seriously. So here are the main services that will help you move to a new country smoothly and that have helped me to travel on a budget, find a job, rent a flat, and more after 7 years of living in Europe:
Useful websites to know before moving to Europe
#1 Find out the cost of living in any country with Numbeo.com
This amazing website is the ultimate guide for anyone moving overseas, as it shows lists with the average price for different goods, rents, services, and more in any city in the world. Accessing it you will get:
the cost of living in any city in the world
comparison of the cost of living in different cities in Europe
more indexes on quality of life, health care, property prices and more in every city.
All the prices are regularly updated by visitors so it gives you a reliable perspective!
Cost of living comparison between Copenhage x Amsterdam in danish Krones (Kr) and euros (€).
I also like to use this website when planning a long trip abroad to know how affordable my destination will be.
#2 Find the perfect job in Europe with Indeed, Monster, and Glassdoor
Indeed, Monster, and Glassdoor are highly used all over Europe
Calculate the average salary range in different European countries
Get career advice
Reminder: Don't forget to search for the recruitment culture in the country you're applying for a job. There may be differences in CV editing and how to behavior in an interview!
#3 Study in Europe with Findmasters.com and Mastersportal.com
To find studying opportunities abroad, the best websites I've been using to search for my master's programs abroad were Find Masters and Masters Portal. There are thousands and thousands of options for you to study overseas.
You'll love these websites because:
you can optimize your research to the countries you want and more
Filter your search by discipline
Get tips to apply for a studying program in Europe
Use the tools to help you decide on your program
# 4 Local craiglists
Every European country has its own craigslist. Le Bon Coin is the French version. Here you will find:
Housing, jobs, furniture, and pretty much everything you need in France
You can also create an alert and get updates about new ads from the category you're looking for.
Or create your own ad to look for the best room in a colocation (shared Flat).
Moving to France, Belgium, Switzerland, or Luxembourg? Get online French classes now!
# 5 Housing in the Netherlands with Pararius.com and Huurwoningen.com
The Netherlands is the most densely populated country in Europe! This means that this country is known for its pricey and limited housing offers. In 2022, house prices in the Netherlands climbed by 12.4%!
Knowing how the process to find a house and the most reliable websites to do so are, will make you save time, money, and worries.
Finding housing in The Netherlands is definitely not an easy task! These websites are the best to:
Find a house, flat, or room in the country for sale or rent
Create a profile and get notifications on any new property
Important: Watch out for scams when looking for housing in Europe. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon. Never send money before visiting the property or signing the contract, no matter what the landlord says.
# 6 Online Forums
Quora, Reddit, and Facebook Groups are extremely helpful for getting in contact with other ex-pats living in the country you're moving to.
They will know the best deals and the things to avoid when first moving countries.
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# 7 We Language to learn the local European language
It's impossible to talk about living abroad and ignore one of the most CRUCIAL parts of it: the LOCAL LANGUAGE. As an online tutor and expat I will prepare you the best in:
English, French, Spanish, or Portuguese languages, depending on where you're moving to and specifically to reach your goals as an expat!
Cultural etiquette from the country you're moving to.
All the expat tips I've learned (the best and worst way) during all these years in Europe.
Job Interview in a foreign language, dealing with everyday situations of the expat life.
Everything's set! Find the best airfare with:
# 8 Find cheap flights in Europe with Skyscanner
I can't even tell when I started using this website. Let's say Skyscanner has always been my top 1 choice when looking for the best deals to fly.
What makes it different from every other website like Google Flight is its flexibility.
Only Skyscanner allows you to:
Search for the best deal, even if you don't know the departure date or destination, by choosing "flexible destination" and "cheapest month"
Get the best deals from the official air company or from partners
Gives you travel tips about the destination
Because it's known, I'm a travel freak and a hobby of mine is to plan random and dream trips starting by searching for deals on Skyscanner, even if I end up not going anywhere at the moment, it's always good to be updated on the best air routes from different countries.
# 9 Revolut: The best online banking!
Since I started using the Revolut app, I've canceled my French traditional bank accounts because:
It's 100% free
You can withdraw money anywhere
Stock trading
They have an app for businesses and another for kids to learn to deal with their money
All the operations are simple and fast
You can send, ask, or lend money to friends with a phone number or by generating a payment link
They have lots of benefits like a connected saving account, rewards for users, etc.
Now that you've made it to the end of this blog, I hope you have all these extra resources to help you pick the best city for you, the best job, house, and even the best airfares to start your new life abroad as an expat in Europe.
If you want to keep in touch and chat about this crazy and amazing life, just DM me on Instagram and I will be happy to share with you extra hacks and information on learning languages and moving overseas.