yet another one!!

dibell53 · #1 (**permalink**) 19th June 2008, 12:12 PM

Yes, you have heard it all before, got to start somewhere though.....
I retired form UK fire service recently and have considered moves abroad. Spain, Portugal and Prague have topped my list to date. I keep seeing and hearing excellent things about Cyprus though, although I have never been!!
Of course I need to visit and see for myself, would you be kind enough though to guide me as to the area best suited to the type of "Expat" that I feel I would be. I like to be involved with other expats, I do not like to be too remote, ie, prefer life to be happening close by! I love sport, fitness training and cycling and I lke to socialise.
Renting a place there initially would be sensible I'm sure..... but where in Cyprus would I say, "Wow, this is where I want to be?" The Island sounds lovely and it seems you have an excellent expat community.... maybe its the destination for me!! Any advise would be grately received,

Many thanks.... Brian.

MichelleAlison · #2 (**permalink**) 19th June 2008, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dibell53

Yes, you have heard it all before, got to start somewhere though.....
I retired form UK fire service recently and have considered moves abroad. Spain, Portugal and Prague have topped my list to date. I keep seeing and hearing excellent things about Cyprus though, although I have never been!!
Of course I need to visit and see for myself, would you be kind enough though to guide me as to the area best suited to the type of "Expat" that I feel I would be. I like to be involved with other expats, I do not like to be too remote, ie, prefer life to be happening close by! I love sport, fitness training and cycling and I lke to socialise.
Renting a place there initially would be sensible I'm sure..... but where in Cyprus would I say, "Wow, this is where I want to be?" The Island sounds lovely and it seems you have an excellent expat community.... maybe its the destination for me!! Any advise would be grately received,

Many thanks.... Brian.

Hi Brian and welcome to the forum.

I am sure you will be able to get some excellent advice on this forum.

Good luck

Michelle

BabsM · #3 (**permalink**) 19th June 2008, 02:45 PM

Hi Brian, I think you are going to get so many different opinions as to where is the best place to live that you will not be able to choose!.

We moved to the Larnaca area because we like it here. Plenty of other Brit ex-pats but not so many that we are living in a Brit enclave... plenty of very friendly Cypriots close by who are still happy to talk to you and mix with you. Unlike some areas, parts of Nicosia and Limassol for example, where the locals are feeling threatened by too much Brit immigration.

Larnaca has an active ex-pat club and you are also close to Dhekelia Garrison where you might be eligible to join their sporting clubs. There are a number of gyms locally, walking and cycling are also popular as are swimming, snorkelling and scuba diving. We also have of the 10 best diving sites in the world...the Zenobia.

Larnaca is not a flashy cosmopolitan town like Nicosia or a large tourist resort like Paphos or Limassol, but we do have night clubs, theatre, cinemas, 5* hotels and lovely beaches.

I suggest you get a good tourist guide to Cyprus, such as the Rough Guide and read up about the different areas. Decide what you like and then come and give the whole island a try. Hire a car, do lots of driving, keep an open mind and generally have a good look around. You can drive in the unoccupied zone, from one end of the island to the other in a day, so you can cover lots of ground in a week or two. But don't rush to make a choice as there is a lot to see. Somewhere will strike you, and if it doesn't then maybe Cyprus is not for you!

We love it here and don't regret what we have done for one moment.

yummymummy150 · #4 (**permalink**) 19th June 2008, 04:17 PM

Hi its not a big place get over on a long holiday see as much as you can talk to expats we all want different things .I like the villages around Paphos.
and there is all you need for day to day life and expats there to be part of if you wish.You will love it or hate it .Ilove it and hope to be there full time by end of year .
Tricia

peterwalter3000 · #5 (**permalink**) 19th June 2008, 11:42 PM

Hi Brian , I was stationed in Cyprus for a good while and the wife and I have had loads of holidays all over cyprus before deciding where to buy . The area we decided on in the end is Kapparis / Paralimni area . We bought a home there 3 years ago and love it . The area is quiet to live with everything in the area open all year . Also not far to get to is Pernera , Protaras and Ayia Napa for a night out or extra touristy atmosphere . We have found that there is a lot more scope than Paphos end and the wife and I are both in our fifties . All the the places I have mentioned on a bus route for £1 cy , dos`nt matter where you get on or off , It`s the same price .
Another plus is that we are only ten minutes from the border for Famagusta at the moment . I would not buy in the North but the scenary is excellent , espeicially up the Karpass north east tip where the Turtle bays are .
Also when the North and South open up completly the Protaras / Kapparis coast road is going to run straight into Famagusta city . I cannot see that being to far into the furure .
Have fun finding your ideal place anyway . All the best .
Peter Walter .

dibell53 · #6 (**permalink**) 20th June 2008, 10:35 AM

Hey guy's many thanks to you all for your replies and for the very valuable information, it seems my real research starts now and its such a shame that I now have no excuses not to get there and take a real long look!!
I really do appreciate that you have all taken time to advise me and give me some direction and food for thought. A good expat community with internet and members happy to help is invaluable these days.
... if I could just ask a couple more questions, Where would I best be based for my first visit to use as a base to get to everwhere, with a hire car of course?. Do people from the UK ever bring their cars with them when they relocate? What do you consider to be a reasonable monthly income/pension to be comfortable, not extravagant while living in Cyprus, I know it varies area to area, an average would be a good guide.
Again many thanks for your help,

Very best wishes Brian.

yummymummy150 · #7 (**permalink**) 20th June 2008, 11:57 AM

Hi Brian we are taking our car . it depends on size of car year ect if its worth it you can put it on container or roll on roll off ferry ,or as we plan to do drive .(help lol) Look at my link you will see imfo on shipping and cost of living.
good luck .
please pm or mail me if i can help we have been planning this for 5 years when we bought off plan apartment, we let out and use when we can now time to go and live the dream that we have had for 10 years.

BabsM · #8 (**permalink**) 20th June 2008, 04:08 PM

Hi Brian,
Yes, quite a few people bring their cars. We brought ours on the container with the furniture. Getting the car out of customs and onto the road has proved to be surprisingly easy so far, although we haven't tried registering the car yet!. We did cost the possibility of driving down through Europe and catching a ferry from Bari, Italy. However it would have been more expensive than putting it on the container when taking Ferries hotels, fuel and food into account.

We have only been here six weeks so its impossible for me to say what pension would be about right. Sorry

As regards the best location, I'd like to say Larnaca as that is where the apartment we rent out is *:-), however I'd suggest somewhere closer to Limassol as its more central and would make it easy to go to Paphos (1hr?), Larnaca 3/4 hr?), the Troodos (1/4 hr), Nicosia and even Polis and still give you time to look around. On the other hand, you could fly into Larnaca, stay a week or so and have a look around this side of the island then drive to Paphos stay a week or so there and fly back to the UK from there!