International Living Community

Hi Jim. I'm Jim Santos, IL's Roving Correspondent, and we have had to deal with this issue ourselves. You hate to pay for insurance when you are not using the car, but on the other hand, car rental prices in the US have increased greatly over the last two years. So a lot comes down to how long you will be gone on each trip, and where you can keep your vehicle. We have found that if our car is garage-kept, being away for up to three months at a time isn't a problem. We complete any regular service required, and make sure the car is clean and the gas tank full before storing. I've read that reducing the tire pressure a bit helps, but we haven't tried that. We also once kept our car in a rented outside space (with an all-weather car cover) for 5 weeks while we were in Mexico and it started right up on our return. Last April, we did sell our car, because we planned to be traveling for two or more years. However, a medical issue forced an early return, and we ended up having to buy a car again. In the future, we plan to keep our car, and like yourself, travel 8-9 months of the years in 2-3 month increments. Hope that helps, and happy travels!

Hi Deborah, There are many Facebook groups that pertain to Portugal like Americans & Friends PT, Expats Portugal, Silver Coast Our Home and many more. Reach out to expats who live in those areas to find out when their meetups are or to meet with individuals one on one to chat. The first group mentioned is based in Cascais near Lisbon so they can be of help. Happy Travels, Terry Coles Portugal Contributor

Hello, You can use this website for car values: https://serviciosnet.hacienda.go.cr/autohacienda/ As for other goods, will you be shipping on a container or buying abroad and sending to Costa Rica? I suggest talking with a lawyer if you plan on picking things up from customs here in Costa Rica. I love to share my lawyer's contact info: https://themislegalcr.com/ or you can send a WhatsApp here: Rosa +506 8831 2261 Are you a resident? If you are getting your residency, do you know about his Law? Costa Rica's Law 9996 allows qualified residents to import up to two vehicles duty-free for personal or family use and a one-time exemption for importing used household goods and personal effects. It's only in effect for another 2 years I think, so might be something important to consider if you want to bring a car and goods into the country. -Bekah Bottone, IL Costa Rica Correspondent

Hello. There are so much variety here in Costa Rica, so you will need to figure out what your needs are -- get specific and think about things such as climate, location, and healthcare. I suggest spending a month and staying in different places to really get a feel for them and check out the vibe for yourself. I recently visited Atenas and Grecia in the Central Valley and you might want to check them out if being close to health is necessary The best healthcare is in the Central Valley, so keep that in mind. The best equipped hostpitals and most specialists are there. Often times, a specialist will visit a clinic in Guanacaste once a month. So it isn't as conveninet. I met a wonderful woman in Grecia, who specializes in real estate in these areas. I suggest contacting her on WhatsApp: Brooke Bishop +506 8311 5336 In the Central Valley, you will find the country's biggest cities and many bigger towns. That doesn't mean it's all urban. There are plenty of quiet countryside locations, little mountain villages, bustling market towns — you can also get away from it all in the Central Valley. I suggest checking out some other areas, maybe Escazu, Alajuela, Santa Ana, Pavas, Tres Rios, and Cartago. If you stay in San Jose, you might want to stay at the Grano de Oro or the Gran Hilton Hotel. And we hold our yearly conference at the InterContinental Escazu. Another important factor to consider is the weather. What temperatures do you prefer? It rains everywhere, yet some places have more rain than others. The beaches- Hot and humid, and I love them! Guanacaste is the driest part of Costa Rica. The Central Pacific receives more rain. Lake Arenal- Cooler (temperature) than the beach. Nuevo Arenal gets about 50% more rain than Tronadora, located just across the lake. Tronadora is much windier. La Fortuna and the surrounding towns like Chachagua are drier and warmer. The Central Valley- Cooler temperatures - especially from the variety of elevations available. I always recommmend reaching out to FB groups and asking questions. I use those groups to learn about differnt areas and connect with new people all of the time. FB groups are very active here and worth using as a resource. These FB pages might be a good start: Arenal https://www.facebook.com/groups/712758082803982 https://www.facebook.com/groups/270122543035935 Guanacaste https://www.facebook.com/groups/297720547030161 https://www.facebook.com/groups/3442610169117243 Jaco https://www.facebook.com/groups/290260966853843 https://www.facebook.com/groups/711552235579574 There are lots of expat groups too: search 'Expats in... ' As for budget, the best thing in my opinion is to talk with peopel currently living in the area. You can find expat meetups in FB groups. For example, this group posts about a women's would be a great place to get insider info. https://www.facebook.com/groups/663758784658197 Many people find staying in an Airbnb a good way to check out a community, more so than a hotel. I talked with Nick when in Nuevo Arenal and he rent out an Airbnb. https://internationalliving.com/from-deaths-door-to-thriving-in-lake-arenal-costa-rica/ (https://www.airbnb.ie/rooms/40036748?source_impression_id=p3_1719933875_P3ic3CyJiPWB-oYF) Let me know if you have any more questions and if you head to the Tamarindo area. Once you narrow down your search, send me an update here so I can share more info. Happy New Year! -Bekah, IL Costa Rica Correspondent

Hi Lisa, Nice to meet you! If you're still thinking of France, feel free to send me any questions you may have: france@internationalliving.com The plus for France (besides all the great food!) is that it's fairly easy to obtain a visa to stay long-term, and the healthcare system is excellent. Best of luck and please let me know if I can be of help. Tuula, IL France Correspondent

Dear NROLO, I dont want to seem flip at all but "FASTTRACK" and Italy don't really belong in the same sentence. I dont know anyone who did not take less than 1.5 to 2.5 years to do it. I will say this: those who have their paperwork in hand, completed and know where they want to live, seem to have greater control over what happens than those trying to compete the work in the States. ought) We have a close friend who moved near us, with his paperwork compete (or so he thought) moved here, applied for citizenship in the same town he lived in and then needed a court approval for one of the documents from a US court. That alone took about eight months but after 2.5 years of living here he was warded his citizenship. I dont know of a "Fast Track" method of doing this but I can send you to an attorney who can hellp you avoid the mistakes of others. Her name is M. Grazia Colombo and her email address is mgrazia.colombo@leexe.it. there will be things she will know about the process that I do not. Send her an email. Ask her for her charges for your specific needs and go from there. My best to you: Chip Stites, IL Italian Correspondent.

Let me clarify for you... I have a meeting with my lawyer on Thurs (I am her English teacher now ;)) and I will ask for you. I will get back to you soon.

I'm a lifetime member and love IL. It's full of great info about life, love and the pursuit of happiness around the world. As for the reports, you can find them in your library https://members.internationalliving.com/

This is also her email: coachmel@yougotmel.org

There are a lot of businesses where people help you relocate, yet I don't have someone in perticular I can recommend. Have you done research on Costa Rica to see which areas could be the best fit. https://internationalliving.com/countries/costa-rica/maps-of-costa-rica/ https://internationalliving.com/countries/costa-rica/ https://internationalliving.com/best-places-to-live-in-costa-rica-five-top-expat-havens/ You may want to look into the online version (which would be cheaper) of the conference. It is a good way to get lots of info and start to figure out if Costa Rica is right for you. Are you looking for a rental or to purchase a property? I know some real estate agents I could recommend depending on the area you are interested in. Feel free to give me some more details into what you are looking for by sending an email and I can try helping you more. bbottone@internationalliving.com Bekah Bottone, IL Correspondent in Costa Rica

I heard someone talk about that and said they had rented an Air B&B for a short term and used that address. I can't say that it is the best suggestion, just something I heard. Hopefully someone will suggest something better but I don't see a lot of people answering posts.