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- Jun 24, 2008
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It’s been five years since my last trip report but this one will be a little different. We are travelling for six months so a daily report on what we do and don’t do could become quite tedious and boring. OTOH, there will be plenty of ideas to share and locations/experiences to report on.
Back around 2018, +1 & I came up with the idea of spending a year or two in Europe, based in France. We would find somewhere to live and become part of the local community rather than racing around various locations trying to squeeze as much as we can into every single day. No unpacking and repacking every few days, getting to know local customs and cultures, and able to relax “at home” whenever we feel the need.
In fact, in 2019 on our last trip to Europe (Ouzo, Schnapps, Rosé & Prosecco) we even checked out a few locations we had considered for our base. (More on that later.) And then, as we all know, along came Covid19 and we were not going anywhere; not even to see family in Qld!
We spent the next couple of years researching the challenges (and there were quite a few) of doing a one or two year extended stay, before booking flights on SQ for June 2023. However, some unexpected medical issues got in the way and we had to rebook for 2024.
So some of the challenges:
Back around 2018, +1 & I came up with the idea of spending a year or two in Europe, based in France. We would find somewhere to live and become part of the local community rather than racing around various locations trying to squeeze as much as we can into every single day. No unpacking and repacking every few days, getting to know local customs and cultures, and able to relax “at home” whenever we feel the need.
In fact, in 2019 on our last trip to Europe (Ouzo, Schnapps, Rosé & Prosecco) we even checked out a few locations we had considered for our base. (More on that later.) And then, as we all know, along came Covid19 and we were not going anywhere; not even to see family in Qld!
We spent the next couple of years researching the challenges (and there were quite a few) of doing a one or two year extended stay, before booking flights on SQ for June 2023. However, some unexpected medical issues got in the way and we had to rebook for 2024.
So some of the challenges:
- Visa requirements
- Travel insurance
- Tax residency
- Award flight availability
- Expiring airline/hotel loyalty points
- Loyalty point enhancements (devaluations)
- Accommodation in Europe
- Transport options
- House sitter/renter for our home
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