Europe's Most Idyllic Places To Live

In Pictures: Europe's Most Idyllic Places To Live

For anyone who wants to uproot themselves to live in one of the world's more historical and culturally rich regions, it's hard not to consider Europe. Despite the global recession and slumping job market, the timing--and prices--might be just right.

Six months ago, Americans couldn't even mull a move across the Atlantic. A house in England worth 1 million pounds would have cost about $2 million as recently as mid-July of this year. But the euro and pound have tumbled in value against the dollar ever since, giving Americans more bang for their buck today. That house worth 1 million pounds four months ago, just in terms of currency rates, it would cost $1.5 million today--a difference of $500,000.

In Depth: Europe's Most Idyllic Places To Live

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With the exchange advantage currently leaning toward the U.S. dollar, the question isn't if Americans--particularly retirees--should consider moving, but where. We asked a panel of five travel and relocation experts to suggest the most idyllic locales in Europe to live.

Italian Appeal
For some wishing to move abroad, a change in scenery is more important than a drastic change in climate. Naples, Italy, for example, lies on a similar latitude to New York City. It's only slightly warmer, with an average temperature of 16º C (61º F) to New York's 12º C (54º F). Like New York, Naples has changes in seasons, unlike Italian cities further south. Naples doesn't make our list, but two other Italian destinations do. Italy is the only country that figures twice on our list.

Gaiole in Chianti was the experts' top choice; the country's capital, Rome, came in at No. 9.

Our Experts: Lucy White, Rough Guide Ala Osmond, Exeter International Jan Medlycott, Relocation Gay Gillen, Brownell Travel Consultants Fiona Kingden, Savills International Estate Agents

"For me, Chianti is all about mountains, vineyards, wineries, country inns and walking," says Gay Gillen of travel consultancy Brownell, based in Birmingham, Ala. "There are equestrian centers and opportunities to hike and play tennis, and the food is amazing."

Jan Medlycott, a senior home search coordinator from Icon Relocation, an independent relocation consultancy for individuals and businesses, thinks similarly of Rome. "You could take forever just walking around, there's something new to see down every street, around every corner," she says. "It provides the best of both worlds, too--if you need to get away from city life, it's close to the hills."

For those who want to stay in the city, our experts also like Copenhagen in Denmark, along with Eastern European cities of Ljubljana in Slovenia and Budapest in Hungary. What Budapest lacks in Mediterranean weather it makes up for in price, with an apartment costing well under $100,000. A Slovenian apartment, by contrast, is likely to cost well north of $200,000.

Isolation and Relaxation
Three of the Western European locations on our list are picturesque villages: Saint-Rémy-de-Provence in France, Burford in England and Deia in Majorca. The advantage of these locations is that, despite their small size, all are within commuting distance of larger towns and cities.