I am an American and have the opportunity to relocate to a job in Luxembourg for a year with my wife and two children (both age 9). What are my best options for where to live? In Luxembourg or one of the bordering countries (Germany, Belgium or France). If one of the bordering countries, what cities are best? If staying in Lux, what cities / regions are best?
Other - Europe - 4 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
it is better to live in germany, i lived there and loved it. plus germans are very used to americans
2 :
Many French people do not speak English and do not like Americans. It is very expensive to live there as well. But, I'm very fond of the French city of Nancy, the gates are a sight as is the architecture. Public transportation is excellent. But, I think you might find the commute time, even by train, from Nancy to Luxembourg a little tiring after awhile. Belgium is a very liberal country, but is nicer to visit than to live there. Since I've never lived in Luxembourg, I've only visited, I cannot speak to residing there. Germany is a wonderful country to live in, most people speak English and will help you in your attempts to speak German. My favorite city in that area is Trier where you can see the old ruins from the Roman era. I prefer the quaintness over the larger city of Saarbrucken, but do like its suburb of Neunkirchen. It would be a reasonable commute to L City and I think the freeway direct route is complete now. If I had a choice, Trier would provide a nice, enriching, educational experience for your children, would provide interest (shopping, cathedrals, arts) for your wife and a close enough distance to where you will work. What an exciting opportunity for you and your family!
3 :
You should be able to find something nice and reasonable in Luxembourg city. The city has everything you need, so it would be good to stay close. If you enjoy more privacy and the country-side, then you might want to live in one of the small villages that surround the city. Every small village is the same. You are lucky because you'll be so close to nice major cities like Paris, Metz, Brussels, Amsterdam, and Frankfurt. Good luck to you!
4 :
Live in Luxembourg. It will be far more convenient for you as far as your job is concerned, for your wife, and for your children. Live as near to the city centre of Luxembourg as possible. Since the country is small anyway, this shouldn't be a problem. Personally, I am very fond of the areas just east of the city (Strassen, Belair, etc), which are no more than 15-20 minutes from the centre, but still far enough to have that suburban rather than city feel. Furthermore, living in the city will allow greater flexibility for the education of your children... Outside of Luxembourg, the nearest English-language schools are 1-2 hours away. Within Luxembourg, however, you will find not one, but THREE English-language schools, all within 20 minutes driving time from each other. The schools are: The International School of Luxembourg, or ISL (which was my alma mater); The European School (mostly reserved for dependents of EU diplomats), and St. Georges (a British-style school that goes up to 7th grade). If you can afford the tuition, I would highly recommend sending your children to ISL. I say this not only because I attended the institution myself for five years, but also because it is the only of the three schools that has adopted an American-style education system. This will help your children tremendously when (if?) they move back to the United States after having lived in Luxembourg. The teachers of the school are all very competent, and class sizes are small to allow for much student-teacher interaction. One last tip: encourage your wife to join the American Women's Club of Luxembourg. They are an absolute wealth of resource, and do wonders when it comes to acclimating ex-pats to Luxembourgish life. They publish an annual publication called "Living in Luxembourg" that has advice and tips for moving, and helpful lists of everything from American-trained medical physicians to English-language bookstores. If you choose to move to Luxembourg... Enjoy it! I miss that little country more than words can describe. I'm currently studying in the U.S., but intend to return to Luxembourg - or, at the very least, Europe - after my university studies are done.
