kebby7
8/10/2011 17:49 EST
Hello there, I am mulling over a job offer in Luxembourg, and am considering whether I should accept it and move from London to Luxembourg. I am finding it a tough decision, as I will be leaving behind everything I am familiar with (and a great city) and going to a country that is very different and where I don't know anyone.
Any friendly words of encouragement (or otherwise!) would be appreciated, such as is it easy to meet new people in Lux, is there a lot to do for a single person (I sense it is a very small quiet place?), etc.
Many thanks Keb
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breevesdc
8/11/2011 07:46 EST
That is a very tough question and it is very subjective to your tastes and interests. I moved from Washington, DC (a city I lived in for 17 years and loved) to Luxembourg for a relationship. I love Luxembourg. But it is very different from living in Washington, DC. It is a small country (less than 500,000 residents). And there is not that much to do compared to big cities like London and Washington. However, there are some pretty big advantages to living in a small country (or a small city). Luxembourg doesn't have a lot of big city problems (like chronic traffic problems, high crime rates, pollution, etc.).
I can't tell you what you should and shouldn't do. But here are some things I miss about Washington.
1) The food. I find that the diversity of food choices in Luxembourg is quite limited. You can find some decent Chinese food, Italian, Indian and French (and of course Luxembourgish). But you won't find much else. Thai, Vietnamese, Mexican, etc. You won't find many options for diverse and healthy food.
2) Convenience... almost all stores close at 6pm during the week and are also closed on Sunday. I'm used to stores always being open or at least being able to find a store open if I really need something late. I'm sure you have the same experience in London. In Luxembourg you have to be very mindful of the business hours of shops.
3) TV... the English language stations are very limited. We have P&T cable. There may be other options if you live in the city. We live in Kleinbettingen which is about 20 kilometers outside of Luxembourg City. And there are only a handful of English language stations (and hardly any of them are any good).
Having said all of that... there are many things I love about Luxembourg.
1) The city is just beautiful. A great place to go for walks in the nature, or walk around the city center and have a drink.
2) You can drive to different parts of Luxembourg for hiking, biking, etc. It has a variety of nature trails.
3) It is 2 hours from Paris by TGV and within a 2-3 hour drive of other major European cities (Brussels, Frankfurt, etc.).
4) I can't tell you much about the dating scene since I am already in a relationship. But from what I can tell, there are plenty of single women in Luxembourg and the social life in the city seems to be quite good. There are plenty of bars and restaurants.
As far as meeting people... well I'm told that this is not easy. I would recommend joining a club or other group to meet people that way. The only friends I have made have been friends of my spouse (who is Luxembourgish). I joined a baseball team because I love playing sports. And I have met several people that way. But it is not easy to just meet people randomly. I find that people mostly keep to themselves. However... as I said, I have not done much of the social scene here in Luxembourg. You might find that you meet people easily here in Luxembourg that way.
I hope that this has been helpful. People often write to this forum asking whether they should move to Luxembourg. And it's a very, very difficult question to answer because different people have different tastes. I will say this... if you are looking for big city life like London, you will not find it here. But if you are interested in a little bit of a change of pace, smaller cities and more countryside landscapes, you will likely love it here in Luxembourg.
By the way, I am learning Luxembourgish since I plan on living here for the foreseeable future. But you can get by just fine with English.
Good luck.
Brian
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kebby7
8/11/2011 10:01 EST
Thanks Brian, thats very helpful. I know its a difficult question, but I am struggling so much with it I thought I'd just put it out there and see what I get back! But I think I'm going to have to take a punt and come off the fence...
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breevesdc
8/11/2011 11:28 EST
Unfortunately, this message board is not very active. It would be nice to get the opinions of other expats (especially singles) in Luxembourg. Their experience might be different than mine. I've heard others complain about not liking Luxembourg. And I also know plenty of people that love it and will never leave or can't wait to get back if they have left.
Good luck!
Brian
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justbeme
8/11/2011 12:03 EST
Good afternoon. I will have to agree with the previous points made here. There are some wonderful reasons for moving here - just a short distance from some many wonderful cities. However also being single I find it very diffcult to meet people, though there are clubs and bars they are full of, well kids really - it may just seem that way to me as I am 42 though... I also moved from the DC area here and I miss the choices I had there in DC and yes the closing at 6 pm on week nights and don't even talk about the weekends.
I would say though you have to follow your gut with what ist he right choice for you. Luxembourg is also not a cheap place to live!
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justbeme
8/11/2011 12:03 EST
Good afternoon. I will have to agree with the previous points made here. There are some wonderful reasons for moving here - just a short distance from some many wonderful cities. However also being single I find it very diffcult to meet people, though there are clubs and bars they are full of, well kids really - it may just seem that way to me as I am 42 though... I also moved from the DC area here and I miss the choices I had there in DC and yes the closing at 6 pm on week nights and don't even talk about the weekends.
I would say though you have to follow your gut with what ist he right choice for you. Luxembourg is also not a cheap place to live!
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kebby7
8/11/2011 13:17 EST
Brian, here's a question for you. Given that you've now been in Lux for some time, in hindsight would you still have considered moving to Lux from DC if you had a good job lined up in Lux and you had been single?
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breevesdc
8/11/2011 13:24 EST
The answer is "yes" I would have. But my situation may be a bit different than yours. I met a Luxembourgish couple whom I have been friends with since 1998. And I have traveled to Luxembourg many times. And in those travels, I met several people (including my spouse). So I already had a minimal base of friends when I moved here. But I do love living here. From time to time, I do miss America. But I definitely would do it again (even if I were single).
Also consider that there are several direct flights to London from Luxembourg daily. So when you get homesick, you certainly will have an easier time getting your London "fix" than I do getting my DC "fix".
Brian
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breevesdc
12/19/2015 03:18 EST
By the way, the team I joined is called the Beckerich Hedgehogs. It's an excellent group of guys who all share a love of baseball. Here is a link to their site if anyone is interested in playing. http://www.sport50.com/beckerichhedgehogs/
They have 2 teams and between them are inclusive of all skill levels.
Brian
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