About tracyofnorfolk

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Some Forum Posts:

Luxembourg: Best area to live in for a 30 year old single man.:

There are many new apartments all around your new office. Check kirchberg for convenience. You are also not far from Clausen which might be a little less expensive. You might also sign up for the Expats de Lux site on Facebook where people often post their apartments. Good luck!

Luxembourg: 5000 eur/month gross:

Hi, we went from expats to a local package this year and moved into an apartment from a large home. We have a 2 bedroom 1 1/2 bath apartment which is about 110sm. It is a brand new building in the Belaire section of the city and rents for 2500 euro a month plus 300 euros for charges. The 300 covers heat, cleaning of the communal areas of the building weekly, trash/recycling and water charges. We pay for electric and phone/internet/tv separately. You might be able to find something for 2000 which was our initial budget, but they are older, less energy efficient, may not include a parking spot, or be on a busy street. Our brand new apartment building comes with constant construction all around, so no place is perfect. If you choose a place outside the city, you may also incur communal charges, recycling fees if you have curbside pick up etc. we lived in Bertrange for several years and also had other perks like discounted bus fees and payment for good grades for the students. Also note that as a new user, the utility companies charge the minimal amount monthly for the first year. Then on your one year anniversary, will make a one time adjustment. If you are paying automatically from your bank account, they will debit or credit the difference. This can be quite a shock if you are doing lots of laundry, or have someone home during the day using heat, lights etc. So while they might be charging you 50 euros a month, you could be using 100 euros worth and not know it for a whole year. (Same for all utilities).

Luxembourg: Moving to Luxembourg advice!:

Hi Lisa, Another option besides St. Georges is the International School of Luxembourg. They offer both the British and the American schooling options. Classes are taught in English. (Both my kids graduated from there). Going into the local schools is more challenging. While I don't have a lot of experience with the local schools, I believe they start in French and then add in German (or visa versa). While the kids speak Luxembourbish, they will also need to have French and German in school. They are also on a different calendar going into July and starting back in late september/early october (again- not exactly sure on that) But something to consider should you be transitioning back to another school in the future. As far as working- if you have the languages, it will be easier to apply and find something (assuming you are an EU citizen).

Luxembourg: Where to live:

I agree, Strassen as well as Bertrange has a large English speaking expat group. If you have children going to the International School, it's great for carpooling. If you choose to live in the city, then look at Merl, Belair for ISL students-they can walk. We are in Belair and our neighbors are not Luxembourgers. Some speak English, some do not. But you'll find a high concentration of English speakers in the city wherever you are. Good luck!

Luxembourg: Selling furniture:

We are interested in the wardrobe . Is it still available? Where are you located? Thanks. Tracy

Luxembourg: Car & Apartment in Belair Needed (moving from New York):

With regards to a car, you can always join the American Womens Club or the British Ladies club. They have a classified section that you can access online once you are a member. Very often expats leaving, will list their car there before they go to the dealer. And I haven't found other expats that try to take advantage of newcomers. Quiet the opposite. The selection is not great, but it's another option. Best of luck! -Tracy

Luxembourg: Buses?:

Though once you go past Strassen and Bertrange, the buses run less frequently, so check that schedule to ensure they run at convenient times for you.

Luxembourg: Moving to Luxembourg:

Welcome to Lux! I hope I can address a couple of your questions... 1. Where to live? If your wife is working in Strassen, then that would be a great place to start! Strassen and Bertrange are both suburbs of the city where a lot of other expats live. Living in Lux city is also an option as there are convenient buses and her commute would be against traffic. 3. Banking- We found many expats have BGL BNP Paribas or Sparkasse (BCEE). Both have many ATM's, savings accounts and credit cards. Your wife's company may do an automatic deposit to one as well, so she might want to check with them. 5. You can look into Kockelscheuer which has several indoor courts. Hope that helps as a start! Best of luck in your move!

Luxembourg: Cheerleading:

I haven't seen any cheerleaders anywhere, but I do know that the International school just started a Cheer Squad last year. Having said that, there were was no baseball at ISL when we go here and the following year, a family moved in and started baseball at the school. If you haven't seen it, start it!

Luxembourg: Paying US Credit Cards:

You have two options I believe. One is to set up on online payment account from you bank, leaving some cash in your US bank account. This is also helpful in the future if things come up that you want to pay for in cash. (wedding or birthday gifts, a doctors appointment or online purchases). We have a US bank account and a Lux account. I pay all my US bills online thru my bank and it's free. The other option is to go directly to the credit card website and log into your account online. From there it will give you options to pay on line thru your bank or using a check. In either case, I would recommend retaining a bank account in the US, at least temporarily until you know you won't need it anymore. Best of luck with your move!

Date Joined:

10/4/2011

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27

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