About grahamstrong

Status:

Expatriate  

Currently Lives:

Citizen Of:

United States

Some Forum Posts:

Portugal: Using Electrical Devices:

We'll be moving to Portugal from Galway, Ireland, this spring. Our question is about our kitchen appliances: coffee maker, blender, slow cooker (crock pot), toaster, etc. Will we be able to use these with just an adaptor for the plug, or is a converter necessary? We understand that different regions of the world have different voltage AND different cycles (hertz). Any information or advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

Portugal: LONG TERM RENTAL:

We are retired and planning to move from Ireland to the Silves District in the Algarve this April or May. Any leads on long-term (year-around) rental of houses or apartments would be most appreciated. We have contacted a few realtors who are keeping an eye out for us. If Silves has nothing available, we will consider Lagoa.

Portugal: Moving to Portugal soon:

Hello, Felicia - We're a retired American couple in our early 60s, and we've been living in Ireland for three years. We're planning to move to Lisbon this spring, and we'll be visiting later this month (January). If you're happy with your real estate and legal advisors, would you send us their names? We'll be needing the same assistance. Thank you!

Ireland: killarney National Park (gap year):

Hello Colin, Several things to discuss. (1) Killarney is a lovely area. We live about an hour south of Killarney. We love to go to the parks around Killarney, when ever we can. You will love them. Also keep in mind, the coastline of Ireland is stunningly beautiful. You will find that Ireland is a photographer's dream come true. (2) Rentals are available everywhere. You will have better luck finding a rental that suits your needs once you get to Ireland. Talking to the Auctioneer (i.e. Realtor) is you best bet. (3) Residency: This is a biggy. Ireland has no problems with tourists staying up to 90 days. After that, you need to ask for permission to stay. See the topic: "Requirements to Retire in Ireland" which is located several blogs below your blog. MarianneB does a nice job is summarizing what you need to do if you want to stay in Ireland more than 90 days. (4) To stay more than 90 days, you will also need some type of Health Insurance. If you don't have one, we have been pleased with Aviva Health Insurance, if you want to give them a try. (5) If you plan to set up an internet business, this will be important. I believe the internet speed is being improved everyday in Ireland. Eircom (a large broadband company) has said that they hope to have all of Ireland upgraded to Fiber-optics by the end of 2014. I believe the area in Killarney is slated to be upgraded in the next couple of months. Right now the internet service seems to be DSL with a download speed around 3.0 Mb/s. This can change dramatically depending on where you choose to live. (6) You will love the Irish. They are the nicest people I have ever met. Graham

Date Joined:

6/28/2013

Total Posts:

4

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