Lifestyle advice for expat families in Italy - MumAbroad
    
Contribute

   

MumAbroad Italy

 

Relocating to Italy is a sure-fire way to experience la dolce vita for real, and nobody can deny that from pizza and prosecco to Prada and Piaggio, living in Italy offers expats immersive access to a unique and romantic European way of life.

 

The iconic boot-shaped country has a surprising variety of different areas to choose from. Moving to Italy could mean living in the north with ski slopes on your doorstep, waking up to the rolling Tuscan hills or being surrounded by the beautiful architecture of a historic city, the unique charms of the unexplored south or the islands of Sicily or Sardinia.

LIFESTYLE benefits of living in Italy

  • Excellent and varied climate
  • World class food and wine
  • Beautiful countryside, beaches, mountains and islands
  • Rich heritage, steeped in art and culture
  • Safe, welcoming family culture
  • Effortlessly chic, relaxed lifestyle

PRACTICAL benefits of living in Italy

  • Great education, free or paid, local or international
  • Excellent healthcare available to all
  • Good public transport (but unique driving style!)
  • Great location to access Europe and beyond
  • Wide variety of property options
  • Immersion in another language, with good English spoken

 

Finding the best place to live in Italy will very much depend on your needs and circumstances. Each city has its individual culture, history and industry based on a rich and long-standing trading past that dates back thousands of years.

 

Wherever you choose to relocate, education and healthcare throughout Italy is based on a common dedication to offering excellent services that are available to all. The Italian public school system is free, while private international schools are available to serve the expat community. Healthcare in Italy is also freely available, although private insurance is an option.

Moving to ROME, key attractions

  • International capital, cosmopolitan lifestyle
  • Large expat community, 10% non-Italian population
  • Beautiful architecture, museums and galleries
  • Great location in the centre of the country
  • Centre of politics, business and industry

 

Finding things to do with kids in Italy is a breeze. Not only is the Italian culture one of Europe’s most family-friendly, it is also based on outside activities, epic family events and – just like in the movies – long multi-generational lunches in the sun where nobody complains while kids run around enjoying themselves.

Moving to MILAN, key attractions

  • Perfect location for skiing and Alpine lifestyle
  • Italy’s largest city, major hub of industry, growing service sector
  • Lower cost of living compared to eg London
  • Plenty of international kindergarten and secondary schools
  • Great location for international travel with high-speed links

 

Getting a mortgage in Italy is open for expats and the property market is healthy in the key expat locations. Like any country with a long history, the real estate in Italy dates from chic modern city apartments to historic castles and vineyards.

 

Whether you’re looking for a ski lodge, a seaside villa or a sleepy house in a village square, or even a substantial townhouse in one of Italy’s main cities, there’s something for every expat looking to relocate.

Moving to TUSCANY & UMBRIA, key attractions

  • Achingly beautiful landscape and architecture
  • Superb food and wine
  • Very popular with English-speaking tourists and residents
  • Florence is the ‘cradle of the Rennaisance’
  • Easy access to Lucca, Pisa, Chianti, San Gimignano and more

 

The definition of the best place to live in Italy will depend on whether you are retiring, looking for work or moving with your current company. Or perhaps you are searching for adventure based on the reputation Italy has been presenting in every movie, advertisement and wedding photo for decades.

Moving to EMILA-ROMAGNA, key attractions

  • Byzantine mosaics in Ravenna
  • Superb ham and cheese in Parma
  • Ferrari and Lamborghini in Modena
  • The oldest university in the world in Bologna
  • Easy access to the northern Apenninines

 

You can’t be sure that moving to Italy will bring you la dolce vita but it’s certainly likely. And whatever happens, Italy is a country with unique character and a love of life that will certainly give you an experience to remember.

Latest from Italy

Rome

Milan

Tuscany & Umbria

Emilia-Romagna

Follow us on Instagram

Latest from Blog

Could these body changes be menopause?

Could these body changes be menopause?

Do you sometimes feel like your body is waging a war against you?  Perplexed by weird body changes, symptoms and sensations like nothing you’ve lived through since puberty?  Many of us “middle-aged” women live in fear that these shifts might in ...
Read more
Talking to Midwife & Lactation Consultant Maria Gómez-Cabrero in Valencia

Talking to Midwife & Lactation Consultant Maria Gómez-Cabrero in Valencia

María is a mother, midwife and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. After qualifying as a Midwife in Ireland in 2012 and a Lactation Consultant in 2015 she returned to her home town of Valencia. Maria now works in a public maternity ...
Read more
Speak French? This app will pay you for your voice

Speak French? This app will pay you for your voice

If you’ve ever spoken to a voice assistant like Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant and it didn’t understand you—you’re not alone. And if you’ve ever tried speaking to a voice assistant in your second language, with a non-native accent, chances are it ...
Read more

  • "Before moving to Spain, I wanted to know more about the local school system, international school options and areas to live in with children. You have to get it right and I had many questions and apprehensions and MumAbroad proved an immensely useful site. Once in Spain I started my own company and hooked up with other mums in business through MumAbroad as well. Exchanging ideas with women in my own situation who are foreign mums juggling home life and business has helped on many levels from personal to marketing and networking."

    Petra, Barcelona

  • "I moved my family to Barcelona in 2010 but started the process of researching and making decisions in 2008. MumAbroad was totally invaluable. I have worked and travelled abroad but moving three children of multiple ages was much more complex. I cannot express my gratitude in what I learned about schooling, places to live, health care and the links to local people. It has totally directed us to good times and aided us in the low points. MumAbroad, I would hate to have done it without you or be without you! You are the Lonely Planet/Rough Guide equivalent to relocating a family!"

    Kayte, Barcelona

  • "MumAbroad is a great source of information for any mother who finds herself living overseas and in need of relevant information. Personally, I have found fantastic holiday recommendations on the site and also appeared on their Mums in Business section for Madrid alongside other women who have started their own businesses since moving abroad."

    Lucy, Madrid

  • "By embodying the essence of being a foreign mum in a foreign land, MumAbroad Life brings readers insight to familiar scenarios in our new environs. No matter whether we are a mum abroad in Munich, Milan or Madrid, we have a lot in common. How many kisses are we supposed to give and/or receive in our new country? Should we home-school or world-school our children? What is the best way to keep our children cool in the summer? You name it, MumAbroad Life have tackled it providing priceless peer-to-peer advice on every subject under the sun. Want to know why we enjoy our quality of life so much as mums abroad? Step inside this blog to discover why!"

    Dominique White, Madrid

  • "The MumAbroad events attract the most interesting, dynamic and entertaining women from around the Barcelona area. Lots of fun & loads of great connections"

    Nadine Astorga, Barcelona

Mumabroad Italy

ROME
MILAN
TUSCANY & UMBRIA
EMILIA-ROMAGNA


  • Subscribe to our Newsletter

    MumAbroad meets the growing demand from English-speaking parents living in Spain, Italy, France and Germany for credible, up-to-date and trustworthy information – from international education and birthing options to family activities and relocation services.

    * indicates required