Time for Plan B - Part 1
How to plan and execute a scouting trip if you are thinking of relocating to another country
Fed up. That’s how you feel.
The cost of living is too high. Perhaps your retirement dreams do not look like they will become a reality where you live now. Your health care costs may be so high that bankruptcy is a possibility. Quality of life, crime, lack of infrastructure for your daily needs have impacted you tremendously. Recent events where you live may have spurred you to consider relocating to another country.
After the 2024 US presidential election Google searches related to leaving the country increased by over 1500%. The top destinations Americans researched included mainly English-speaking and European countries.
Or perhaps you were in a country on vacation and you thought to yourself, over a cocktail sitting by the water, this was a place that you would like to retire to or live in if you could make it work. You have begun to examine lower cost of living countries with plenty of sun and surf and think you have found your ideal location.
Whatever the reason, you have decided that it’s time for you to consider living elsewhere.
There are many issues and repercussions when people relocate to another country, whether they be political, economic, social, and cultural. I won’t delve into them here. This is a topic for a future post.
The purpose of this post is to help inform you on the logistics of one very important action you need to take before you relocate part-time or for the rest of your life: the scouting trip.
Having done a few scouting trips before living part-time in southern Europe, I hope my experience can provide you with insights that can help you with your relocation dream.
What is a scouting trip?
A scouting trip is a preliminary visit to your desired location before you make the big move.
On this exploratory trip you will be spending time in your desired location experiencing the local cuisine, shopping, and customs.
You’ll be walking the neighborhoods and interacting with the locals.
This trip has one main goal: To ensure you are as informed as possible before making your decision to relocate.
Why do a scouting trip before relocating?
Regret can be expensive.
Changing your mind and coming back home after relocating can be a costly process, both in money and time. Finding out six months in that the neighborhood and country you moved to is not what you thought it would be is not the outcome you want to experience. It can be extremely depressing and expensive to realize you made a huge mistake.
I have met people in Europe who committed to an area only to realize it is not to their liking. They realized, only after relocating, it was far too cold in February and discovered their apartment had inadequate insulation. They were now on the move trying to find a warmer location with more consistent temperatures.
At a later stage in life the last thing you want to do after relocating is packing up and moving elsewhere because you did not do your in-person research to understand if a location is right for you.
Avoid being impulsive in your relocation decision. This is a recipe for regret later.
What to do before you leave on your scouting trip
The planning and research that you do before your scouting trip can make or break the success of your mission.
You have booked your accommodation and flight to your desired country. You have rented a vehicle so that you can explore the region. Hopefully the car is an automatic if that is what you are used to driving. What else should you be doing in advance of your relocation mission?
Social media groups. Contact social media groups including expat groups from your home country once you have made the decision to travel. Facebook groups can form your support network, provide answers to questions that you have from people who actually live there, and supply you with useful contacts. As many of these groups require you to answer questions and have their admin review them before accepting you into their community, the sooner that you research and apply to your group of choice, the more time you will have to get your questions answered in advance of your trip.
Pro Tip: These groups can provide recommendations for professional services that you will need on your scouting trip and beyond. This can save you hours to weeks in research. These people live in your desired area. Get recommendations from them for people and services including real estate agents, medical professionals and clinics, tradespeople, and schools.
Real estate agents. Following up from the recommendations you receive, reach out to those recommended realtors to see which one(s) you would be comfortable working with. This is critical as they may be doing virtual tours of properties for you after you have returned from your scouting trip to your home country. If you are making a rental or purchase decision outside of your desired country, you need to know and trust the realtor representing you there.
Mobile phones. Considering purchasing an eSim in advance of your arrival if you do not want to have any unexpected roaming or data overage charges with your existing mobile phone plan. There are a number of eSim providers that provide coverage internationally. Do your research to determine which one will work best for you.
Watch those exchange rate fees.
Your home financial institution or credit card provider often charge an exchange fee on any credit or debit transactions made outside your home country. Find out what your charges will be before leaving to avoid a shock when your monthly statement arrives.
A great solution is to apply for and obtain a no-forex fee credit card to avoid the exchange rate charge on purchases made in a foreign country.
Thank you for reading this article. In Part 2 I detail the essential items you need to cover on your international scouting trip. In Part 3 I conclude by expanding on other activities you need to do on your scouting trip to get a full picture of where you want to relocate.
Please let me know in the comments if you are planning to relocate to another country. If you have already gone through the process of relocation, please feel free to share your insights below.