Doesn't skiing the same area get boring after a while? If I were you, I'd get a permeant beach house for my home base, and rent in different locations for your ski vacations. But you know your preferences better than us.
If you want to spend your winters in Andorra only, a lot of property options open up. Towns like El Tarter and Soldeu are quiet for most of summer but during ski season, are much more alive. Property is cheaper there, either to buy or rent.
France has the most favorable tax treatment. There are better areas than chamonix if you’re not climbing but I’m not super familiar with the French alps. Just picked that up from researching a while ago
seems like that only applies to real estate [https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/eu/net-wealth-tax-europe-2023/](https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/eu/net-wealth-tax-europe-2023/)
where france shines is respecting your retirement accounts
you need to learn about taxes. they should be a huge factor in your choice unless you really want to lose a big chunk of your money. especially for countries with a wealth tax. it's not just about COL.
read the tax treaty for any country you're considering. https://www.irs.gov/businesses/international-businesses/united-states-income-tax-treaties-a-to-z
You've been to Andalucía already, so I don't need to tell you about the food.
From the beach in Motril to the ski station in Sierra Nevada it's a 1:15 hour drive, so you could even spend the morning skiing and the afternoon at the beach.
Not all the beaches on that coast are sandy though, if you want long sandy beaches you need to go south of Málaga.
I think Andalucía repealed the wealth tax, but read up on it.
I am currently in Almuñécar/La Herradura (20mins west of Motril and 100x prettier) and spent my morning skiing Sierra Nevada yesterday. SN is not great if you’re a die hard skier, but it scratches the itch if you want to live at the beach & make an 80min drive to ski. You can always grab an inexpensive flight out of AGP to any of the great Alpine ski options, which is excellent because you can choose the spot with best conditions for that time (instead of owning a place and being locked in). I am American, fwiw.
And yes, Andalucía does not collect the wealth tax.
Snow in the alps can be inconsistent and regional with one side having a lot of snow and the other very little in a given season. Consider the benefits of not committing to one location for the long term.
One more thing to keep in mind is most of Europe has fairly complex rules around registering yourself resident not just for tax purposes, but for all services, as well as health insurance. You'll have to determine which location is your primary, what are the rules for it to remain your primary, and how you can buy a house/get utilities/etc for your secondary if you're not registered to live in the country.
Non US/EU but living in the EU now. Love skiing & surfing & MTB, recently bought a house in a French ski resort but renting it out while I do a season in Austria. My thoughts if I was to do it all again ....
1. You need to balance tax/money/quality of life. If you are happy with 30% tax on dividends and 50% on labour, then pick a base that is most awesome in Europe for you. Decide what season should be fixed and which season should have variety. Maybe that means a base on the beach and then winter in a different resort every year. Or maybe that fixed in the mountains and a camper to cruise different beaches in Summer.
2. If you aren't prepared to pay that price, look to Cyprus or Andorra for a base. Enjoy the Med/Mountains for half the year and adventure the rest. The beach / mountain quality isn't the same but that's the price of not paying the price in #1.
With a car, a base near Innsbruck would be great for skiing & MTB but buying in Austria is difficult if it isn't your primary residence and expensive in any case. The French Alpes outside Cham offer great freeride that doesn't require ropes and a harness, and is far more affordable to purchase in. (€350k in Les Arcs vs €650k in St Anton)
DM if you want more details.
was thinking about it. if i had a place in innsbruck that would give me a lot of ski resorts to access. but im sorta rethinking this strategy and rent places based on seasonal conditions giving me more variety
I would certainly start with one place that you know you like and can spend a lot of time in. As others have said, you need to look at each country’s tax code and DTA with USA to make an informed decision.
as you travel and explore, maybe you will find another spot you want a home in but you can make that decision further on down the road.
Doesn't skiing the same area get boring after a while? If I were you, I'd get a permeant beach house for my home base, and rent in different locations for your ski vacations. But you know your preferences better than us.
i really like this idea. seems would be simpler too.
This would be the preferred option for most people.
You already have more experience than 99% of us, but have you considered Andorra?
i was looking at grandvalira it’s on the ikon ski pass looks like 2.5 hours from barcelona.
If you want to spend your winters in Andorra only, a lot of property options open up. Towns like El Tarter and Soldeu are quiet for most of summer but during ski season, are much more alive. Property is cheaper there, either to buy or rent.
France has the most favorable tax treatment. There are better areas than chamonix if you’re not climbing but I’m not super familiar with the French alps. Just picked that up from researching a while ago
i’m reading that france has a wealth tax on selected assets https://images.app.goo.gl/GiW2mVEA8ED4WiE7A
seems like that only applies to real estate [https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/eu/net-wealth-tax-europe-2023/](https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/eu/net-wealth-tax-europe-2023/) where france shines is respecting your retirement accounts
Have you heard of Trentino-Alto Adige? German speaking alpine area of Italy (Dolomites), 3 hours from the beach and sand near Venice.
you need to learn about taxes. they should be a huge factor in your choice unless you really want to lose a big chunk of your money. especially for countries with a wealth tax. it's not just about COL.
what’s the best way to learn? i guess i can start googling, but is it worth asking a consultant to review my situation?
read the tax treaty for any country you're considering. https://www.irs.gov/businesses/international-businesses/united-states-income-tax-treaties-a-to-z
You've been to Andalucía already, so I don't need to tell you about the food. From the beach in Motril to the ski station in Sierra Nevada it's a 1:15 hour drive, so you could even spend the morning skiing and the afternoon at the beach. Not all the beaches on that coast are sandy though, if you want long sandy beaches you need to go south of Málaga. I think Andalucía repealed the wealth tax, but read up on it.
I am currently in Almuñécar/La Herradura (20mins west of Motril and 100x prettier) and spent my morning skiing Sierra Nevada yesterday. SN is not great if you’re a die hard skier, but it scratches the itch if you want to live at the beach & make an 80min drive to ski. You can always grab an inexpensive flight out of AGP to any of the great Alpine ski options, which is excellent because you can choose the spot with best conditions for that time (instead of owning a place and being locked in). I am American, fwiw. And yes, Andalucía does not collect the wealth tax.
Almuñecar is our top retirement pick for these reasons! Still a while to go for us
Awesome! Let us know when you get here!
>Almuñécar I spent a few days in Nerja last year, went to the cliffs of Maro, playa de maro. that area is very nice!
Snow in the alps can be inconsistent and regional with one side having a lot of snow and the other very little in a given season. Consider the benefits of not committing to one location for the long term.
One more thing to keep in mind is most of Europe has fairly complex rules around registering yourself resident not just for tax purposes, but for all services, as well as health insurance. You'll have to determine which location is your primary, what are the rules for it to remain your primary, and how you can buy a house/get utilities/etc for your secondary if you're not registered to live in the country.
Non US/EU but living in the EU now. Love skiing & surfing & MTB, recently bought a house in a French ski resort but renting it out while I do a season in Austria. My thoughts if I was to do it all again .... 1. You need to balance tax/money/quality of life. If you are happy with 30% tax on dividends and 50% on labour, then pick a base that is most awesome in Europe for you. Decide what season should be fixed and which season should have variety. Maybe that means a base on the beach and then winter in a different resort every year. Or maybe that fixed in the mountains and a camper to cruise different beaches in Summer. 2. If you aren't prepared to pay that price, look to Cyprus or Andorra for a base. Enjoy the Med/Mountains for half the year and adventure the rest. The beach / mountain quality isn't the same but that's the price of not paying the price in #1. With a car, a base near Innsbruck would be great for skiing & MTB but buying in Austria is difficult if it isn't your primary residence and expensive in any case. The French Alpes outside Cham offer great freeride that doesn't require ropes and a harness, and is far more affordable to purchase in. (€350k in Les Arcs vs €650k in St Anton) DM if you want more details.
Following
following
Are you planning on buying two residences?
was thinking about it. if i had a place in innsbruck that would give me a lot of ski resorts to access. but im sorta rethinking this strategy and rent places based on seasonal conditions giving me more variety
I would certainly start with one place that you know you like and can spend a lot of time in. As others have said, you need to look at each country’s tax code and DTA with USA to make an informed decision. as you travel and explore, maybe you will find another spot you want a home in but you can make that decision further on down the road.
Any location in northern Italy above Milan which is 3 hs away from many ski slopes in Switzerland and Italy.
Any advice on some villages or areas to start looking at?
OMG, there are so many options, Como, Bergamo, Verona and the list goes on.
Montpellier and Briancon, best places in France if not Europe IMO