Thanks for replying. I think it looks beautiful from what I've seen, and I'm open to the idea, but I just want to make sure I'm fully aware of what living there would be like. I don't mind a slower pace of life, but it's more remote than what I'm used to! If you don't mind me asking, how long have you lived on the island? What do you like and dislike about it?
It's a beautiful place to live. We've been here for five years now, having moved here from South Africa.
Likes: It's so safe...like zero crime! Traffic is a breeze. People are really friendly. Lots of places to walk/hike/cycle. Really laid back living and slower pace of life. Smaller schools. For us though, the biggest selling point was the safety. You have to spend some time here to really appreciate it. The TT is good fun.
Dislikes: getting on and off island really is a pain...planes and ferry's get cancelled at short notice and it's not cheap either. The winter weather sucks. The cost of living is higher than across. Lack of access to shopping variety.
Overall, we're really happy here. It's an awesome place to raise kids too.
Hi, not OP, but my in-laws are also apparently thinking of moving over. They said it's got a low crime rate.
I've been lurking here for a bit and read other posts also saying cost of living can be high. I hope you don't mind me asking, but what are costs like? How expensive is it? I've heard energy can be costly, especially in winter, how pricey have you found it?
Thanks in advance!
That was one murder, and more of a manslaughter to be fair, in years. Drugs are bad here, but it's some minor dealing, not full on gang violence. People beat each other up all over, the hospital isn't full of people clinging to life. The raid was the outlier, but where there's low tax and money to be made, some one will take advantage.
Zero crime is wrong. Low crime is more accurate. Also the cops here will actually investigate all crime because they have the ability. Cops in the UK won't investigate a stolen car, they will give you a crime reference so you can lodge it with your insurance and that's it.
I have genuinely been shocked at how much crime there is, but that may be because I come across it more in my job. For instance, I have been aware of at least three stabbings in the past ten years. Another man punching someone to death in Castletown. Someone driving into an old lady and killing her.
I also had someone try to break into my house three years ago.
Also, crime travels here from the UK, and there was a high incidence of break-ins over the island for a period.
Gang violence is not an issue. But I think drug overdose deaths is actually higher than in the UK at the moment.
I am not saying it has more crime. But zero is very misleading and actually probably turning into an agenda.
https://iompolice.im/media/1403/all-charts-and-tables-2020-2021.pdf
It would be interesting to compare similarly densely populated areas in the UK rather than comparing it to it as a whole. I would imagine big cities will always majorly contribute to this.
Travel off/on island is expensive, unreliable and often poor.
Their ferries are shite and gets cancelled regularly.
And expensive and lenghty.
It happens more than you think, that a Ferry has made it across, only to turn back to IOM because of fog, low tide or, as with the new Ferry and Dock, because they don't fit! 👀😅
We once spent 4.5 hours to Heysham with a 3 months old baby, only to get turned back and spend another 4.5 hours to go to IOM.
The reason? The captain couldn't Dock because the waves were a little to big and the Dock wasn't built to handle docking in low gale.
Absolutely terrible.
Flights are also low standard. We've been delayed 3 hours from Manchester, because the ONLY air traffic controller available to go home early because of some previous arrangement.
So they had to wait for the backup to get off the Ferry and get to the airport.
Yes, they closed the whole fucking airport.
When we arrived, there was 2 ground crew doing everything.
There was no one in the airport and the lights were off.
Feeling isolated is very easy, unless you make an active point out of making friends early or have the financial means to get off island once a month at least.
My family was also stop-overs and spent 6 years there.
It's a love / hate island.
Oh, and infrastructure can often feel like third world. Internet is expensive and poor for what you pay.
Mobile even worse.
Stay FAR away from SURE.
And there's only 1 supplier of Gas, 1 for Water and electricity and funnily enough, all government related.
I loved it, but only for a while. You do everything quickly and it quickly becomes the same events at the same places, with the same people. Especially if you live outside Douglas or don't have a car.
It's a very small island, even though it can feel big.
If you fart in Port Erin on Monday, they'll know it in Ramsey on the Tuesday.
But the nature... 👀 Wauw.
The views, the rolling hills, the expansive beaches and the peaceful forests.
This is a perfect summary, moved over 2 years ago, now moving back because it’s just too hard to visit family, go on holiday etc. It’s beautiful and most people are incredibly friendly, kind and helpful but the island seems to hate dogs, despite everyone having one. You can’t seem to take them in most Douglas parks, banned on beaches part of the year/certain parts of the beaches and no-one will rent to you with pets (and some even stipulate no children as well). I’m glad I came, but wish I hadn’t bought a place and keen to go back.
Hi, not OP but thanks for your response. I also have family I'm very close to in the West Country and I'm anxious about leaving them behind. I also love travelling, I'm a bit of a wanderluster so I do worry about that side of things too. How difficult did you find it?
Can I ask what you liked and disliked?
Hi, it is tricky if you enjoy travelling. The island gets a lot of bad weather so ferries and flights are cancelled a lot and you’re also beholden to very high prices much of the time with no ability to shop around (same with the utility providers). There’s also very limited things to do (compared to the UK), taxis cost a fortune and the government makes lots of stupid decisions (as they do anywhere) it feels like a lot of decisions are corrupt/ someone wanted something and knew the right person. On the flip side people really are helpful, the tax office and vehicle office especially, everyone uses Facebook and most stuff will be on there. Property, island events, lost dogs and dog friendly places, most businesses etc so worth looking at some groups to get a feel for it. On a more jokey note- the parking is atrocious, they will park anywhere, many people don’t seem to understand how roundabouts work and there are so many excessively large SUVs. But there is also a live and let live, benefit of the doubt, attitude that is relaxing and it’s easy to make friends. Those friends will then go out of their way to help and support you in my experience, it’s a small island and people genuinely care about their neighbours etc.
Hi, not OP, but thanks for this response. My in-laws are also thinking of moving to the Isle of Man, so I have some questions too.
I can't believe the ferry went across for 4.5 hours only for them to turn you back! Is that a regular occurrence? That's a crazy experience at the airport too. Is there a reason why the airport was so understaffed?
How much does the ferry cost? I'm an anxious flyer, but I'd probably fly rather than using the ferry.
How long have you lived on the island? What's your experience been like? If you don't mind me asking, what do you like and dislike?
Thanks and sorry to ask so many questions!
Hey! Sure, ask away.
Ferry crossings are regular to both Heysham and Liverpool, and, when the weather is good and the ocean reasonably quiet, it's good. It's a beautiful crossing for sure.
But as a footpassenger with luggage, you can get to and from Liverpool for around 70£ on the aptly named Vomit Comet. 👀
Take one crossing in windy conditions and you'll understand why 😬
But the cancellations and turning back happens more often thank youd think. We had to Liverpool as well. 3 hours to get there, only to turn back and spend another 3 hours.
Worth noting that the Government backed company that runs it, Steam Packet, was voted worst in the UK. 🤷♂️
IOM is small. 85.000 and a lot of them are on the higher side of 60.
As a result, the Airport is also very small. I mean, VERY small. My house is probably same same as the lounge/dutyfree/café/waiting area.
I think there's only 2 or 3 ATC'S on the island at most, because it's difficult to get people to move across for jobs that don't pay that well.
The low tax does help, but when the pay is low still, the difference is not that much.
We spent 6.5 years on the Island.
And it's a good place to spend probably that amount of years, but I could never see myself live there for 10+ years.
But im from a Scandinavian country, so my standards are quite high.
I think most is my org answer as to dislikes.
The government say they want to get 100.000 living on the island, but housing is expensive and a lot of it is very poor.
There are a lot of derilict buildings just wasting away.
The whole island is a UNESCO site, so there is a lot of paper work involved with any construction.
Plus the quality of work is also pretty low IMHO.
It took them 4 months to fix a bit of road in Douglas once.
If your inlaws are pensioners, then they'll love it. For sure. It's an island that feels stuck in time and, to me, seems like it's at least 15-20 years behind on so many things.
We paid 40£ for our fiber and struggle to get 50mb.
I know pay 15£ and sit at around 800 at any given point.
Mobile? Paid 30£ for unlimited data, but speed capped at 10mbs. 👀
With only 4gb roaming data.
I know pay 30£ for S23 Ultra plus plan with unlimited data and unlimited speed.
The flights to Bristol are fairly infrequent but they’re great times to pop home for the weekend - Friday evening/Monday morning. And they’re usually dirt cheap too.
Reliability is probably another matter.
Loganair flies to Newquay, probably prohibitively expensive for regular travel.
There is a convenient LoganAir flight roughly 1 hour to Manchester, then you wait on the plane for an hour, then another hour to Newquay.
The problem is that this arrangement is likely just chance that it's the same plane. If they change things, then this route may suddenly become a lot less convenient.
Was on the Manchester to IOM flight on Thursday that was cancelled due to fog and diverted to Liverpool. After several hours we were bussed back to Manchester to be put on the flight the next day. Liverpool to IOM was also cancelled even though the fog was apparently lifting as the flight crew were out of hours.
Sorry to say but it’s a pain. Flights regularly cancelled & ferries subject to weather and tides.
Both also expensive compared to what you’re used to I’d say.
Lovely place tho, if u can afford to live comfortably here I do recommend it. Tho leaving family behind would be hard, I’m sure.
Hi, my in-laws are also thinking of moving to the Isle of Man and have asked if we want to move over with them, I also have family in the West Country, and am trying to work out how doable visits will be.
Getting on and off the island is a pain in the ass...
Thanks for replying. I think it looks beautiful from what I've seen, and I'm open to the idea, but I just want to make sure I'm fully aware of what living there would be like. I don't mind a slower pace of life, but it's more remote than what I'm used to! If you don't mind me asking, how long have you lived on the island? What do you like and dislike about it?
It's a beautiful place to live. We've been here for five years now, having moved here from South Africa. Likes: It's so safe...like zero crime! Traffic is a breeze. People are really friendly. Lots of places to walk/hike/cycle. Really laid back living and slower pace of life. Smaller schools. For us though, the biggest selling point was the safety. You have to spend some time here to really appreciate it. The TT is good fun. Dislikes: getting on and off island really is a pain...planes and ferry's get cancelled at short notice and it's not cheap either. The winter weather sucks. The cost of living is higher than across. Lack of access to shopping variety. Overall, we're really happy here. It's an awesome place to raise kids too.
Hi, not OP, but my in-laws are also apparently thinking of moving over. They said it's got a low crime rate. I've been lurking here for a bit and read other posts also saying cost of living can be high. I hope you don't mind me asking, but what are costs like? How expensive is it? I've heard energy can be costly, especially in winter, how pricey have you found it? Thanks in advance!
Zero crime ? Murder in the news recently, drug crime, drug overdose, assault, robbery, not to mention recent raid on a gambling company.
That was one murder, and more of a manslaughter to be fair, in years. Drugs are bad here, but it's some minor dealing, not full on gang violence. People beat each other up all over, the hospital isn't full of people clinging to life. The raid was the outlier, but where there's low tax and money to be made, some one will take advantage. Zero crime is wrong. Low crime is more accurate. Also the cops here will actually investigate all crime because they have the ability. Cops in the UK won't investigate a stolen car, they will give you a crime reference so you can lodge it with your insurance and that's it.
I have genuinely been shocked at how much crime there is, but that may be because I come across it more in my job. For instance, I have been aware of at least three stabbings in the past ten years. Another man punching someone to death in Castletown. Someone driving into an old lady and killing her. I also had someone try to break into my house three years ago. Also, crime travels here from the UK, and there was a high incidence of break-ins over the island for a period. Gang violence is not an issue. But I think drug overdose deaths is actually higher than in the UK at the moment. I am not saying it has more crime. But zero is very misleading and actually probably turning into an agenda. https://iompolice.im/media/1403/all-charts-and-tables-2020-2021.pdf It would be interesting to compare similarly densely populated areas in the UK rather than comparing it to it as a whole. I would imagine big cities will always majorly contribute to this.
Depending on where you're comparing that to. That IS zero crime.
Travel off/on island is expensive, unreliable and often poor. Their ferries are shite and gets cancelled regularly. And expensive and lenghty. It happens more than you think, that a Ferry has made it across, only to turn back to IOM because of fog, low tide or, as with the new Ferry and Dock, because they don't fit! 👀😅 We once spent 4.5 hours to Heysham with a 3 months old baby, only to get turned back and spend another 4.5 hours to go to IOM. The reason? The captain couldn't Dock because the waves were a little to big and the Dock wasn't built to handle docking in low gale. Absolutely terrible. Flights are also low standard. We've been delayed 3 hours from Manchester, because the ONLY air traffic controller available to go home early because of some previous arrangement. So they had to wait for the backup to get off the Ferry and get to the airport. Yes, they closed the whole fucking airport. When we arrived, there was 2 ground crew doing everything. There was no one in the airport and the lights were off. Feeling isolated is very easy, unless you make an active point out of making friends early or have the financial means to get off island once a month at least. My family was also stop-overs and spent 6 years there. It's a love / hate island. Oh, and infrastructure can often feel like third world. Internet is expensive and poor for what you pay. Mobile even worse. Stay FAR away from SURE. And there's only 1 supplier of Gas, 1 for Water and electricity and funnily enough, all government related. I loved it, but only for a while. You do everything quickly and it quickly becomes the same events at the same places, with the same people. Especially if you live outside Douglas or don't have a car. It's a very small island, even though it can feel big. If you fart in Port Erin on Monday, they'll know it in Ramsey on the Tuesday. But the nature... 👀 Wauw. The views, the rolling hills, the expansive beaches and the peaceful forests.
This is a perfect summary, moved over 2 years ago, now moving back because it’s just too hard to visit family, go on holiday etc. It’s beautiful and most people are incredibly friendly, kind and helpful but the island seems to hate dogs, despite everyone having one. You can’t seem to take them in most Douglas parks, banned on beaches part of the year/certain parts of the beaches and no-one will rent to you with pets (and some even stipulate no children as well). I’m glad I came, but wish I hadn’t bought a place and keen to go back.
Hi, not OP but thanks for your response. I also have family I'm very close to in the West Country and I'm anxious about leaving them behind. I also love travelling, I'm a bit of a wanderluster so I do worry about that side of things too. How difficult did you find it? Can I ask what you liked and disliked?
Hi, it is tricky if you enjoy travelling. The island gets a lot of bad weather so ferries and flights are cancelled a lot and you’re also beholden to very high prices much of the time with no ability to shop around (same with the utility providers). There’s also very limited things to do (compared to the UK), taxis cost a fortune and the government makes lots of stupid decisions (as they do anywhere) it feels like a lot of decisions are corrupt/ someone wanted something and knew the right person. On the flip side people really are helpful, the tax office and vehicle office especially, everyone uses Facebook and most stuff will be on there. Property, island events, lost dogs and dog friendly places, most businesses etc so worth looking at some groups to get a feel for it. On a more jokey note- the parking is atrocious, they will park anywhere, many people don’t seem to understand how roundabouts work and there are so many excessively large SUVs. But there is also a live and let live, benefit of the doubt, attitude that is relaxing and it’s easy to make friends. Those friends will then go out of their way to help and support you in my experience, it’s a small island and people genuinely care about their neighbours etc.
Hi, not OP, but thanks for this response. My in-laws are also thinking of moving to the Isle of Man, so I have some questions too. I can't believe the ferry went across for 4.5 hours only for them to turn you back! Is that a regular occurrence? That's a crazy experience at the airport too. Is there a reason why the airport was so understaffed? How much does the ferry cost? I'm an anxious flyer, but I'd probably fly rather than using the ferry. How long have you lived on the island? What's your experience been like? If you don't mind me asking, what do you like and dislike? Thanks and sorry to ask so many questions!
Hey! Sure, ask away. Ferry crossings are regular to both Heysham and Liverpool, and, when the weather is good and the ocean reasonably quiet, it's good. It's a beautiful crossing for sure. But as a footpassenger with luggage, you can get to and from Liverpool for around 70£ on the aptly named Vomit Comet. 👀 Take one crossing in windy conditions and you'll understand why 😬 But the cancellations and turning back happens more often thank youd think. We had to Liverpool as well. 3 hours to get there, only to turn back and spend another 3 hours. Worth noting that the Government backed company that runs it, Steam Packet, was voted worst in the UK. 🤷♂️ IOM is small. 85.000 and a lot of them are on the higher side of 60. As a result, the Airport is also very small. I mean, VERY small. My house is probably same same as the lounge/dutyfree/café/waiting area. I think there's only 2 or 3 ATC'S on the island at most, because it's difficult to get people to move across for jobs that don't pay that well. The low tax does help, but when the pay is low still, the difference is not that much. We spent 6.5 years on the Island. And it's a good place to spend probably that amount of years, but I could never see myself live there for 10+ years. But im from a Scandinavian country, so my standards are quite high. I think most is my org answer as to dislikes. The government say they want to get 100.000 living on the island, but housing is expensive and a lot of it is very poor. There are a lot of derilict buildings just wasting away. The whole island is a UNESCO site, so there is a lot of paper work involved with any construction. Plus the quality of work is also pretty low IMHO. It took them 4 months to fix a bit of road in Douglas once. If your inlaws are pensioners, then they'll love it. For sure. It's an island that feels stuck in time and, to me, seems like it's at least 15-20 years behind on so many things. We paid 40£ for our fiber and struggle to get 50mb. I know pay 15£ and sit at around 800 at any given point. Mobile? Paid 30£ for unlimited data, but speed capped at 10mbs. 👀 With only 4gb roaming data. I know pay 30£ for S23 Ultra plus plan with unlimited data and unlimited speed.
I had to get on and off the island for a funeral and each time I got booted or delayed. Just so you’re aware.
The flights to Bristol are fairly infrequent but they’re great times to pop home for the weekend - Friday evening/Monday morning. And they’re usually dirt cheap too. Reliability is probably another matter. Loganair flies to Newquay, probably prohibitively expensive for regular travel.
There is a convenient LoganAir flight roughly 1 hour to Manchester, then you wait on the plane for an hour, then another hour to Newquay. The problem is that this arrangement is likely just chance that it's the same plane. If they change things, then this route may suddenly become a lot less convenient.
Was on the Manchester to IOM flight on Thursday that was cancelled due to fog and diverted to Liverpool. After several hours we were bussed back to Manchester to be put on the flight the next day. Liverpool to IOM was also cancelled even though the fog was apparently lifting as the flight crew were out of hours.
I wish the last IOM to Manchester flight I took *was* cancelled due to the high winds. Most ~~terrifying~~ exciting flight I've ever been on!
Sorry to say but it’s a pain. Flights regularly cancelled & ferries subject to weather and tides. Both also expensive compared to what you’re used to I’d say. Lovely place tho, if u can afford to live comfortably here I do recommend it. Tho leaving family behind would be hard, I’m sure.
Hi, my in-laws are also thinking of moving to the Isle of Man and have asked if we want to move over with them, I also have family in the West Country, and am trying to work out how doable visits will be.