FRESH START?! We Are Moving to Portugal Without Visiting First 😳 | Here’s Why That’s Not Crazy!

We get this question all the time – why aren’t we visiting Portugal before we make our big move there? Everyone from our family to YouTube viewers keeps asking us about it. The truth is, we’ve never actually been to Portugal, and we know that sounds a bit mad to some people.

For us, though, it just doesn’t make sense to try and figure everything out in a week or two. We’d rather experience what it’s really like to live there, not just what it’s like to be on holiday there. When you’re on holiday, you’re in vacation mode – no work, no school, just beaches and restaurants. We want to see what the school system is like, how the work schedule fits with the time difference, and what it’s actually like to live in different areas throughout all the seasons.

Key Takeaways

• Short holiday visits don’t give you a real feel for what daily life is actually like in a new country.

• Multiple trips back and forth with a large family would cost us tens of thousands of pounds that we’d rather spend on exploring Europe.

• Living there for a full year lets us experience all seasons and properly explore different regions to find where we truly want to settle.

Why We Chose Not to Visit Portugal Before Moving

Our Unique Approach to Relocating

We often get asked why we’re not visiting Portugal before making the big move. Our situation is a bit different, and it just makes no sense to go there and try to figure it all out in a week or two.

We want to experience what it’s like to actually live in Portugal. Going on holiday for two to three weeks wouldn’t give us the true feel of living there because we’d be in vacation mode. The kids wouldn’t be doing school, and we wouldn’t be working our normal routine.

Why holiday mode doesn’t work for us:

• We wouldn’t be working normally

• Children wouldn’t experience the school system

• We’d only do touristy things like beaches and restaurants

• We’d miss the real daily life experience

We believe the only way to get that true experience is to go and live there. Every time we’ve been on holiday anywhere, we’ve wanted to move to that place. But that’s not real – that’s not what it’s going to be like when you actually live somewhere.

We’re planning to go there for a year at least. We want to travel from the top of Portugal to the bottom and experience all the seasons. We think we want to live on a few acres, but maybe we’ll end up in the city. We might think we don’t want to live in the Algarve, but maybe we’ll end up there.

There are so many different climates and areas to explore. Portugal has a different school system, different work schedules, and a different time zone. We need to see what it’s like and experience those things properly.

Personal Preferences and Lifestyle Goals

The financial side makes a huge difference for us. Flying all seven of us from Canada to Portugal and back would cost at least £12,000 per trip. We’d probably need to do it three or four times to get a good feel for the country.

Cost breakdown concerns:

• Multiple trips would easily cost £24,000-£32,000

• Everyone needs their own seat now

• Accommodation, food, and activities add up quickly

• That money could be used for other things

We’d rather use that money to travel around Europe once we get there. We want to base ourselves in Portugal but use it as a starting point to travel around. The kids want to go all around Europe – England, Spain, France, Rome, Greece. We have family in France too.

All these places are very accessible from Portugal. That £24,000-£32,000 from multiple trips would cover loads of trips around Europe because it’s much cheaper to travel within Europe.

The culture shock won’t be as big for us either. We were born in England and lived there for many years. We know the bureaucracy might be slower and things will be different, but it won’t be as much of a shock as it would be for someone who’s always lived in North America.

We know what we’re getting into. We want to experience the real Portugal – not just the tourist version.

The Drawbacks of Brief Visits

Vacation Mindset Rather Than Actual Living

When we think about taking a short trip to Portugal, we realise it wouldn’t give us the real picture of living there. Going on holiday puts you in vacation mode. You’re not working, the kids aren’t in school, and your whole life is basically on pause.

This holiday mindset means we’d be doing touristy things instead of experiencing daily life. We’d spend our time at the beach and eating at restaurants. That’s lovely for a break, but it’s not what living somewhere is actually like.

Holiday activities vs. real life:

• Holiday: Sightseeing and relaxing

• Real life: Working, school runs, grocery shopping

• Holiday: Trying new restaurants

• Real life: Cooking meals and managing a household

Every time we’ve been on holiday anywhere, we’ve thought it would be nice to live there. But that feeling comes from being in vacation mode, not from understanding what daily life would really be like.

Limited Time for Discovering Various Areas

Portugal has many different regions, and we want to explore them all properly. A holiday of two to three weeks just isn’t enough time to see everything we need to see.

We plan to travel from the top of Portugal to the bottom during our first year. We want to experience all the seasons in different areas. We might think we want to live on a few acres, but perhaps we’ll end up in the city. Maybe we think we don’t want to live in the Algarve, but we might change our minds.

Going back and forth on multiple short trips would be expensive too. We’d probably need three or four trips to get a proper feel for the country. Each holiday costs us at least £12,000 for all seven of us. Multiple trips would easily cost £25,000 to £30,000.

That money could be better spent on travelling around Europe once we’re based in Portugal. The kids want to visit Rome, Greece, Spain, and France. All these places are much more accessible from Portugal than from Canada.

Missing Out on Everyday Life and Educational Systems

A short visit wouldn’t let us experience the school system or daily routines. The kids need to see what Portuguese schools are like. We need to understand how the football clubs work and what the local activities are.

There’s also the time zone difference to consider. Portugal is six to seven hours ahead of Canada. We’d still need to be available for work calls during Canadian business hours. This means working more in the evenings, which is something we need to experience properly.

The bureaucracy in Portugal is meant to be slower than what we’re used to. We need to live through these processes, not just hear about them. Everything from opening bank accounts to registering for services will be different.

We want to truly understand what it’s like to manage a household there. This includes:

• Shopping for groceries

• Finding local services

• Understanding the healthcare system

• Learning about local customs and social expectations

Getting a Real Feel for Daily Life

Why We Want to Live Through Every Season

We think going there for a year lets us see what Portugal is really like in all seasons. When you go on holiday, you only see one time of year. We want to travel from the top of Portugal to the bottom and experience different climates in different seasons.

Each area has its own weather patterns. What feels perfect in summer might be too cold in winter. Or a place that seems lovely in spring could be too hot in summer.

We need to know what it’s like when the weather changes. This helps us pick the right place to live long-term.

Getting to Know the People and Way of Life

Holiday mode is totally different from real life. When you’re on holiday, you do touristy things like:

• Going to the beach

• Eating at restaurants

• Visiting attractions

But that’s not what daily life looks like. We want to dive into the culture and lifestyle properly. We need to see what it’s like to live amongst the locals and be part of the community.

Going on holiday for 2-3 weeks won’t give us enough time to explore all the different towns and villages. We won’t get to know the real Portugal that way.

Living with Different Work and School Routines

Work Schedule Challenges:

• Portugal is 6-7 hours ahead of our current time zone

• We still need to be available when people here are working

• This means working more in the evening

• We can’t experience this on a short holiday

School System: The school system is completely different there. Our kids need to try it out and see if they like it. You can’t experience what school is really like during a holiday visit.

Daily Routines: Everything changes when you actually live somewhere:

• Different work hours

• New school schedules

• Local customs and timing

• How businesses operate

We need to take our whole life from here and try it there. Only then will we know if it really works for our family.

Financial Considerations

The Cost of Multiple Visits

Flying our entire family of seven from Canada to Portugal would be expensive. Each person needs their own seat now, which adds up quickly. A single holiday trip costs us at least £12,000.

We would need to make three or four trips to get a proper feel for the country. This means we’d easily spend £25,000 to £30,000 on multiple visits. That’s a significant amount of money that we could use for other purposes.

The flights alone would be a major expense. Add in accommodation, food, and activities for seven people, and the costs become quite substantial.

Making the Most of Our Budget

We’d rather put that £25,000 to £30,000 towards exploring Europe once we’re based there. Those funds could cover multiple trips around Europe instead of just a few visits to Portugal.

Our priorities for the money:

• Travelling around Europe as a family

• Exploring different countries from our Portugal base

• Experiencing various cultures and places

The money we save by not making multiple trips gives us more options. We can use it for things that will enhance our overall European experience.

Prioritising Travel Opportunities Within Europe

Once we’re in Portugal, travelling around Europe becomes much more affordable. We want to use Portugal as our base to explore the continent.

Places we want to visit:

• England

• Spain

• France (we have family there)

• Rome

• Greece

All these destinations are easily accessible from Portugal. The cost of travelling within Europe is much lower than flying back and forth from Canada.

Our children are excited about seeing different European countries. Being based in Portugal makes this dream more realistic and affordable. We can take multiple trips around Europe for the same cost as a few return flights to Canada.

Obstacles and Adjustments

Possible Cultural Differences

We reckon the culture shock won’t be as massive for us compared to other families making this move. Since we were born in England and lived there for ages, we’re already familiar with European ways of life.

The shift won’t feel as dramatic as it would for someone who’s spent their whole life in North America. We understand that Portugal will have its own unique culture and customs. But having that European background gives us a bit of an advantage.

Key factors working in our favour:

• Born and raised in England

• Lived in Europe for 20+ years

• Familiar with European lifestyle and mindset

• Less likely to experience severe culture shock

Adapting to New Administrative Systems

We know the bureaucracy is meant to be much slower in Portugal. This is something we’re prepared for and expect when we arrive.

The administrative processes will be completely different from what we’re used to in Canada. We’ll need to sort out everything from scratch once we’re there. But we’d rather tackle these challenges whilst actually living there than try to figure them out during a short holiday.

What we’re expecting:

• Slower bureaucratic processes

• Different paperwork requirements

• New systems for everything

• Learning curve for official procedures

Adapting to New Life as a Family Unit

Moving our entire family of seven means everyone needs to adjust together. The kids will need to experience the different school system firsthand. We want them to try out local football and see how they like the way things work there.

Our work schedule will change completely due to the time difference. We’ll be six or seven hours ahead but still need to be available when colleagues back home are working. This means working more in the evenings.

Family adjustments include:

• School system – completely different approach to education

• Work schedule – evening hours to match Canadian time zones

• Daily routine – adapting to Portuguese lifestyle

• Activities – finding new sports and hobbies for the kids

We want to experience all four seasons in Portugal. This will help us understand what it’s really like to live there year-round rather than just getting a snapshot during one season.

Guidance for Others Thinking About Moving

Looking at Your Own Situation

Your personal circumstances play a huge role in deciding whether to visit first or just move. For our family of seven, it would cost at least £10,000 every time we fly from Canada to Portugal. We’d probably need three or four trips to get a proper feel for the place.

That’s easily £25,000 to £30,000 just on flights and holidays. We can use that money for other things instead. When we get to Portugal, we want to travel around Europe with the kids.

Think about these costs:

• Multiple flights for your whole family

• Hotels and accommodation

• Food and activities

• Time off work

Some people buy houses without ever visiting first. That seems mental to us. But going back and forth multiple times doesn’t make sense for our situation either.

Why Research Matters

You can’t learn everything about living somewhere from a short holiday. When you’re on holiday, you’re in vacation mode. You go to the beach, eat at restaurants, and do touristy things.

We wouldn’t be working. The kids wouldn’t be in school. That’s not what real life looks like.

Holidays don’t show you:

• What the school system is like

• How different work schedules affect you

• What it’s like living in different time zones

• How bureaucracy actually works

• What daily life feels like

We want to experience all four seasons in Portugal. We want to travel from north to south and see different areas. A two-week holiday won’t give us that.

Choosing What Works for Your Family

Every family needs to do what makes sense for them. For most people, visiting first is probably smart advice. We’d tell other people to go and see the place before moving.

Our situation is different though. We were both born in England, so moving to Europe won’t be as much of a culture shock. We know things will be different, but we’re ready for that.

We’re planning to stay for at least a year. That gives us time to really experience life there. We might think we want to live on a few acres, but end up in the city. We might avoid the Algarve but end up loving it there.

Consider these questions:

• How much culture shock will you face?

• Can you afford multiple trips?

• How long do you plan to stay?

• What’s your backup plan if it doesn’t work out?

We want to take our actual life from here and live it there. That means working different hours because of the time zone. It means putting the kids in local schools. It means dealing with all the daily things that make up real life.