I retired to Coimbra 4 years ago and do not regret it one bit :) Dont need a car, plenty of public transport and cheap. 1 hr train ride to coast & beach ;) Students help create a real atmosphere here, lots of live music in summer. Lots of cafes, bakeries plus two large shopping malls. For me, there is a real laid back atmosphere, PT people in general are very friendly & helpful, lots of English spoken. One thing that I love is that PT people have no pretentions, everyone is real and don´t judge you, no matter your age, your dress, you locality, non of that pretentious nonsense so prolific in UK and other developed contemporary nations. Yes, there are hills but good local transport so not a problem. There are rental apts for all budgets. I live well on my age pension....but I´m not a consumer in general or one of those people that needs to go out spending money to feel good. Weather great in summer not too hot or humid, can get cold in winter but that is what I wanted. Do get some heavy Atlantic rain sometimes but the overall package across the seasons is perfect as far as I´m concerned.
Don't forget : * a Mata Nacional do Choupal with its sport area, nice place for all the family, * a praia fluvial, * o observatorio geofisico e astronomico, * o FORUM with a lot of different restaurants on the last floor, * o aerodroma, * the camping ⛺ , * the monastaries, * a casa de BISSAIA BARRETO with its two libraries and a great number of paintings, * the museums, * the panoramic views from o Miradouro, * etc.
Coimbra is at the top of our list for the first year we reside in Portugal. During that time we hope to travel around to check out the entire country and then at the end of the year, move to Maderia for at least 3 months, at the end of which time we hope we can make the decision where to settle down. Great video and I love the enthusiasm for travel that you guys bring!
Hi, in Coimbra we have some of the best schools in the country, best hospitals, as we are a city of knowledge, you will find all the services you need, lawyers, doctors,etc, transportation is really good, in the winter the city vibes with the students, from everywhere in the world, many parties, great night life, in the summer many tourists, the country side is beautiful, and the beach is only 40mins away..lots of history to look for. Its very "central" 1.20h Porto, 2h Lisboa, 4 h Algarve,3h Spain, good for Sports, river adventures, the excess of student activities can be anoying..thanks for the video .
Great vid, you exhale happiness and is very fun to watch you guys. Thanks for you compliments to Coimbra, my born city, hope everything and everybody deliver twice or more than you did with this video. 😍
Urgh - you are making it harder for me to decide where to retire... I keep adding cities to my list of places to check out. Your videos are priceless. Thank you!
Howdy! It's always great - I actually really love it - of having foreigners experiencing my hometown, talking both of the good and the bad they come in contact here. And such a balanced and honest take you guys have at that, thanks! You talk about something happening across the river with lots of kids, I reckon that what you've seen could be Portugal dos Pequenitos theme park (from the 40ies, also with a kindergarten) or Exploratório Centro Ciência Viva, that is kind of a museum for kids to experience science (also has a quite cool bookstore for kids, Faz de Conto). Again, thanks for expating my city. PS - If you're still around, drop me a line in case you need anything. Cheers!
Cool introduction to that amazing town! Thanks! I loved the way we arrived by train to the central station in the downtown, they call it Coimbra A. Super scenic and welcoming travelling by the river.
Been waiting for this one! Awesome video, Coimbra seems like it would be a great smaller city to live in with all the modern amenities. It’s definitely tops on my short list.
Another historical fun fact. Coimbra’s patron saint was a Queen of Portugal, Saint Isabella, grandmother of King Pedro, the famous Pedro & Inês. Her stories can be quite touching.
@@MiguelSantos-mm5fy That is the name used in Portuguese, but I thought that her name was Isabella, since she was not Portuguese... After rechecking it seems to also be Isabel in Aragonese.
We definitely love our new town! Glad you guys enjoyed it as well. You saw some great places and really great prices! Wow! Have a safe journey up north and then back to Porto. We will keep our eyes out for your next videos! 😀
We were so glad to meet up with you all and learn more about how you got to Coimbra and how much you enjoy it. We hope we did it justice from your POV. See you in Porto? - Josh & Kalie
@@ExpatsEverywhere we loved your perspective on Coimbra. You guys looked so tan in the video?! We feel like it might be hard to beat living in Coimbra now that we are so happy here. Loved meeting you guys and definitely look for us in Porto as soon as we can get there, next month or so maybe? 😀🤷🏻♀️ Safe travels to you all!
Of all the places you have shown over the last year, Coimbra seems like the most interesting to live. I have a young family with 2 kids less than ten years old. And this university city seems excellent to live and make a living for someone thinking of settling in Coimbra
It's really nice for sure. If you don't want something the size of Porto, and you like overall cooler climates, Coimbra or Braga might be for you! - Josh & Kalie
Best video I’ve seen for living in Coimbra! You confirmed to keep this town on our long list of places to visit. 😀 Looks pretty lively even w/Covid. Obrigado.
Thank you. 🙏 We're really pleased to hear that! For sure, keep this on your shortlist of places to live. It was very lively but heavily masked. - Josh & Kalie
Oh wow! Coimbra looks amazing! We will definitely have to hit it! Love your sunkissed faces!! Wish we were there! Just got breast cancer dx. So gonna be down with chemo over the winter, so we are hoping to at least visit in the spring! Lunch on us! Much love❤️❤️❤️
Hottest in the Summer is 26 °C? What were you looking at? The average max? The lowest max? I lived (and studied) there 20 years ago and the temperatures were high enough to make me study at night and go to the cinema just to catch a bit of air conditioning. >30 °C is extremely common (I'd say it's the most common max in July-August). And since the city does not have enough green cover, the irradiated heat from the city makes the felt temperature even worse. I love the city, just don't oversell it.
Loved the video, thanks guys! Coimbra is the first city in PT that makes me think we could live a little further away from an airport. Have not yet visited but am intrigued and look forward to checking it out. Safe travels to Braga!
I love your videos! I like how you detail the cons as well as the pros. Nowhere is perfect! Portugal is on the top of my list for living next. Lived in Costa Rica for 4 years, but want something with good weather and a much lower murder rate.
Thank you for wonderful introduction of Coimbra . We are a huge fan of your channel. We are moving to Portugal in 3 weeks, definitely will check that out !
Thanks, Fred. We certainly remember you from way back before we moved here watching, commenting and supporting the channel. Congrats on the move. Let us know when you get here. - Josh & Kalie
Cool vid, love Coimbra very much.. but had a real struggle to watch the vid due to Chrome/YT incompatibilities.. which is strange since Google owns YT.. anyway the park Kalie mentioned is called Portugal dos Pequenitos (Children´s Portugal) that has like a miniature representation of the housing or monuments of regions/cities to help educate the little ones, kids love them since they can enter inside those hobbit-sized homes/monuments. Also, there is a famous Coimbra Roman site near Coimbra (Condeixa-a-Velha) called Conímbriga that might deserve a visit. Yes, the tolls in pretty much all highways and the price of fuel make a road trip expensive, you need to use the GPS and set it to avoid tolls that is, if you are not in a hurry. Big cities also have an extra cost attached to owning a car which will be parking, so in big cities, it´s always advisable if you live in a place without a garage to pay a monthly fee for it, but even with a garage if you drive across a big city you will be required to pay a fee to park in the majority of the streets (e.g. in Lisbon, you pay more in the center and less the more far away you are from it, with the amount of time parked being less in the center than outside of it), to combat they say, the massive volume of cars with only 1 driver in the city center. At the same time right now the cost of owning an unlimited monthly pass for all transports in the Greater Lisbon Area (from Sintra to Setubal) costs you 40€ (it´s practically free compared with the biggest European cities, I´ve heard that this situation extends to other big cities as well but no sure.
Wow! Very nice informative reply. I'm going to be scouting Coimbra in mid-September. At first I was going to go with my two weeks in just the Algarve, but decided to check out other possible cities to live in that might be more temperate than say Tavira to live in. Not crazy about the "high humidity" report, but sounds like that's just in the winter, which older joints and muscles don't like. So we'll see.
Thank you. What was going on with the Chrome/YT incompatibility? What was happening? The park that Kalie was talking about was Park Verde do Mondego. We did walk past Portugal dos Pequenitos a couple of times but we honestly didn't want to pay that much for the group to go in. 😂 Thanks for the additional information regarding cars. It's exactly what we've felt any time we've rented a car and it's why we don't want to own a car here. - Josh & Kalie
Thanks guys for this video!!! Absolutely loved it! We have Portugal in our “Next Country” list... and this video gave us a great insight about Coimbra as an option to live in Portugal! 🥳 Keep up the good work you’re doing on your channel.
On our planned trip to Portugal and Galicia in October, we were planning only a few hours in Coimbra. I now know we need more time there. My kind of town. But at the end of your trip, tell us if you prefer Coimbra or Porto. I see advantages to both. Thanks so much for this series about Portugal. I think your presentations just keep getting better and better. Congrats!
Porto! We are on the bus right now to Braga and drove through Porto. We had a very short stop 5-10 minutes but I so badly wanted off the bus. Coimbra is very nice though and if something were to happen with us in Porto or we felt we wanted something new, Coimbra is high on the list.
You can go up to the university by bus, by car or in the elevator. Absolute must see: Numerous river beaches called „praia fluvial“. Try it! It‘s amazing!
Enjoyed this video very much. Coimbra is indeed very beautiful. You touched on energy ratings for apartments in Portugal. From what I've read the A and B ratings are preferred with the C rating being an absolute minimum. Do you agree? I have also heard you mention that different building standards have been introduced in different years. What year of construction (e.g. 2005 onwards) would you reccomend for someone looking for a comfortable apartment to spend winters in Portugal? Thank you very much and keep up the great work!!
Hi Martin! Thank you very much. Coimbra is certainly pretty. Regarding the energy ratings for Central, North, and Alentejo, yes, you probably won't want to go below a C because of how expensive electric is. 2005 and new seems to be the right years for the new regulation but we've heard a few people say that even then, you still need to make sure that the builder was good. This is another reason buying a bit of a headache. Thanks for the encouragement. - Josh & Kalie
Ridiculous expensive. Try Tomar 's Luso Nabão they will bring the car to u and are renting the smallest car at €50 a day not sure what' s their week's renral amount. Love Coimbra. ❤️🇵🇹
I'm planning to buy a condo/home on the ocean there, as a launch point for our dream farmhouse somewhere inland (Portalegre?) that will require being on-site for renovations.
I would live in Coimbra in the summer and Lisbon, Cascais or Sliver Coast in the winter. Too bad you didn’t get to see the University students wearing their beautiful traditional capes. When I was there in 2019 I was lucky to get some pictures with some of the most friendly students wearing their black capes/uniforms. (Think of the capes worn in the Harry Potter movies🤔)
Great video, Coimbra offers something for everyone! Nice to know a car really isn’t necessary for getting around the city. Weather seems quite pleasant too!
You’re making it difficult to choose between Coimbra and Porto!!!! I’ll be there in September after all, so I’ll definitely be staying in Coimbra and Porto.
Great video! I love the history combined with practical information...Can't wait to visit!! Road trips being planned now...I guess there is more to Portugal than just Lisbon!!!😉
Have to add to the many people who thought this your best vid. I added extra time to visiting this place even before seeing this vid. Now I almost want to add more, but will have to modify my mid September itinerary again! The year round more temperate climate looks a little better than even Tavira, which was number one on my list to move to, but the reference to "humid winters" concerned me. Older joints and muscles don't deal with that as well anymore. Maybe a winter trip is needed when I come again.
Thank you very much, John. The extra time spent here really helped us out a lot in terms of getting the shots we wanted. The dampness here is so tricky! - Josh & Kalie
Interviewing them for a video? It's hard to get people on camera. Talking to multiple people that live there? We try to do that for every city we cover. In the case of Coimbra, we spoke to a few Americans and Portuguese. The tough thing about asking someone that lives in a place if it's a good place to live is that there bias in it because why would they live there if they didn't like it? - Josh & Kalie
Thanks, Yin and Jan. The extra time shooting Coimbra gave us a chance to get the shot we really wanted to and go back and review what we had done. We appreciate your support. 🙏 - Josh & Kalie
I have a friend who pays 250€ a month + eletricity, water and gas in a T1 with a giant kitchen, a giant living/dinning room, a great bedroom with a incorporate wardrobe (about 4.5mX1mX2m), a bathroom with bathtub and private garage for one car and two motorbikes.
Thank you. The story of Pedro and Inês it was essencial for me to choose Coimbra. I love mambo jambo "historical facts"! Also, scooters are very useful for me to loose my teeth on the tarmac for only 0,5€!
😅 Shew at first we thought you were being sarcastic. We were thinking as we planned the video, "Should we include this bit or not?" Dental insurance and out of pocket pay is very low in Portugal. 😉 - Josh & Kalie
Looking again at the video at 6:42 I first was rising the question where that place would be..?? After some time I recognized it. The oranges of this tree, now in January, are delicious. 😄😃🤣
Excellent video... Loved the shots with Josh walking past spots, over and over. Cute! And the shots spanning the different areas, I just wish there was a lot more of that, as I've not been to Coimbra, yet. One day. I wondered why a lot of US people have been choosing Coimbra, it seems like a popular choice for single women in the 50's and 60's... I think I can see why. It looks like a lovely city and definitely has what you need. My preference is the Silver Coast, but I'll definitely book a few days in Coimbra once I'm settled in back in Peniche. Thank you for the video.
Thanks, Jen!! We weren't sure if it was going to be too cheesy but we went for it. 😂 It does seem to be a popular choice for sure. Central is hugely popular, isn't it?
Following your videos of a variety of places makes me wonder aside from physical features and weather, which place really makes Expats more feel they belong and at home? Will look forward to your future interviews of long term Expat residents on the subject, thank you so much!
I do think you need to visit different places and cities before you decide, but one trip to Lisbon and 3 more visits and we were sold! We LOVE Lisbon and feel at 'home'...Portugal and Portuguese in general make us feel this way!!
It’s wonderful to hear and thank you 🙏 We heard from many people who found Lisbon and Portugal home, we also heard from some, after years of stay as retirees said that they couldn’t find local friends and feel lonely. Guess people find friends mostly through work and parenting, so retirees who do neither will be left to their own devices unless they have many hobbies and can find friends through hobbies...
Thanks. The thing is, everyone is different so check out a few places before really settling down or at least take a look a content like ours (doesn't have to be ours) and figure out what matches what you want. There are a lot of foreigners flocking to various places all over Central Portugal. - Josh & Kalie
Great comment, Tamara, and like for us, we had 4 separate trips to Porto but on the first visit we loved it and the subsequent visits made us feel like it was the one. - Josh & Kalie
I had eliminated Coimbra from my list of possibilities, but your video made me reconsider. I didn't want hills, but it's all relative. Where I live now is much hillier, and yet I don't consider this area hilly. I'll be looking for a rental on the outskirts. Beautiful city.
Great info ..... always thought that Coimbra got frozen in the winter, nice to know it's not really that COLD. Visited Lisbon years ago and liked it but don't think I would like it today. Setubal does look very interesting too, have you explored there yet ?
Thanks for this very detailed video! I decided I'd want to live in Coimbra if I come on a D7 Visa. For the past year I've been focused on gathering Documents for Italian Citizenship by Descent- I'd prefer to have an EU Passport. But the Italian process may take too long - I'm thinking Portugal again! The fact that you don't need a Car - a major Plus. I never liked driving in the US and don't intend to drive in Portugal.
bom dia :) I am from Coimbra and had to leave as it's hard to get a job there, there are not many opportunities... if you live outside the center, then a car is quite needed :p i talk as my neighbourhood is just near the train station Coimbra-B... it's quite hot in the summer, so we go to the beach at Figueira da Foz... but it's full of history, histories, adventures, important personalities, big parks, lots of culture happening....
@@ExpatsEverywhere still, if you do remote work or are good with programming, there are some local IT companies too, like Critical Software... and do explore the region of Baixo Mondego... Montemor-o-Velho, Tentúgal with its pastries, the beautiful Figueira da Foz, Tocha, Mira... the coast is beautiful... and there are now some festivities going on, S. Pedro is big in fishing places... this year there's the Rainha Santa Isabel processions too and the Festas da Cidade (4th of July is Coimbra day too :) ). I was reading the procession down from Santa Clara-a-Nova to Santa Cruz is on July 7th, the return procession on the 10th go to Poiares, have chanfana, go up Rio Alva :)
if you enjoy nature, Serra do Buçaco and Luso, baixo Mondego, the Bairrada wineries... Aldeias de Xisto. Roman ruins of Rabaçal and Conímbriga. Castles... regional gastronomy.... Buracas do Casmilo..... and a classic for Coimbra... Moinhos (windmills) of Roxo and Aveleira ... Choupal and Vale de Canas :)
Figueira da Foz... big beach (cold water), salt ponds, gorgeous city, markets with fresh fish, good restaurants, casino, mountain, the estuary of the Mondego... the picturesque streets of Figueira da Foz and Buarcos.... also some villages around and the region of the campos do Mondego... plus the gastronomy, pastries... arroz doce... :)
👋 Loved your video. I was there in 1990 and remember the love story and the park... Portugal dos Pequenitos. I sat watching to see if it was still there since my...gasp... 30 years ago visit. I loved it myself since I’m on the short side, 4ft11and 3/4 inches😉! If you have time, it is a must especially seeing it as your daughter experiences it, in my opinion that is.
The salaries are very low there. This country is not for those who have to work, but rather for those who already have a filled bank account and want to enjoy a nice climate and cheap restaurants.
I've been interested in Coimbra for a while - seems really charming. But, wondering if it has enough going on for someone from NY who enjoys the big city variety.
Probably not, Steven. Honestly, you’d have to come here to check it out yourself though. Our guess is no. We have friends that lived in LA and NYC and they love Lisbon and Porto. They currently live in Porto.
I would say it doesn’t. It is more calm and with less things to do compared to a big city, let alone NY. You would need to readjust to less variety and a different culture, after all it only has 1/80th of the population. You should check the city council cultural guide website to get a rough idea of what happens in the city, it has some information in English.
Is it possible to rent the apartment for a month, 3 months, 6 month if we don’t have NIF (as a tourist)? We are thinking about spending sometime in Portugal in a few years but we want to explore sooner than later.
Yes! I'm planning to move to Coimbra next year and also planning to study in UC. I'll be looking the Mondego River/Coimbra district, like Lorvão/Penacova. Living as an expat and a college student. 😀
Pardon my comment, but I would not advise staying in Lorvão/Penacova to study in Coimbra. They are beautiful places but unless you have a car, commuting might not be very flexible, since public transport is not very frequent
@@ppietrap3876 Hi, I will be in Coimbra from September to January to study in UC polo 1) and I would like to know which area is the best connected to public transportation. I have found a room to rent in the area of Solum. Do you think it's a good place to stay ? I'm also wondering if it's ok to live in an appartment with no heat in winter. Most of the landlords I have contacted in Coimbra do not provide heat. Is that frequent there? I would be grateful if you could give me any recommendation or suggestion about this subject. Thank you 😊
@@houdabenyounes5743 Hi! Solum is a good area to live, probably one of the best since you have access to almost everything you need, though without a street name I cannot give you too much of an accurate information. What I would say is that you would certainly be less than 10 minutes walk from several bus lines to different parts of the city... to the university area I think you would have like 2 or 3 very regular bus lines, though you have to climb to reach the University. I think there are 2 other bus lines that actually pass in front of the University but they are less regular and I don’t recall if they go through Solum. You could check the city’s public transport site, smtuc, there is a version in English. You could also just walk there. It would be like 5 minutes uphill, plus maybe 15-20 minutes on a flat surface. You would get used to it, but when it rains it might not be so pleasant. In Coimbra only a few houses/apartments have central heating. People usually use electrical appliances to heat rooms in the house, maybe your landlord could provide such appliances. Winters are not too cold but you should be prepared to use warm clothes inside the house, and use warm blankets in bed. Also important, wear grippy shoes. When it rains the sidewalks might get a bit slippery, specially on slopes. With good footwear this shouldn’t be an issue.
Indeed, Coimbra has drawn my attention. I’ve been eyeing and researching it for several months now as a possible retirement place. Thank you for this spotlight on it! In fact, my wife and I will be doing our first tour of Portugal this October (2022) for two weeks, starting in Porto and working our way to Lisbon via Coimbra.
@@ExpatsEverywhere Truth be told, I'm torn between Porto and Coimbra. Becoming an FC Porto fan could be the tie-breaker. Coimbra's club, Académica, is pretty sad, dropping all the way down to Liga 3, but on the other hand, I'm an academic and was always on losing sports team as a kid so I have a soft spot for underdogs and lovable losers....
Another great video, thanks! You said the link for the apartment tour video would be linked in the description, but I'm not seeing it - am I just missing it?
So sorry, Brady. We had a technical issue with the video the first time we uploaded it and we forgot to add the link when we re-uploaded the video. th-cam.com/video/A8dtBZkWIj0/w-d-xo.html Thanks for reminding up! - Josh & Kalie
Awesome video. We are definitely considering Coimbra when we arrive in Portugal. We also have a young daughter, and are wondering what the school system is like for kids? Mainly are there good international schools prior to university - or how is the public school system there? I am going to hit the subscribe button and bang the notification bell right away to keep up with your future videos. We are also considering Nazaré for a coastal town.
Thanks, Aidan. If you write Kalie directly at info@expatseverywhere.com she can get you more schooling info. We appreciate the support and encouragement in your comment. 💪 We visited Nazaré but only for a short while. Have you thought about Matosinhos or is it too north? - Josh & Kalie
@@ExpatsEverywhere I will reach out shortly! We are considering all options and keeping an open mind. We are doing our preliminary research mainly on TH-cam, but we look forward to getting boots on the ground and exploring all areas throughout Portugal to find what might click the best with us. We also were looking at Geres in north east Portugal. I haven’t heard of that community, but I will research it pronto! We just know we are staying away from Lisbon other than for short stays to see the sights.
@@aidannewton Nice. Kalie will be able take care of those questions you have as she's the deeper researcher and has connected to families here in Portugal. We know what you mean about staying about from Lisbon. 😉- Josh
thank you for your videos! really enjoying them. What do you think would be a good choice of town for a young single (35) person who would prefer not to need a car, loves nature, clean air, as little traffic and noise as possible but also possibility of meeting people their age; bike-friendly and a decent min 30m2 appartment to buy of max 120k? sorry for too many details! thank youuu!!
I have a friend who pays 250€ a month + eletricity, water and gas in a T1 with a giant kitchen, a giant living/dinning room, a great bedroom with a incorporate wardrobe (about 4.5mX1mX2m), a bathroom with bathtub and private garage for one car and two motorbikes.
Unfortunately, no. We tried to spend as much time as possible in Coimbra for the video. We just recently heard about Lousa and will have to make a separate trip.
To be honest, we're not sure. We haven't looked at enough real estate by the beach. Sorry. If you'd like we can put you in touch with a few different realtors we like. - Josh & Kalie
I was wondering what places you might recommend to a family of 4 adults who have only 8 days to visit Portugal. We fly into Lisbon at the end of May and plan to see Belem, Sintra and explore Lisbon. Would you recommend Coimbra or Porto? Since we only have 8 days we didnt want to spend too much time driving in car. Any feedback would be great.
Both Coimbra and Porto are great. Belem is day at best. Sintra could be a a day or a few depending on what you're wanting to do, see, and accomplish. Lisbon is a minimum of 3 days to really take it in. You could consider taking the train from Lisbon to Coimbra or Porto. Both places you'll want a minimum of 2 days in our opinion. In our opinion, you could probably fill 8 days with just what you have planned but it depend on your energy and pace that you want to attack each location with. - Josh & Kalie
Used to take the train from Lisbon to Coimbra a lot to visit In-laws, never needed a car there. Most people there would only take their cars out for road trips (Algarve vacation).
Coimbra is a good Expat... But you must be very careful of buildings that are 25 + years old cause they don't have insulation. Newer buildings or apartments even old houses that have been refurbished are much better to live in and much more cost-efficient.
What's the music scene like in Coimbra? I'm guessing that, outside pandemic concerns, that Lisbon, Porto, and Coimbra, have dynamic music from all over the world. Is that true? Thanks, Alex
we have a techno underground scene,we have many concerts during the student parties ( 1 week in September and another in May) with many concerts (world bands come here often), we have tradition of indie genre so you will find bars playing pop from the 90´s, rock from the 80´s, for more classical taste we have Convento São Francisco with many interesting things all over the year..From Carl Cox playing here a couple of times, to the Berlin scene having a residency in a club in the city, to Morphine,James, The Cure,Tindersticks, etc etc, oh so many..lately we had Andrea Bocceli and André Rieu in the stadium of football, we even had Madonna lol...yeah Coimbra has a history with world music,,
Thanks, Miguel, as I thought and hoped it would be. University towns usually have great and diverse music scenes. Many bands from western African countries, too? Afrobeat, African jazz? Alex
@@ExpatsEverywhere yes because central Portugal many people are buying house /property and living around Tomar , santarém ,it's beautiful place good access from Lisbon and peaceful region
Yep…!!! Count us in too..!!!
Let's go! - Josh & Kalie
I retired to Coimbra 4 years ago and do not regret it one bit :) Dont need a car, plenty of public transport and cheap. 1 hr train ride to coast & beach ;) Students help create a real
atmosphere here, lots of live music in summer. Lots of cafes, bakeries plus two large shopping malls. For me, there is a real laid back atmosphere, PT people in general
are very friendly & helpful, lots of English spoken. One thing that I love is that PT people
have no pretentions, everyone is real and don´t judge you, no matter your age, your dress,
you locality, non of that pretentious nonsense so prolific in UK and other developed contemporary nations. Yes, there are hills but good local transport so not a problem.
There are rental apts for all budgets. I live well on my age pension....but I´m not a consumer
in general or one of those people that needs to go out spending money to feel good.
Weather great in summer not too hot or humid, can get cold in winter but that is what I wanted. Do get some heavy Atlantic rain sometimes but the overall package across the seasons is perfect as far as I´m concerned.
😊 agree on the weather, though above 30°C it already starts to be hot for me!
Thanks for the additional info. We appreciate it. Wished we could have met up while there. - Josh & Kalie
@@ExpatsEverywhere that would have been nice but I only just found your channel !
Don't forget :
* a Mata Nacional do Choupal with its sport area, nice place for all the family,
* a praia fluvial,
* o observatorio geofisico e astronomico,
* o FORUM with a lot of different restaurants on the last floor,
* o aerodroma,
* the camping ⛺ ,
* the monastaries,
* a casa de BISSAIA BARRETO with its two libraries and a great number of paintings,
* the museums,
* the panoramic views from o Miradouro,
* etc.
Coimbra is at the top of our list for the first year we reside in Portugal. During that time we hope to travel around to check out the entire country and then at the end of the year, move to Maderia for at least 3 months, at the end of which time we hope we can make the decision where to settle down. Great video and I love the enthusiasm for travel that you guys bring!
Thank you very much. We appreciate the support for what we're trying to do. Coimbra is really nice and now we get it. 😁 - Josh & Kalie
if you want some ideas I am from Coimbra :)
and i'll be back in a couple of weeks... matar saudades :)
Just moving from Madeira to Coimbra ✈️👋💞
@@linogalveias can u share your contact dear
@@linogalveias hi im moving there next month, como ta a situacao ali com os trabalhos? tem oportunidades nessa cidade?
Coimbra is where I'm most interested in living. Especially seeing the mild average temperature range. Wow!
Yes! Those mild temperatures are what we like about Porto as well. - Josh & Kalie
it is absolute HELL during the summer. Even when it's like 28ºC, it feels like 40º
João, yes, I imagine the humidity and close buildings with lots of pavement intensifies the heat. :)
Alex
@@joao3547 perhaps Coimbra prior to the warmer weather and go further north during that time.
@@joao3547 which area of the country do you feel has the best overall climate? Thank you so much. :>)
Hi, in Coimbra we have some of the best schools in the country, best hospitals, as we are a city of knowledge, you will find all the services you need, lawyers, doctors,etc, transportation is really good, in the winter the city vibes with the students, from everywhere in the world, many parties, great night life, in the summer many tourists, the country side is beautiful, and the beach is only 40mins away..lots of history to look for. Its very "central" 1.20h Porto, 2h Lisboa, 4 h Algarve,3h Spain, good for Sports, river adventures, the excess of student activities can be anoying..thanks for the video .
Thanks for sharing and adding value to the video by putting good comments like this! - Josh & Kalie
Great vid, you exhale happiness and is very fun to watch you guys. Thanks for you compliments to Coimbra, my born city, hope everything and everybody deliver twice or more than you did with this video. 😍
Aww, thanks, Luis! We appreciate the comment. You've got a really nice hometown! - Josh & Kalie
Urgh - you are making it harder for me to decide where to retire... I keep adding cities to my list of places to check out. Your videos are priceless. Thank you!
Thank you, Sylvia. Coimbra is worth a shot for sure but that’s how we feel about it. 😃
Howdy! It's always great - I actually really love it - of having foreigners experiencing my hometown, talking both of the good and the bad they come in contact here. And such a balanced and honest take you guys have at that, thanks! You talk about something happening across the river with lots of kids, I reckon that what you've seen could be Portugal dos Pequenitos theme park (from the 40ies, also with a kindergarten) or Exploratório Centro Ciência Viva, that is kind of a museum for kids to experience science (also has a quite cool bookstore for kids, Faz de Conto). Again, thanks for expating my city. PS - If you're still around, drop me a line in case you need anything. Cheers!
Cool introduction to that amazing town! Thanks! I loved the way we arrived by train to the central station in the downtown, they call it Coimbra A. Super scenic and welcoming travelling by the river.
You cannot miss visiting "Portugal dos Pequenitos". For children and adults it's wonderful...
We're cheap and didn't want to pay to go in. 😅 - Josh & Kalie
Been waiting for this one! Awesome video, Coimbra seems like it would be a great smaller city to live in with all the modern amenities. It’s definitely tops on my short list.
Nice! We're so glad that you like it! Coimbra has most things people are looking for in terms of amenities. - Josh & Kalie
Another historical fun fact. Coimbra’s patron saint was a Queen of Portugal, Saint Isabella, grandmother of King Pedro, the famous Pedro & Inês. Her stories can be quite touching.
Rainha Santa Isabel
@@MiguelSantos-mm5fy That is the name used in Portuguese, but I thought that her name was Isabella, since she was not Portuguese... After rechecking it seems to also be Isabel in Aragonese.
We definitely love our new town! Glad you guys enjoyed it as well. You saw some great places and really great prices! Wow! Have a safe journey up north and then back to Porto. We will keep our eyes out for your next videos! 😀
We were so glad to meet up with you all and learn more about how you got to Coimbra and how much you enjoy it. We hope we did it justice from your POV. See you in Porto? - Josh & Kalie
@@ExpatsEverywhere we loved your perspective on Coimbra. You guys looked so tan in the video?! We feel like it might be hard to beat living in Coimbra now that we are so happy here. Loved meeting you guys and definitely look for us in Porto as soon as we can get there, next month or so maybe? 😀🤷🏻♀️ Safe travels to you all!
@@jeaninehuston7820 😃 we saw the video and thought are we really that tan. 😆
Let us know when you wanna visit. We’ll be around.
Of all the places you have shown over the last year, Coimbra seems like the most interesting to live. I have a young family with 2 kids less than ten years old. And this university city seems excellent to live and make a living for someone thinking of settling in Coimbra
It's really nice for sure. If you don't want something the size of Porto, and you like overall cooler climates, Coimbra or Braga might be for you! - Josh & Kalie
Best video I’ve seen for living in Coimbra! You confirmed to keep this town on our long list of places to visit. 😀 Looks pretty lively even w/Covid. Obrigado.
Thank you. 🙏 We're really pleased to hear that! For sure, keep this on your shortlist of places to live. It was very lively but heavily masked. - Josh & Kalie
Really fantastic and thorough overview! Loved it! Coimbra is definitely on our list for renting while we search to buy. Thank you, Kalie and Josh!
Thank you so much, Nesit! We appreciate the support and love. - Josh & Kalie
Was there in ‘19; really enjoyed it…
What did you like the most about it? - Josh & Kalie
Oh wow! Coimbra looks amazing! We will definitely have to hit it! Love your sunkissed faces!! Wish we were there! Just got breast cancer dx. So gonna be down with chemo over the winter, so we are hoping to at least visit in the spring! Lunch on us! Much love❤️❤️❤️
Aww 🥰 Thanks, Angelia. So sorry to hear about the diagnosis. We will be praying for you and looking for updates on your recovery. Love you ❤️
@@ExpatsEverywhere thanks guys! You know I just adore yinz! I will keep you updated! ❤️❤️
Sending you many positive vibes for the speediest recovery!!!
@@thezenergy9543 ❤️
@@thezenergy9543 thank you!❤️❤️
Hottest in the Summer is 26 °C? What were you looking at? The average max? The lowest max? I lived (and studied) there 20 years ago and the temperatures were high enough to make me study at night and go to the cinema just to catch a bit of air conditioning. >30 °C is extremely common (I'd say it's the most common max in July-August). And since the city does not have enough green cover, the irradiated heat from the city makes the felt temperature even worse.
I love the city, just don't oversell it.
Loved the video, thanks guys! Coimbra is the first city in PT that makes me think we could live a little further away from an airport. Have not yet visited but am intrigued and look forward to checking it out. Safe travels to Braga!
Thanks, Kirsten! Coimbra is very nice for sure. We're looking forward to seeing you all in 2 weeks or so. Sound good? - Josh & Kalie
@@ExpatsEverywhere Most definitely! Look forward to welcoming y'all home to Porto!
@@kirstenb2708 thank you 🙏 😃
I love your videos! I like how you detail the cons as well as the pros. Nowhere is perfect! Portugal is on the top of my list for living next. Lived in Costa Rica for 4 years, but want something with good weather and a much lower murder rate.
Watching from Mozambique 😊
Thank you for wonderful introduction of Coimbra . We are a huge fan of your channel. We are moving to Portugal in 3 weeks, definitely will check that out !
Thanks, Fred. We certainly remember you from way back before we moved here watching, commenting and supporting the channel. Congrats on the move. Let us know when you get here. - Josh & Kalie
Cool vid, love Coimbra very much.. but had a real struggle to watch the vid due to Chrome/YT incompatibilities.. which is strange since Google owns YT.. anyway the park Kalie mentioned is called Portugal dos Pequenitos (Children´s Portugal) that has like a miniature representation of the housing or monuments of regions/cities to help educate the little ones, kids love them since they can enter inside those hobbit-sized homes/monuments.
Also, there is a famous Coimbra Roman site near Coimbra (Condeixa-a-Velha) called Conímbriga that might deserve a visit.
Yes, the tolls in pretty much all highways and the price of fuel make a road trip expensive, you need to use the GPS and set it to avoid tolls that is, if you are not in a hurry.
Big cities also have an extra cost attached to owning a car which will be parking, so in big cities, it´s always advisable if you live in a place without a garage to pay a monthly fee for it, but even with a garage if you drive across a big city you will be required to pay a fee to park in the majority of the streets (e.g. in Lisbon, you pay more in the center and less the more far away you are from it, with the amount of time parked being less in the center than outside of it), to combat they say, the massive volume of cars with only 1 driver in the city center.
At the same time right now the cost of owning an unlimited monthly pass for all transports in the Greater Lisbon Area (from Sintra to Setubal) costs you 40€ (it´s practically free compared with the biggest European cities, I´ve heard that this situation extends to other big cities as well but no sure.
Wow! Very nice informative reply. I'm going to be scouting Coimbra in mid-September. At first I was going to go with my two weeks in just the Algarve, but decided to check out other possible cities to live in that might be more temperate than say Tavira to live in. Not crazy about the "high humidity" report, but sounds like that's just in the winter, which older joints and muscles don't like. So we'll see.
Thank you.
What was going on with the Chrome/YT incompatibility? What was happening?
The park that Kalie was talking about was Park Verde do Mondego. We did walk past Portugal dos Pequenitos a couple of times but we honestly didn't want to pay that much for the group to go in. 😂 Thanks for the additional information regarding cars. It's exactly what we've felt any time we've rented a car and it's why we don't want to own a car here. - Josh & Kalie
Thank you so mich for the bideo! Visiotng this summer! This was really helpful
You're welcome. Have a great time. - Josh & Kalie
It's also extremely safe, one of the safest cities in Portugal.
Thanks guys for this video!!! Absolutely loved it! We have Portugal in our “Next Country” list... and this video gave us a great insight about Coimbra as an option to live in Portugal! 🥳 Keep up the good work you’re doing on your channel.
You're welcome! Thank you. We appreciate the comment and positive vibes. Keep us posted on your moves. - Josh & Kalie
enjoy my city :) and go eat at local tascas, cafés, restaurants... many good places :) and some great bars too... :)
Thank you guys for the video, I really love it. ❤😊
Awesome video. Now need to visit. You are making Portugal look better and better for retirement. Obrigado :)
Thanks, Luis. It's a great destination for sure! - Josh & Kalie
Thanks for educating us about this beautiful city. I had never known about it before.
Hoping to get into graduate school there...look forward to living there for 2 to 4 years. It looks like my kind of place.
On our planned trip to Portugal and Galicia in October, we were planning only a few hours in Coimbra. I now know we need more time there. My kind of town. But at the end of your trip, tell us if you prefer Coimbra or Porto. I see advantages to both. Thanks so much for this series about Portugal. I think your presentations just keep getting better and better. Congrats!
Porto! We are on the bus right now to Braga and drove through Porto. We had a very short stop 5-10 minutes but I so badly wanted off the bus. Coimbra is very nice though and if something were to happen with us in Porto or we felt we wanted something new, Coimbra is high on the list.
@@ExpatsEverywhere I figured I’d find the answer in here somewhere 🤗
Thank you so much for another great video! 💓
@@elizabethreynolds6874 sorry. Yes, Porto. 😃
Wow! You never disappoint, I'm doing my homework so when I do retire in 3 more years I have two locations. Thanks again for sharing 👍🌍
You can do it! Thanks for watching and supporting us. 💪 - Josh & Kalie
You can go up to the university by bus, by car or in the elevator. Absolute must see: Numerous river beaches called „praia fluvial“. Try it! It‘s amazing!
Enjoyed this video very much. Coimbra is indeed very beautiful. You touched on energy ratings for apartments in Portugal. From what I've read the A and B ratings are preferred with the C rating being an absolute minimum. Do you agree? I have also heard you mention that different building standards have been introduced in different years. What year of construction (e.g. 2005 onwards) would you reccomend for someone looking for a comfortable apartment to spend winters in Portugal? Thank you very much and keep up the great work!!
Hi Martin! Thank you very much. Coimbra is certainly pretty. Regarding the energy ratings for Central, North, and Alentejo, yes, you probably won't want to go below a C because of how expensive electric is. 2005 and new seems to be the right years for the new regulation but we've heard a few people say that even then, you still need to make sure that the builder was good. This is another reason buying a bit of a headache. Thanks for the encouragement. - Josh & Kalie
Thanks for this series. It's wonderful.
You're welcome! Glad you find them valuable! - Josh & Kalie
One more great video! Change my mind about Coimbra! :) We're visiting Portugal in the end of August, the prices of rental cars are really up now!
Ridiculous expensive. Try Tomar 's Luso Nabão they will bring the car to u and are renting the smallest car at €50 a day not sure what' s their week's renral amount. Love Coimbra. ❤️🇵🇹
Thank you very much! 🙏 End of August! That's so soon. Yes, we've paid too much for car rentals. - Josh & Kalie
Thanks for the tip. - Josh & Kalie
Nearby you have a great place: Figueira da Foz. It is near the see, good vibes and less trendy, so it is more authentic.
We visited the big Fig but didn't do a full episode there. - Josh & Kalie
I'm planning to buy a condo/home on the ocean there, as a launch point for our dream farmhouse somewhere inland (Portalegre?) that will require being on-site for renovations.
Thanks for this video n thanks for showing d beautiful Coimbra.
You're welcome. Thanks for watching, Yasin. - Josh & Kalie
@@ExpatsEverywhere 😀
Love it. Great job guys, very very informative.
Thanks for the love. Glad you found it informative. - Josh & Kalie
Enjoying this video :) I cannot wait to visit Portugal. Thank you ExpatsEverywhere...
Let's go, Izzy Katz!!!! See you here. 🙏 - Josh & Kalie
I would live in Coimbra in the summer and Lisbon, Cascais or Sliver Coast in the winter.
Too bad you didn’t get to see the University students wearing their beautiful traditional capes. When I was there in 2019 I was lucky to get some pictures with some of the most friendly students wearing their black capes/uniforms.
(Think of the capes worn in the Harry Potter movies🤔)
We saw a lot of them wearing the capa negra. It looks so elegant, doesn't it? We didn't take any photos with them though. - Josh & Kalie
This is the best for me so far on this journey! Really like this town.
Nice! Thanks for sharing. One more region! - Josh & Kalie
I lived close by in Leiria for 30 years and I love Coimbra 🔥 amazing for party’s! Now I’m in cold Toronto 🥶
Great vídeo tough 👌
Thanks for sharing, Johnny. We appreciate it. Stay warm in Toronto. - Josh & Kalie
Good video. Thanks for making 👍
Great video, Coimbra offers something for everyone! Nice to know a car really isn’t necessary for getting around the city. Weather seems quite pleasant too!
Thank you, Georg D! You've changed your picture on YT! Lookin' good. - Josh & Kalie
You’re making it difficult to choose between Coimbra and Porto!!!! I’ll be there in September after all, so I’ll definitely be staying in Coimbra and Porto.
Nice! For us, the choice is easy. 😉 Before you get to Porto, let u know if you want to meet up. 💪 - Josh & Kalie
@@ExpatsEverywhere ok which is it? 🤔
@@ExpatsEverywhere I will let you know - it would be great to meet you two (three - Sia)!
@@elizabethreynolds6874 Porto. 100%
@@bklyntraveler9705 it would be nice to meet you too.
Great video! I love the history combined with practical information...Can't wait to visit!! Road trips being planned now...I guess there is more to Portugal than just Lisbon!!!😉
Much, much, much, much, much, much, much more !
Lisbon isn't even the best place to visit in Portugal.
I know, but I love it so much...Will keep an open mind!! For now we are SO happy in Lisbia!! Thanks though!!
*Lisboa!!
Thank you very much, Tamara! We appreciate the comment. There's def. more to Portugal than just Lisbon. - Josh & Kalie
Have to add to the many people who thought this your best vid. I added extra time to visiting this place even before seeing this vid. Now I almost want to add more, but will have to modify my mid September itinerary again! The year round more temperate climate looks a little better than even Tavira, which was number one on my list to move to, but the reference to "humid winters" concerned me. Older joints and muscles don't deal with that as well anymore. Maybe a winter trip is needed when I come again.
Thank you very much, John. The extra time spent here really helped us out a lot in terms of getting the shots we wanted. The dampness here is so tricky! - Josh & Kalie
Have you guys considered interviewing people that actually live there to find out if it is a good place to live?
Interviewing them for a video? It's hard to get people on camera. Talking to multiple people that live there? We try to do that for every city we cover. In the case of Coimbra, we spoke to a few Americans and Portuguese. The tough thing about asking someone that lives in a place if it's a good place to live is that there bias in it because why would they live there if they didn't like it? - Josh & Kalie
Your best video so far? Thanks for sharing, we really loved it. Yin and Jan.
Thanks, Yin and Jan. The extra time shooting Coimbra gave us a chance to get the shot we really wanted to and go back and review what we had done. We appreciate your support. 🙏 - Josh & Kalie
Yes it’s cheaper.. a friend of mines has a T1 and paid $300 a month with electrucity
Oh yeah! We've seen that too. - Josh & Kalie
I have a friend who pays 250€ a month + eletricity, water and gas in a T1 with a giant kitchen, a giant living/dinning room, a great bedroom with a incorporate wardrobe (about 4.5mX1mX2m), a bathroom with bathtub and private garage for one car and two motorbikes.
@@fabiomarquesduarte7877 thanks for sharing.
Another nice one, you two-good job!
Thanks, Shanna! It's really Ami and G (videographer/editor and producer) that are the real stars. - Josh & Kalie
those prices have doubled now. 2022. Plus, because of student influx, no apt supply. Serious housing shortage
Thank you. The story of Pedro and Inês it was essencial for me to choose Coimbra. I love mambo jambo "historical facts"! Also, scooters are very useful for me to loose my teeth on the tarmac for only 0,5€!
😅 Shew at first we thought you were being sarcastic. We were thinking as we planned the video, "Should we include this bit or not?" Dental insurance and out of pocket pay is very low in Portugal. 😉 - Josh & Kalie
Looking again at the video at 6:42 I first was rising the question where that place would be..??
After some time I recognized it. The oranges of this tree, now in January, are delicious. 😄😃🤣
Save us some oranges! - Josh & Kalie
My hometown for 5 years, when i was studying there...😄🧡🧡
Nice. - Josh & Kalie
Excellent video... Loved the shots with Josh walking past spots, over and over. Cute! And the shots spanning the different areas, I just wish there was a lot more of that, as I've not been to Coimbra, yet. One day. I wondered why a lot of US people have been choosing Coimbra, it seems like a popular choice for single women in the 50's and 60's... I think I can see why. It looks like a lovely city and definitely has what you need. My preference is the Silver Coast, but I'll definitely book a few days in Coimbra once I'm settled in back in Peniche. Thank you for the video.
IS Portugal living up to the expectations Jen?
Thanks, Jen!! We weren't sure if it was going to be too cheesy but we went for it. 😂
It does seem to be a popular choice for sure. Central is hugely popular, isn't it?
Following your videos of a variety of places makes me wonder aside from physical features and weather, which place really makes Expats more feel they belong and at home? Will look forward to your future interviews of long term Expat residents on the subject, thank you so much!
I do think you need to visit different places and cities before you decide, but one trip to Lisbon and 3 more visits and we were sold! We LOVE Lisbon and feel at 'home'...Portugal and Portuguese in general make us feel this way!!
It’s wonderful to hear and thank you 🙏 We heard from many people who found Lisbon and Portugal home, we also heard from some, after years of stay as retirees said that they couldn’t find local friends and feel lonely. Guess people find friends mostly through work and parenting, so retirees who do neither will be left to their own devices unless they have many hobbies and can find friends through hobbies...
Thanks. The thing is, everyone is different so check out a few places before really settling down or at least take a look a content like ours (doesn't have to be ours) and figure out what matches what you want. There are a lot of foreigners flocking to various places all over Central Portugal. - Josh & Kalie
Great comment, Tamara, and like for us, we had 4 separate trips to Porto but on the first visit we loved it and the subsequent visits made us feel like it was the one. - Josh & Kalie
I had eliminated Coimbra from my list of possibilities, but your video made me reconsider. I didn't want hills, but it's all relative. Where I live now is much hillier, and yet I don't consider this area hilly. I'll be looking for a rental on the outskirts. Beautiful city.
Thanks for sharing, Natalie. Maybe give Coimbra a couple of day visit to see those hills for yourself, right? 😁It's a nice place. - Josh & Kalie
Great info ..... always thought that Coimbra got frozen in the winter, nice to know it's not really that COLD. Visited Lisbon years ago and liked it but don't think I would like it today.
Setubal does look very interesting too, have you explored there yet ?
Hi, thank you. Compared to Canada, it's not cold. Yes, we've been to Setúbal and made a video about it. 😁 - Josh & Kalie
Thanks for this very detailed video!
I decided I'd want to live in Coimbra if I come on a D7 Visa. For the past year I've been focused on gathering Documents for Italian Citizenship by Descent- I'd prefer to have an EU Passport. But the Italian process may take too long - I'm thinking Portugal again!
The fact that you don't need a Car - a major Plus. I never liked driving in the US and don't intend to drive in Portugal.
You're very welcome.
Thanks for sharing a bit about you. - Josh & Kalie
Good information, thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching! - Josh & Kalie
Lovely video guys!
Thank you very much! 🙌 - Josh & Kalie
Yes...will live in a place like that..
Thanks for sharing, Eduardo. - Josh & Kalie
26ºC in the summer? Thats avg.. it can easily go up to 32ºC or more.
That's right, it was the average highs. Sorry if that wasn't clear. One of the days we were there it was 35-36 C or 95-97 F.
bom dia :) I am from Coimbra and had to leave as it's hard to get a job there, there are not many opportunities...
if you live outside the center, then a car is quite needed :p i talk as my neighbourhood is just near the train station Coimbra-B...
it's quite hot in the summer, so we go to the beach at Figueira da Foz...
but it's full of history, histories, adventures, important personalities, big parks, lots of culture happening....
Bom dia. Sorry to hear about the lack of opportunities, Lino.
Thank you for leaving your comments though. - Josh & Kalie
@@ExpatsEverywhere still, if you do remote work or are good with programming, there are some local IT companies too, like Critical Software... and do explore the region of Baixo Mondego... Montemor-o-Velho, Tentúgal with its pastries, the beautiful Figueira da Foz, Tocha, Mira... the coast is beautiful... and there are now some festivities going on, S. Pedro is big in fishing places...
this year there's the Rainha Santa Isabel processions too and the Festas da Cidade (4th of July is Coimbra day too :) ). I was reading the procession down from Santa Clara-a-Nova to Santa Cruz is on July 7th, the return procession on the 10th
go to Poiares, have chanfana, go up Rio Alva :)
if you enjoy nature, Serra do Buçaco and Luso, baixo Mondego, the Bairrada wineries... Aldeias de Xisto. Roman ruins of Rabaçal and Conímbriga. Castles...
regional gastronomy.... Buracas do Casmilo..... and a classic for Coimbra... Moinhos (windmills) of Roxo and Aveleira ...
Choupal and Vale de Canas :)
Figueira da Foz... big beach (cold water), salt ponds, gorgeous city, markets with fresh fish, good restaurants, casino, mountain, the estuary of the Mondego... the picturesque streets of Figueira da Foz and Buarcos....
also some villages around and the region of the campos do Mondego... plus the gastronomy, pastries... arroz doce... :)
👋 Loved your video. I was there in 1990 and remember the love story and the park... Portugal dos Pequenitos. I sat watching to see if it was still there since my...gasp... 30 years ago visit. I loved it myself since I’m on the short side, 4ft11and 3/4 inches😉! If you have time, it is a must especially seeing it as your daughter experiences it, in my opinion that is.
Thanks for the love 🥰 We appreciate you sharing your experience too. We went by there but didn't go in the little park. 😊 - Josh & Kalie
The salaries are very low there. This country is not for those who have to work, but rather for those who already have a filled bank account and want to enjoy a nice climate and cheap restaurants.
I've been interested in Coimbra for a while - seems really charming. But, wondering if it has enough going on for someone from NY who enjoys the big city variety.
Probably not, Steven. Honestly, you’d have to come here to check it out yourself though. Our guess is no. We have friends that lived in LA and NYC and they love Lisbon and Porto. They currently live in Porto.
I would say it doesn’t. It is more calm and with less things to do compared to a big city, let alone NY. You would need to readjust to less variety and a different culture, after all it only has 1/80th of the population. You should check the city council cultural guide website to get a rough idea of what happens in the city, it has some information in English.
Great job!
Is it possible to rent the apartment for a month, 3 months, 6 month if we don’t have NIF (as a tourist)? We are thinking about spending sometime in Portugal in a few years but we want to explore sooner than later.
Yes! I'm planning to move to Coimbra next year and also planning to study in UC. I'll be looking the Mondego River/Coimbra district, like Lorvão/Penacova. Living as an expat and a college student. 😀
Pardon my comment, but I would not advise staying in Lorvão/Penacova to study in Coimbra. They are beautiful places but unless you have a car, commuting might not be very flexible, since public transport is not very frequent
Thanks for sharing, John! What are you going to study? - Josh & Kalie
@@ppietrap3876 Hi, I will be in Coimbra from September to January to study in UC polo 1) and I would like to know which area is the best connected to public transportation. I have found a room to rent in the area of Solum. Do you think it's a good place to stay ?
I'm also wondering if it's ok to live in an appartment with no heat in winter. Most of the landlords I have contacted in Coimbra do not provide heat. Is that frequent there?
I would be grateful if you could give me any recommendation or suggestion about this subject.
Thank you 😊
@@houdabenyounes5743 Hi! Solum is a good area to live, probably one of the best since you have access to almost everything you need, though without a street name I cannot give you too much of an accurate information. What I would say is that you would certainly be less than 10 minutes walk from several bus lines to different parts of the city... to the university area I think you would have like 2 or 3 very regular bus lines, though you have to climb to reach the University. I think there are 2 other bus lines that actually pass in front of the University but they are less regular and I don’t recall if they go through Solum. You could check the city’s public transport site, smtuc, there is a version in English.
You could also just walk there. It would be like 5 minutes uphill, plus maybe 15-20 minutes on a flat surface. You would get used to it, but when it rains it might not be so pleasant. In Coimbra only a few houses/apartments have central heating. People usually use electrical appliances to heat rooms in the house, maybe your landlord could provide such appliances. Winters are not too cold but you should be prepared to use warm clothes inside the house, and use warm blankets in bed.
Also important, wear grippy shoes. When it rains the sidewalks might get a bit slippery, specially on slopes. With good footwear this shouldn’t be an issue.
@@ppietrap3876 Thank you very much for all the information !! That's realy halpful. I am grateful to you
Bom Dia, Coimbra!
😁 - Josh & Kalie
Indeed, Coimbra has drawn my attention. I’ve been eyeing and researching it for several months now as a possible retirement place. Thank you for this spotlight on it! In fact, my wife and I will be doing our first tour of Portugal this October (2022) for two weeks, starting in Porto and working our way to Lisbon via Coimbra.
Nice option, Gerald! Thanks for sharing. - Josh & Kalie
@@ExpatsEverywhere Truth be told, I'm torn between Porto and Coimbra. Becoming an FC Porto fan could be the tie-breaker. Coimbra's club, Académica, is pretty sad, dropping all the way down to Liga 3, but on the other hand, I'm an academic and was always on losing sports team as a kid so I have a soft spot for underdogs and lovable losers....
I will be there this month.. enjoy… 👍🏽
Nice, Armando! Have a great time. - Josh & Kalie
Another great video, thanks! You said the link for the apartment tour video would be linked in the description, but I'm not seeing it - am I just missing it?
So sorry, Brady. We had a technical issue with the video the first time we uploaded it and we forgot to add the link when we re-uploaded the video. th-cam.com/video/A8dtBZkWIj0/w-d-xo.html Thanks for reminding up! - Josh & Kalie
@@ExpatsEverywhere No worries, thanks for the great content! Really helpful for people thinking about a few years abroad.
@@BradyDuga 🙏 thanks for the support.
Awesome video. We are definitely considering Coimbra when we arrive in Portugal. We also have a young daughter, and are wondering what the school system is like for kids? Mainly are there good international schools prior to university - or how is the public school system there?
I am going to hit the subscribe button and bang the notification bell right away to keep up with your future videos.
We are also considering Nazaré for a coastal town.
Thanks, Aidan. If you write Kalie directly at info@expatseverywhere.com she can get you more schooling info.
We appreciate the support and encouragement in your comment. 💪 We visited Nazaré but only for a short while. Have you thought about Matosinhos or is it too north? - Josh & Kalie
@@ExpatsEverywhere I will reach out shortly! We are considering all options and keeping an open mind. We are doing our preliminary research mainly on TH-cam, but we look forward to getting boots on the ground and exploring all areas throughout Portugal to find what might click the best with us. We also were looking at Geres in north east Portugal. I haven’t heard of that community, but I will research it pronto! We just know we are staying away from Lisbon other than for short stays to see the sights.
@@aidannewton Nice. Kalie will be able take care of those questions you have as she's the deeper researcher and has connected to families here in Portugal. We know what you mean about staying about from Lisbon. 😉- Josh
thank you for your videos! really enjoying them. What do you think would be a good choice of town for a young single (35) person who would prefer not to need a car, loves nature, clean air, as little traffic and noise as possible but also possibility of meeting people their age; bike-friendly and a decent min 30m2 appartment to buy of max 120k? sorry for too many details! thank youuu!!
You're welcome, Alia. It's possible. The average age of Coimbra is certainly brought down by the university. - Josh & Kalie
Great
What for those who want to open small restaurant business how it is
I have a friend who pays 250€ a month + eletricity, water and gas in a T1 with a giant kitchen, a giant living/dinning room, a great bedroom with a incorporate wardrobe (about 4.5mX1mX2m), a bathroom with bathtub and private garage for one car and two motorbikes.
The apartment is close to top schools, major shopping centres and hospitals.
Thanks for sharing. - Josh & Kalie
Thanks!
You’re welcome
Did you have chance to visit the town Lousa near Coimbra, famous for Schist villages in the area?
Unfortunately, no. We tried to spend as much time as possible in Coimbra for the video. We just recently heard about Lousa and will have to make a separate trip.
Coimbra, Porto, Aveiro, or Lisbon, Which is your favorite? Obrigado in advance
Easy...Porto for the win. - Josh & Kalie
If I wanted affordable beach property where would you recommend?
To be honest, we're not sure. We haven't looked at enough real estate by the beach. Sorry. If you'd like we can put you in touch with a few different realtors we like. - Josh & Kalie
I will take you up on that offer in about 9 months. Thank you
@@machellep1 shoot us an email when you’re ready. info@expatseverywhere.com
Check for Portugal dos Pequenitos
I was wondering what places you might recommend to a family of 4 adults who have only 8 days to visit Portugal. We fly into Lisbon at the end of May and plan to see Belem, Sintra and explore Lisbon. Would you recommend Coimbra or Porto? Since we only have 8 days we didnt want to spend too much time driving in car. Any feedback would be great.
Both Coimbra and Porto are great. Belem is day at best. Sintra could be a a day or a few depending on what you're wanting to do, see, and accomplish. Lisbon is a minimum of 3 days to really take it in. You could consider taking the train from Lisbon to Coimbra or Porto. Both places you'll want a minimum of 2 days in our opinion. In our opinion, you could probably fill 8 days with just what you have planned but it depend on your energy and pace that you want to attack each location with. - Josh & Kalie
Hi guys, thank you for good information, what is your opinion about high schools for immigrants? Are they free or not?
Used to take the train from Lisbon to Coimbra a lot to visit In-laws, never needed a car there. Most people there would only take their cars out for road trips (Algarve vacation).
not exactly true! Don’t know percentages but I would say most households in Coimbra use a car on their normal day-to-day life.
@@ppietrap3876 not my family
Thanks for sharing, Craig. We don't believe we'd need a car there at all. - Josh & Kalie
How is Coimbra’s health to retiree? Food, and rest of expensive.
Nelly D. Medina
Miami, fl
That place,Portugal dos pequenitos
This is the park that Kalie was talking about "Park Verde do Mondego". We didn't want to pay to go into the Pequenitos park.
Coimbra is a good Expat... But you must be very careful of buildings that are 25 + years old cause they don't have insulation. Newer buildings or apartments even old houses that have been refurbished are much better to live in and much more cost-efficient.
Thanks for sharing. - Josh & Kalie
Hell YES I would Expathat!
😁 🥳 Let's go! - Josh & Kalie
What's the music scene like in Coimbra? I'm guessing that, outside pandemic concerns, that Lisbon, Porto, and Coimbra, have dynamic music from all over the world. Is that true? Thanks, Alex
we have a techno underground scene,we have many concerts during the student parties ( 1 week in September and another in May) with many concerts (world bands come here often), we have tradition of indie genre so you will find bars playing pop from the 90´s, rock from the 80´s, for more classical taste we have Convento São Francisco with many interesting things all over the year..From Carl Cox playing here a couple of times, to the Berlin scene having a residency in a club in the city, to Morphine,James, The Cure,Tindersticks, etc etc, oh so many..lately we had Andrea Bocceli and André Rieu in the stadium of football, we even had Madonna lol...yeah Coimbra has a history with world music,,
Thanks, Miguel, as I thought and hoped it would be. University towns usually have great and diverse music scenes. Many bands from western African countries, too? Afrobeat, African jazz? Alex
Is beautiful city in Portugal 😘
Indeed very beautiful! - Josh & Kalie
I’m from Coimbra
Cool.
I love to live there
When you are coming to make video about Tomar , waiting many people to see your video
That's a good question. We might do some more of these videos in the spring. Thanks for asking! - Josh & Kalie
@@ExpatsEverywhere yes because central Portugal many people are buying house /property and living around Tomar , santarém ,it's beautiful place good access from Lisbon and peaceful region
@@ExpatsEverywhere ❤