I just came across an interesting article (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...sh-expats.html NB not the DM's research ) about the best countries to live in for UK expats. Having been in Zurich for over half a year now, and loving it I might add, I was expecting to see Switzerland on the list. Especially with all the people on here saying how much they love it and the sheer number of people who moved here.

Is Switzerland really as good as I think, or am I still in the honeymoon period? I know being a student is a bit different, but I really could see myself living here permanently. I was just interested to know if people have any reasons why Switzerland wasn't mentioned, or what all the other countries do better.

1. Canada
2. New Zealand
3. Australia
4. France
5. South Africa
6. Portugal
7. Spain
8. U.S.
9. United Arab Emirates
10. Singapore
11. Hong Kong
12. China

One mo... just off to get the popcorn...

Could it simply be because it is a smaller country and therefore, has relatively lower expat inflows?

Or are we looking for a more damning and inflammatory rant than that?

Very simple: no maple syrup in Switzerland

Totally guessed the first 3, in that order.

France really surprised me though, I figured some of the Oriental countries would be higher up.

Except in Migros and Coop...

I suspect it's because those of us who have chosen to settle in Switzerland don't tend to take part in surveys about it, as we don't want to be swamped by gobby nouveau-riche industrialists from Solihull, Wilmslow and the Wirral.

Surely these are just the results of the countries the people have chosen to emigrate to and not necessarily the best. How can these people say they are the best if they have never emigrated to the other countries

And of course you think Switzerland is great if you happen to come from St. Helens

I hear it is also possible to buy brown sugar in both of these stores

Let's see: Best Country for UK Expats:

First three countries are:

1. English-speaking
2. Are (or were) part of the common wealth and therefore easy to get a permit.

What I found interesting was France. Why France? Isn't that about as opposite a Brit as one can get?

Cheap booze.

Daily Mail

&



... a potent mix...

It's next door!

1. Canada = history of British immigration
2. New Zealand = history of British immigration
3. Australia = history of British immigration
4. France = I fell in love with a gite on my holidays
5. South Africa = history of British immigration
6. Portugal = I fell in love with a fisherman's cottage on my holidays
7. Spain = I fell in love with a villa on my holidays
8. U.S. = history of British immigration
9. United Arab Emirates = pliable natives
10. Singapore = no graffiti
11. Hong Kong = nice food
12. China = ?

But surely a Brit must go mad among the French; isolated, misunderstood and very thirsty.

Where the British go to get their first experience at teaching English.

Sooo, they're calling it "immigration" these days, then...

An Englishman is never misunderstood.

It is the foreigners who are incomprehensible.

These surveys don't tell you much. A poll of less than 1,500 people isn't representative for a global view and my guess is Switzerland wasn't even on the list of countries surveyed. Seems like they polled expats in just the 12 countries ranked in their "league table". It always pays to check the criteria. I'd take this with a huge pinch of salt.

First 3 countries in the list might be included because of the language. But what does France do on the 4th place? (maybe just because its geographically close to GB)..