7 of the Best Destinations to Retire
Retirement in Europe isn’t about slowing down — it’s about upgrading your lifestyle. Sunshine, long lunches, and maybe a villa with enough space to guilt the family into visiting more often. At MiraClair Wealth, we make sure the serious stuff — pensions, tax, healthcare — is sorted, so you can focus on living the life you imagined.
France offers so much — but pensions, tax, and wealth rules need steady handling. At MiraClair Wealth, we focus on clear, lasting solutions. If you’d like to talk through your plans here, we’d be glad to help.
Provence, France
Provence is the glorious cliché: lavender, rosé, stone farmhouses, and Tuesday markets that redefine retirement. For €1m, you might land a rustic farmhouse with a vineyard or a townhouse in Aix-en-Provence (albeit modest by Provençal standards). In Surrey, the same cash might stretch to a house with “original 1970s features.”
Bread is €1.20, a chilled bottle of rosé €8, and juice €2.50. But really, the joy is filling your basket while the accordion plays in the background. Healthcare is world-class. With the S1, retirees are reimbursed ~70% of most costs. Sensible folk add a mutuelle top-up (€150–€250/month) to cover the rest.
Things to know:
💶 €1m buys: Farmhouse with vineyard or townhouse in Aix.
🥖 Everyday life: Baguette €1.20 | Rosé €8 | Juice €2.50
🏥 Healthcare (S1): 70% reimbursed + mutuelle top-up.
✈️ Travel: Direct flights to Marseille/Nice from London, Manchester, Bristol, Edinburgh, Dublin (≈2h). Eurostar + TGV rail (≈6–7h).
🗣 Things you can say:
Bonjour, comment ça va ? — Hello, how are you?
Un verre de rosé, s’il vous plaît. — A glass of rosé, please.
Merci beaucoup. — Thank you very much.
Où est… -Where is
L’addition s’il vous plait - the bill please
Une bouteille de champagne fraiche s’il vous plait - a bottle of chilled champagne please
Monaco is often thought of as ‘tax-free,’ but the reality is more nuanced. While residents aren’t subject to local income tax, wealth held abroad, succession rules, and international reporting still require careful attention. For families with assets across borders, the choices made in Monaco ripple well beyond the Principality. At MiraClair Wealth, we take a thoughtful, quiet approach — helping you preserve lifestyle and legacy with structures that last. If you’d like clarity on what truly matters for your move to Monaco, we’d be glad to talk.
Monaco
Monaco is the epitome of prestige — a glittering principality where superyachts bob in the harbour, the Grand Prix roars through the streets once a year, and retirement is less about slowing down and more about joining a club of the world’s most exclusive addresses.
But here’s the reality: €1m won’t buy you sprawling villas or penthouses. In Monaco, property is priced by the square metre, not by the garden. Expect a compact studio of around 20m² in a prime district like Monte Carlo or Larvotto. The value isn’t space, it’s status — owning a home in the most expensive square mile in the world.
The day-to-day, however, isn’t as punishing as you’d think: a baguette is €1.20, a good Provence rosé €12, and juice €3. The high cost isn’t in groceries — it’s in postcodes and property deeds.
Healthcare is not covered by the EU’s S1 scheme — Monaco isn’t part of the EU or EEA, so you’ll need to rely on Monaco’s own system (Caisses Sociales de Monaco) or take out comprehensive private health insurance. The good news? Standards are world-class, with access to highly regarded clinics and French hospitals just across the border.
Things to know:
💶 €1m buys: Compact studio (~20 m²) in Monte Carlo or Larvotto.
🥖 Everyday life: Baguette €1.20 | Wine €12 | Juice €3
🏥 Healthcare: No S1; private insurance or Monaco’s own system required.
✈️ Travel: Fly into Nice (2h from London; 2h30 from Dublin, Manchester, Edinburgh). 30 mins by car or 7 mins by helicopter transfer.
🗣 Things to say:
Bonjour. — Hello.
Un café au soleil, s’il vous plaît. — A coffee in the sun, please.
Agité, pas remué - shaken not stirred
Pourriez-vous amener ma Ferrari, s’il vous plaît ? — Could you bring my Ferrari round, please?
Tuscany draws people for its beauty and way of life. Making a home here also means navigating Italian taxes, property, and cross-border rules. If you’d like a thoughtful conversation about your plans in Tuscany, or other beautiful regions of Italy, we’d be glad to help.
Tuscany, Italy
Tuscany is a lifestyle renaissance. Rolling hills, Renaissance towns, olive groves, and meals that turn into stories.
For €1m, expect a villa with your own olive oil or a Florence apartment dripping with faded grandeur. Look in smaller villages, and you might just get both.
Groceries feel like theatre: bread €1.50, Chianti €7–10, juice €2.50 (though why bother with juice?). Healthcare with S1 is free via Italy’s public SSN, though a private policy (€1,200–€2,000/year per couple) helps bypass bureaucracy.
Things to know:
💶 €1m buys: Villa with olive groves or Florence apartment.
🥖 Everyday life: Bread €1.50 | Chianti €7–10 | Juice €2.50
🏥 Healthcare (S1): Public cover + optional private.
✈️ Travel: Direct flights from London, Manchester, Bristol, Edinburgh, Dublin to Pisa (≈2h30). Florence less frequent, often via Rome.
🗣 Things to say:
Buongiorno! — Good morning!
Un bicchiere di Chianti, per favore. — A glass of Chianti, please.
Grazie mille. — Thank you very much.
Il conto, per favore - the bill please
Ti amo - I love you
Segui quella macchina - follow that car!
Your pensions, ISAs, and property travel with you. We help weave them into your new life with clarity. If you’d like steady guidance overseas we’d be glad to help.
Kardamyli, Greece
Kardamyli is the Greece that novels are written about. A coastal village on the Mani Peninsula, it’s all stone houses, olive groves, and turquoise waters. The late writer Patrick Leigh Fermor made his home here, and you can see why — it feels timeless and intimate, like a secret the world hasn’t quite discovered yet.
With €1m, you’re not buying into a city, you’re buying tranquillity. A stone villa with olive trees, a pool, and sea views is well within reach — the sort of home that would cost triple on the French Riviera.
Life unfolds gently: bread €1.20, wine €5–7, juice €2.50. Days are spent between the sea and the shade of olive groves, and nights are for taverna dinners with ouzo that seems to pour itself. Healthcare with S1 gives you public system access, though many expats add private cover (€2,000–€3,000/year per couple) for peace of mind.
Things to know:
💶 €1m buys: Stone villa with olive groves, pool, and sea views.
🥖 Everyday life: Bread €1.20 | Wine €5–7 | Juice €2.50
🏥 Healthcare (S1): Public system access, private cover advised.
✈️ Travel: Seasonal direct flights from London, Manchester, Dublin to Kalamata (≈3h30). Otherwise Athens + 3h drive.
🗣 Things to say:
Kaliméra! — Good morning!
Ena ouzo, parakaló. — One ouzo, please.
Efharistó. — Thank you.
It’s all Greek to me.
Valetta, Malta
Valletta is a jewel box: baroque palaces, golden harbours, and winding streets with history at every turn. Everyone speaks English, so settling in feels instant. For €1m, expect a harbour-view apartment straight out of a film. Pull back the curtains and you’ll feel like Bond, martini pending.
Bread (ftira) €1.20, Maltese or Sicilian wine €7–9, and juice €2.20. Healthcare with the S1 is excellent — English-speaking doctors, modern hospitals, and private care so affordable you’ll wonder why you hesitated (€800–€1,500/year per couple).
Things to know:
💶 €1m buys: Harbour-view apartment in Valletta.
🥖 Everyday life: Ftira €1.20 | Wine €7–9 | Juice €2.20
🏥 Healthcare (S1): Public cover + low-cost private.
✈️ Travel: Direct flights from London, Manchester, Bristol, Edinburgh, Dublin (≈3h30). Seasonal from Cardiff.
🗣 Things to say:
Bonġu. — Good morning.
Kif inti? — How are you?
Grazzi ħafna. — Thank you very much.
af it-triq għal San Jose? - Do you know the way to San Jose?
Valencia, Spain
Valencia is Spain’s Goldilocks: not too big, not too small, just right. With Europe’s longest urban park, golden beaches, and a lively old town, it’s vibrant but without Barcelona’s price tag.
With €1m, you could be sipping morning coffee on a penthouse balcony overlooking the Turia Gardens or living in a townhouse where the beach is your morning walk. Head north, and the same property would cost twice as much — which makes having friends over feel even sweeter.
Pop into the market and you’ll smile at the simplicity: bread €1, wine €4, juice €2. Healthcare? With an S1, you’re in Spain’s excellent public system. Many never bother with private, though €1,500–€2,500/year gets you fast-tracked.
Things to know:
💶 €1m buys: Penthouse with Turia views or beachside townhouse.
🥖 Everyday life: Bread €1 | Wine €4 | Juice €2
🏥 Healthcare (S1): Full public access.
✈️ Travel: Direct flights from London, Manchester, Bristol, Edinburgh, Dublin (≈2h30). Seasonal from Cardiff.
🗣 Things to say:
Buenos días. — Good morning.
Una paella para dos, por favor. — A paella for two, please.
Muchas gracias. — Thank you very much.
Ayuda! - Help
Lléveme a su líder - Take me to your leader
Valencia offers sunshine, culture, and a slower rhythm of life. But living here also means understanding Spain’s wealth tax, local income tax rules, and annual reporting requirements. At MiraClair Wealth, we help you keep things simple, steady, and compliant across borders. If you’re planning life in Valencia, or other parts of Spain we’d be glad to talk.
The Algarve, Portugal
The Algarve is where sunshine meets sophistication. With more than 300 days of sun each year, golden cliffs tumbling into turquoise seas, and golf courses that double as social clubs, it’s no surprise this corner of Portugal remains one of Europe’s most desirable retirement spots.
For €1m, you can step into the kind of life many dream of: a contemporary four-bedroom villa with a pool, landscaped gardens, and sweeping sea views. Back in London, the same money might just about stretch to a semi with a “mature” back garden. Here, you get a Riviera lifestyle — and still have change for a round of golf.
Daily life is refreshingly simple. A loaf of bread costs under €1, a solid local wine around €5, and fresh juice about €2.50. It’s not about bargain hunting — it’s about the joy of everyday luxuries being just… everyday.
Healthcare is solid too. With the S1 form, retirees get full access to Portugal’s national health service for a token fee (€5–20 per visit). Many choose private cover for faster access (€1,000–€2,000 a year per couple), but the system itself is more than reliable.
Things to know:
💶 €1m buys: 4-bed villa with pool, garden, and sea views.
🥖 Everyday life: Bread €0.90 | Wine €5 | Juice €2.50
🏥 Healthcare (S1): Public system access, private top-up optional.
✈️ Travel: Direct flights year-round to Faro from London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dublin (≈2h30–3h).
🗣 Things to say:
Bom dia! — Good morning!
Mais um copo de vinho, por favor. — One more glass of wine, please.
Obrigado/Obrigada. — Thank you.
Segue aquele carro! - Follow that car!
Amo-te - I love you
Retirement in Europe is about creating the life you deserve
At MiraClair Wealth, we take care of the practicalities — tax, healthcare, cross-border planning — so you can focus on the choices that really matter: Provence or Tuscany? Algarve or Monaco? Rosé or Chianti?