I love to plan Scouting Trips!
One of the main things about retiring to Portugal that I love is finding those things that bring me joy and doing them only because I want to and they feed my soul. I struggled when I first arrived (after my husband fully recovered from open heart surgery) to find my rhythm. I am not your typical retirement age and I’ve worked my entire life (since I was 10!). The thought of “retirement” just didn’t feel right. A friend of mine who is younger than me and is also making her way here in Portugal has done amazing work with her passion and started a Substack- CorkDork.pt She great advice about finding something I love to do, but doing it at my pace. Thus Ola Coimbra was born!
I’m a planner! Just ask my family and they will tell you that my to-do lists drive them a bit crazy. It makes perfect sense that I love planning for others as well. Actually, even more than I like planning for myself. I also love Portugal. So, planning a scouting trip or just a travel opportunity to Portugal for others is my true happy place!
Now, you may ask why I love scouting trips and think they are so important when we didn’t do one ourselves to move to Portugal. First, it’s important to point out that we got lucky! AND, that it was almost four years ago and things have changed DRASTICALLY! But, because of my experience of moving here sight unseen, one of the things I have done for others like me is to create a virtual Scouting Trip!
So, why a Scouting Trip? First, this is a BIG MOVE. It’s not like moving across town, or to another state. Moving to another country is a whole other ball of wax. There are so many things to consider like:
What area of the country works best for my lifestyle? Beach life, big city life, country life, small village life? Portugal has all of that!
What type of housing will I want and/or need- apartment, house, quinta (farm)?
Do I have specialized medical needs and should be close to a hospital?
Will I bring pets? What is the best living situation for them?
How will I learn the language and do I want to be in an area that is truly Portuguese or am I more interested in living somewhere that my first language is a bit more predominate?
How flexible am I? Am I open to change or am I wanting the new place to feel like the old place?
Am I ready for the bureaucracy that is a HUGE part of moving to Portugal?
Unless you know all of these things ahead of time (and I’m not sure how in the world you could!), a Scouting Trip is a great START for discovering if Portugal really is the place for you and if so, where in Portugal should you land.
Where to start? Book your flights! TAP airlines is great, but there are many that will get you here to Portugal. Then there are so many things to add to your journey while you are here and that’s the part I LOVE!
After talking with you, I will plan out the cities that you should visit. There are so many wonderful places in Portugal that are outside of the usual choices of Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve. Having a “Boots on the Ground” advocate allows for an opportunity to discover hidden gems that you might not have found on your own. Once I understand what your needs and desires are, then I map out the cities that you should visit and more importantly, I prepare a guide that gives you information about:
Climate in the city
Neighborhoods (especially those that fit your particular needs)
History and culture in that city
The Immigrant/Expat community there and if it works in your time frame a meet up with people who have already made the great leap
A specialized list of current properties for rent or for sale in that area that meet your criteria
Because a Scouting Trip is not just about finding a place to live, it’s about learning about and appreciating this amazing country, we also include activities in each city. We are a proud affiliate of Get Your Guide. You will have direct links to the various activities and can book it yourself or we can book it for you.
Everyone is different and that is why each Scouting Trip we plan is different. Some clients come to us and they already have the framework- flights, accommodations and even which cities they will visit. We provide the property guide for each city and suggestions for activities and when we can connections to local Expats/Immigrants who have made the move. Other clients make their flight reservations and say, “Go for it!” AND WE DO!
Your itinerary is a daily guide with maps, links and even guides to things like public transportation. All of it is put on a private page here on our website that you can easily access while you are on your trip. If Coimbra is on your list of cities, you get a personal tour with me as your tour guide!
