Best place to retire in Europe: Paris, London, and Tuscany
For Americans approaching or entering retirement, Europe keeps rising to the top of the shortlist. The reasons are consistent: world-class healthcare systems, walkable cities built around slow living, cultural depth that takes years to absorb, and an overall pace of life that prioritizes time over productivity. Europe is also one of the few global regions where you can own a second home and use it as a genuine retirement base without giving up US citizenship or permanently relocating. Many retirees maintain a US home and spend three to six months a year in Europe, rotating between destinations or building a routine around one city they love. The challenge has historically been access. This guide focuses on destinations where Pacaso has homes and local expertise: Paris rewards long stays in ways that short visits don't reveal. The rhythm of the city, from morning markets and neighborhood cafés to afternoon walks along the Seine and evenings at a brasserie, is exactly the kind of daily life retirees describe when they imagine Europe at its best. The city has world-class opera, theater, and museums, but also the quieter pleasures of a deeply residential neighborhood like Saint-Germain-des-Prés or the 7th arrondissement. English is widely spoken in Paris, particularly in the international neighborhoods where most expat buyers purchase. The expat community is large and well-organized, with social clubs, English-language bookshops, American cultural associations, and healthcare providers experienced with international patients. Paris is also a travel hub. From Gare du Nord, London is two and a half hours by Eurostar. Amsterdam, Brussels, and the French Alps are all within a few hours by train. A home in Paris becomes a base for the entire continent. For a deeper look at Paris neighborhoods, including which arrondissements are best suited to a second home lifestyle, see our guide to the Paris has a temperate oceanic climate with four distinct seasons. Summers are warm and pleasant, typically in the mid-70s°F, with long daylight hours. Spring and autumn are the most celebrated seasons with mild temperatures, beautiful light, and fewer tourists than the summer peak. Winters are cold and grey but rarely severe, with temperatures staying mostly above freezing. Retirees who prefer to avoid the coldest months often use Paris as a spring-through-autumn base and travel south or back to the US in winter. France's healthcare system is consistently ranked among the world's best. The public system (Assurance Maladie) covers the majority of medical costs for legal residents. Long-term expats who establish residency can access it directly; those on shorter stays typically supplement with international private health insurance. Paris has numerous hospitals with English-speaking staff and a well-established network of private clinics popular with international patients. The American Hospital of Paris in Neuilly-sur-Seine is a trusted resource for American retirees specifically. Paris is one of Europe's most expensive property markets. Central arrondissements like the 6th, 7th, and 8th regularly trade above €15,000 per square meter. A well-positioned two-bedroom apartment in a desirable neighborhood can easily reach €1.5M to €3M or more. Add notaire fees (typically 7–8% on resale properties) and ongoing costs including the taxe foncière and building charges, and whole ownership in Paris requires significant capital and long-term commitment. London is the easiest European city for English-speaking retirees to settle into. There is no language barrier, the legal system is familiar, the banking infrastructure is sophisticated, and the cultural calendar (i.e. theater, museums, galleries, live music, sport) is unmatched anywhere in the world. The city's neighborhoods each have a distinct character: Mayfair and Knightsbridge offer refined, walkable luxury; Chelsea has a polished village feel with riverside access; Notting Hill brings color and independent boutiques. The NHS provides healthcare to all legal UK residents, and London has some of the world's leading specialist hospitals. For retirees who want to be close to extended family in the US or Canada, London's transatlantic air connections are exceptional; Heathrow is one of the busiest international hubs on earth. Post-Brexit, Americans and non-EU nationals visit the UK on a standard visitor visa for up to six months at a time. For those wanting longer-term residency, the UK offers several pathways, including the Innovator Founder Visa and various investment-linked routes. A qualified immigration advisor can map the right option based on individual circumstances. London's climate is mild and famously damp. Winters are grey and cool but rarely cold enough for sustained frost. Summers are warm without being hot; July averages around 73°F. The long summer evenings are a genuine pleasure, with daylight stretching past 9pm in June. Retirees who find the grey winters challenging often use London as a spring-through-autumn base, which works well given the Schengen and US travel patterns most American retirees already have. The National Health Service covers GP visits, hospital care, and specialist treatment for legal residents at no direct cost. Private healthcare is also widely available and commonly used by international buyers who want faster appointments or specialist access. London has world-class private hospitals including the Portland Hospital, the London Clinic, and numerous Harley Street practices. International private health insurance is straightforward to obtain and provides flexibility across both the NHS and private systems. Tuscany delivers the version of Italian life that most retirees imagine when they think about Europe: rolling hills lined with cypress trees, medieval hilltowns with no traffic and no noise, markets selling produce picked that morning, and a food culture that treats every meal as an event worth slowing down for. Florence sits at the center of the region, one of the world's great art cities, compact enough to navigate on foot, with international flights from Florence Airport and a high-speed rail connection to Rome and Milan. The English-speaking expat community in Tuscany is large and well-established, particularly around Florence, Chianti, and the Siena hills. American and British retirees have been buying in the region for decades, which means there is a mature support infrastructure: English-speaking lawyers, accountants familiar with US tax obligations, local doctors with international patient experience, and community networks for new arrivals. Tuscany has a classic Mediterranean climate with warm, dry summers and mild, occasionally wet winters. Summer temperatures in Florence regularly reach the low-to-mid 90s°F, which can be intense in the city. Many owners prefer the hilltown properties that catch the breeze. Spring and autumn are exceptional: comfortable temperatures, brilliant light, and the rhythm of harvest and planting that shapes the local calendar. Winter is mild by northern European standards, with temperatures rarely dropping below freezing outside of the mountains. Italy's public healthcare system (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale) is accessible to legal residents and provides broad coverage. Florence has excellent hospitals, including the Careggi University Hospital, one of Italy's largest academic medical centers. Private healthcare is widely used by expats for shorter wait times and English-speaking practitioners. International private health insurance is strongly recommended for retirees who are not yet Italian residents, and is straightforward to obtain through major international providers. Tuscany offers meaningful value compared to Paris or London. A restored farmhouse or luxury apartment in the Florentine hills can range from €500K to well over €3M depending on location, size, and condition. Purchasing as a foreign buyer involves a notaio (notary) for the legal transfer, registration taxes, and ongoing costs including IMU (property tax) and condominium fees where applicable. Managing a Tuscan property remotely, from finding trusted vendors to handling maintenance and keeping the home staffed, is the real friction point for most international buyers. Pacaso's Tuscany portfolio removes that friction. Homes in Florence and the surrounding hills are fully managed, professionally designed, and equipped with a dedicated local team. Owners purchase a share and let Pacaso handle the rest. Browse The right European destination depends on how you want to spend your time, how much management complexity you're comfortable taking on, and what climate and lifestyle you're drawn to. Here is a quick comparison across the destinations covered in this guide: The gap between wanting to retire in Europe and actually doing it is usually one of two things: cost or complexity. Whole ownership of a luxury home in Paris, London, or Tuscany requires not just significant capital upfront, but the willingness to manage a property across time zones, languages, and legal systems. Most retirees want to use a European home for two to twelve weeks at a time, not maintain one as a full-time responsibility. Pacaso was built to solve both problems. Buyers purchase a share (1/8 to 1/2) of a luxury, fully managed home held through a dedicated LLC, securing a genuine real estate asset without the full price tag. Each home has a maximum of eight owners, so there is genuine personal access and For European homes specifically, Pacaso provides: For retirees considering Europe seriously, co-ownership removes the barriers that have historically kept international second home ownership out of reach. Read the full guide to The retirement you've been imagining doesn't require buying an entire Parisian apartment or a Tuscan farmhouse outright. It requires finding the right home, in the right destination, structured the right way.
Read
