Discovering
The Good Life Abroad
What does it feel like to spend a month living in a European city—not passing through it, but settling into a neighborhood, learning your tram stop, and meeting friends for lunch every Tuesday? That's the question at the heart of our latest "Discovering The Good Life Abroad" webinar.
Founder Andrew Motiwalla was joined by Kim Ullrich, a two-time alumna who has spent a month in Paris and a month in Vienna with The Good Life Abroad, and who heads to Prague next April for her third program. Kim retired in 2023 at 63, and when friends asked what hobbies she had lined up, she wasn't sure. Then she came across The Good Life Abroad while scrolling Facebook and had a thought: maybe travel is my hobby.
A devoted reader of historical fiction—especially World War II stories—Kim reads about each city before, during, and after her stay. Seeing the streets and landmarks from those books in person, she said, has been one of the quiet joys of living abroad.
Why The Good Life Abroad Exists
Andrew has spent 30 years in the travel industry, and he kept hearing the same thing from travelers with more flexible schedules: they had time, and they didn't want to be told when to eat breakfast or how much to pack into a day. Tours and cruises have their place, but many people wanted to go deeper and explore at their own pace.
When Andrew asked why more people hadn't simply moved abroad for a month or two, the same hesitations kept surfacing. The answer he landed on was community. A built-in group makes living abroad more social and more fun, and having a local person on the ground adds a layer of reassurance. Every program includes a vetted apartment suited to travelers 55 and older (think walk-in showers, not cramped European stalls), a local Community Manager, a community of fellow travelers living nearby, travel medical and evacuation insurance, and an optional wellness program.
Month-Long Signature Programs, Short Stays, and Everything In Between
The Good Life Abroad offers two core formats. Month-Long Signature Programs are the experience most travelers know, while Short Stays run two weeks in slightly smaller cities. Andrew encourages travelers to combine them through Program Pairings—a month in Paris followed by two weeks in Bordeaux, for example, or Lisbon and Porto, or Como and Florence—to build a two-, four-, six-, or eight-week experience of a region.
Solo Traveler Sessions are reserved entirely for solo travelers, for those who want a guarantee of company, and they typically feature more affordable studio apartments. And Bring Your Own Housing lets travelers source their own apartment while still joining the community—whether they're working with a tighter budget, looking for something more luxurious, or traveling with a pet.
Apartments in Neighborhoods Where People Actually Live
Good Life Abroad apartments are intentionally placed outside the tourist center, usually a 15- to 20-minute walk from the major sights, in neighborhoods with supermarkets and cafés rather than souvenir shops. Travelers live in the same building or close to one another, in areas chosen for safety and easy access to public transit.
In Paris, Kim stayed in the Marais, a block from the metro, and walked to the Seine every day. In Vienna, she booked a two-bedroom so her sister could visit for a few nights, and her windows looked out over the Danube. Her tram stop was a block away, and the woman living next door—another solo traveler from the group—became her daily companion on the walk to lunches and activities. Kim's reviews were glowing across the board, but the beds left the biggest impression. "I can't get over the beds," she said.
All apartments are modern and renovated, with equipped kitchens (full kitchens in most Signature destinations, kitchenettes in some Short Stays), Wi-Fi, smart TVs, and laundry either in the apartment or in the building. Starter supplies like soap, toilet paper, and paper towels are provided, and from there it's real apartment living.
And sometimes the neighborhood surprises you. Kim had just finished a book about art forgery during World War II when she discovered a museum dedicated to forged art right around the corner from her Vienna apartment.
A Rhythm, Not a Schedule
Each program begins with an orientation on the first full day—how to use public transit, where to shop for groceries, local customs, and safety—followed by a welcome party that evening. From there, a gentle weekly rhythm takes shape: the Tuesday Lunch Club, a cultural activity on Wednesday, and a happy hour on Thursday, with Friday through Monday left open for exploring.
Andrew noted that none of these gatherings are just a meal or a drink. Community Managers choose places travelers might not find on their own, often pre-ordering local dishes so everyone can try something new. Kim's Vienna highlights proved the point: a lunch at a restaurant housing the oldest one-lane bowling alley in Austria (a delight for a lifelong bowler), a happy hour at a beach bar on the Danube complete with sand and lounge chairs, a class where the group made and then ate Wiener schnitzel at a white-tablecloth restaurant, and a private wine tasting in the cellar of a historic home.
The moment that brought her to tears was a visit to the Prater, Vienna's old-school amusement park and home to one of the world's oldest Ferris wheels. Community Manager Markus had worked there as a child, a teenager, and an adult, and he shared his family's stories as he led the group through the park.
How Community Forms
Programs are cohort-based, so everyone arrives on the same day. About a month before departure, each group meets on Zoom with their Community Manager, and that call paid off for Kim in Paris. The night before orientation, two women walked into the café where she was sitting, and she greeted them by name. They were stunned that anyone in Paris knew them.
Once in the city, the group stays connected through WhatsApp, with an announcements channel for activities and local happenings, plus member-created groups for anything from morning jogs to cathedral visits to book clubs. Groups average about 15 travelers, with an average age of 68, and roughly 30% travel solo. Kim's advice is to trust the process: "people have a way of coming together naturally." She's made good friends in both cities, and one friend from Vienna may visit her in Prague.
Meet the Community Manager
Andrew calls the Community Manager an underrated part of the program—a local friend who leads activities, answers questions on WhatsApp during weekday business hours, and is reachable anytime for a true emergency. Early in each program, they sit down one-on-one with travelers to learn their interests.
For Kim, Markus was "priceless." Born and raised in Vienna, he pointed out his teenage hangouts and his favorite coffee spot from the tram, and after their half-hour conversation about her interest in World War II history, he sent along ideas tailored to her throughout the month. In Paris, Community Manager Alex sent Kim a guide to Banksy's street art and the work of another artist after she asked where to find it.
An Honest Look at Who This Is For
Andrew is direct about it: this program isn't for everyone. There's no tour bus. It's an independent experience with layers of support, and every activity is optional. Expect plenty of walking and public transportation, and expect to use a smartphone for WhatsApp, Google Maps, Google Translate, and local transit apps.
Kim estimates she walked at least 10,000 steps a day, often on cobblestones and stairs, and suggested travelers honestly assess their mobility. She also recommends downloading the essential apps before you leave.
Room for Serendipity
Kim's favorite advice: find your joy, share it every day, and stay open to the unexpected. In Vienna, she ended up watching a tennis final at a sports bar with a tennis coach from Warsaw and gave him her tournament cap as a birthday gift. At her first group lunch in Paris, an elderly Frenchman passing the table wrote her a welcome note on the back of his grocery list.
Andrew believes those moments happen because a month gives you room to say yes. When you're not racing through a checklist, you can accept the coffee invitation, linger over lunch, and soak in the rhythm of daily life. Kim also used her free time to take the train to Budapest and Slovakia and to join a bus trip to Hallstatt in the Alps. Her second program felt even easier than her first, she said, because she knew what to expect.
Practical Questions Answered
Solo travelers pay no single supplement. Pricing is based on the apartment size, and Bring Your Own Housing is one flat fee per person.
Summer travel: Most southern European destinations pause in July and August because of the heat, but northern cities like Vienna, Prague, Dublin, and Edinburgh run through the summer.
Working remotely is common. Wi-Fi is reliable across destinations, and some travelers work part- or even full-time during their stay.
Visitors are welcome to stay for as long as you like. Just register them in advance, and note that they can join informal gatherings but not official activities.
Safety and language: Kim never felt unsafe in Paris or Vienna and never found language to be a barrier. Programs are located in safe areas, and petty theft in crowded spots is the main thing to watch for.
Getting from the airport is easiest by taxi or Uber. Kim paid a flat fare of about €35 in both cities.
Side trips: Community Managers help plan weekend getaways, and program coordinators can recommend transportation between back-to-back Program Pairings.
Florence has two program sites: Oltrarno, a renovated medieval palazzo with old-world charm and no elevator, and Centro, a newly renovated building near the Duomo with an elevator and slightly larger apartments.
Insurance: Travel medical and evacuation insurance are included. Trip cancellation insurance is not, and is strongly recommended.
Two-bedroom, two-bath apartments are available in some cities, including Barcelona and Valencia, but not every two-bedroom has two bathrooms—check with the team if it matters to you.
Money: Credit cards work almost everywhere. Andrew carries about €100 in cash and uses a debit card at ATMs for better rates.
Packing: Pack for 10 to 15 days and plan to do laundry. Bring outlet adapters.
Air conditioning is available in every destination except Paris, where it depends on the program site.
Ready to Learn More?
Click Book Now on our website to search by city, dates, apartment size, and number of travelers, and see all available options and pricing. Month-Long Signature Program pricing includes 30 nights in your apartment, all scheduled community activities, and travel medical and evacuation insurance. Airfare and airport transfers are not included. A $495 per-person deposit holds your spot, with roughly half the balance due upfront and the rest closer to departure. Cancel more than 120 days before your start date and you'll receive a full refund, with your deposit converted to a credit that never expires.
Kim's parting advice was simple: "Pick a city and live your travel dreams."
Curious where a Month-Long Signature Program or Short Stay could take you? Explore our destinations, request a free catalog, or sign up for an upcoming webinar to hear more firsthand stories from our alumni and team.