Adjusting to expat life can be both exciting and challenging. If you’re living the expat life, you may enjoy reading about the experiences of others going through the same transition – so we’ve compiled this list of some of the most insightful and entertaining expat blogs and websites to follow in 2017.
In the list below you’ll find people from all walks of life who have moved for a wide variety of reasons, from family ties to job changes to chasing the best culinary delights the world has to offer.
Personal Expat Blogs
1) livhambrett.com (Germany)
An Australian living in Germany as a writer and teacher – an amusing look at German life and culture from an outside perspective.
2) vegemitevix.com (UK)
A humorous and quirky look at life in the UK from a New Zealander.
3) girlinlondon.com (UK)
Stories of expat life in London from an American perspective, as well as practical tips for making the move to London yourself.
4) andhereweare.net (UK)
An expat family blog which covers life in the UK, Spain and Germany – as well as food tips and travel info for a range of European countries.
5) myfrenchwindow.com (Switzerland)
Tracy is an American expat, candidly documenting the personal details of her new life in Switzerland.
6) katebailward.com/drivinglikeamaniac (Italy)
Kate Bailward blogs in an observant and direct style about life in Italy, including food, work and travel tips.
7) davidlebovitz.com (France)
Possibly the world’s most popular Paris food blog.
8) amandasettle.com (Greece)
A photography-rich exploration of food and the good life in Greece (previously Qatar).
9) invadingholland.com (The Netherlands)
Stuart from Invading Holland analyses life in The Netherlands with a very British sense of humour.
10) expatsnorway.net (Norway)
A fascinating read from “G,” a girl from El Salvador, who lived in Paris for 9 years and is now 9 years into expat life in Norway with her Norwegian husband.
11) travelsofadam.com (Germany)
While the blog has primarily been focused on Germany (Adam is an American based in Berlin), Travels of Adam provides insights into top cultural experiences from all over the globe.
12) apassportaffair.com (UK)
While the blog covers 5 years of expat life in London, Megan Belt is now on the road in Europe providing off-the-beaten-path stories and tips.
13) teatimeinwonderland.co.uk (UK)
London expat life, particularly focused around moving to London with kids/teenagers in tow.
14) petiteadventures.org (UK)
A Canadian traveller based in the UK and her explorations on the European continent.
15) theamericanresident.com (UK)
A family and parenting focused blog from an American expat family living in the UK.
16) travelingmama.net (Morocco)
American expat Tina Fussell is a stylist and photographer blogging about family life and lifestyle in Morocco.
17) joburgexpat.com (South Africa)
The story of a German family of six living expat life in South Africa from 2010-2013.
18) opentoisrael.com (Israel)
A blog from an expat based in Ra’anana, covering observations of Israeli life and living in the Middle East in general.
19) chickenruby.com (UAE)
Suzanne blogs about life as a mother raising kids in Dubai (originally from the UK, previously the family was based in Pretoria, South Africa).
20) blueabaya.com (Saudi Arabia)
A female expat from Finland provides her perspective on life in Saudi Arabia.
21) brownbeartravels.com (Canada)
Emma and Stewart are a British couple on a working holiday in Canada – this blog covers their working life and travel adventures across the North American continent.
22) expataussieinnj.com (USA)
An Australian living in New Jersey shares insights into the peculiarities of American life from an outsider’s point of view.
Dan is a German expat who has been living in the United States since 2005. His blog contains his own personal stories, success stories of other people who have made the move to the USA, and resources for would-be expats looking to make the leap.
24) alyssawrites.com (Jamaica)
Alyssa is an incisive writer who brings an anthropological eye to her travels, with content spanning the Caribbean, Canada, London and Germany.
25) pickupthefork.com (Argentina)
Everything you could possibly want to know about the culinary life of Buenos Aires.
26) mexicoretold.com (Mexico)
A fascinating look at the life of an expat in Mexico, with a particular emphasis on dispelling the myths and misconceptions that have developed about the country in Western media.
27) notyouraverageamerican.com (Ecuador)
Angela Drake is a US expat who travels primarily throughout South America, exploring culture, nature and wildlife.
28) tropicaltreasurehunter.com (Brazil)
This blog follows the lives of a European couple (German and Swiss) now based in Sao Paolo – with a whole section dedicated to coffee.
29) thebohemiandiaries.com (Bolivia)
For a photo-rich glimpse into the colourful country that is Bolivia, Jessica’s blog is well worth a look. Her blog covers various other destinations throughout the world and in South America, including Peru and Colombia.
30) sydneymovingguide.com (Australia)
Much less of a personal story type blog than the rest of those listed here, this is a practical, non-nonsense guide to moving to Sydney – visas, jobs, buying a house, you name it, everything you need to know is here.
31) proudlysouthafricaninperth.com (Australia)
A valuable source of news and updates relevant to South African expats living in Perth – like the above, this site also offers helpful tips and resources for making the move to Australia.
32) taraustralis.com (Australia)
Tara is an American expat with a colourful CV – in addition to her travel stories she also blogs about NASA and SpaceX, and created a separate side project about her three months travelling Ireland on a pushbike.
33) insearchofalifelessordinary.com (Australia)
A travel blog with a personal development message – give this site a read if you’re looking for some encouragement and inspiration to take the leap with travelling or moving overseas.
34) stumbledownunder.com (Australia)
Stumble Down Under is the blog of a Cuba-American named Cosette living in Melbourne. The blog covers her personal experiences as well as plenty of how-to information that will be useful for anyone consideration making a move to Oz.
35) albomadventures.com (New Zealand)
Rhonda Albom, an American expat based in New Zealand with her family, is an immensely popular blogger with a focus on photography. In addition to lots of great content covering New Zealand her blog also covers her previous experiences in Argentina and stories from a variety of destinations around the world.
36) domestic-executive.com (New Zealand)
Julie and her husband Martin left the UK in 2006 to pursue “life in the slow lane,” as she puts it – this is Julie’s story of living the dream in New Zealand and working from home as a consultant and coach from their lifestyle block near Wellington.
37) thethailandlife.com (Thailand)
Not your typical Thailand travel blog – tips on expat life and travel, learning the Thai language, working in Thailand and adjusting to the local lifestyle.
38) hippie-inheels.com (India)
Rachel is an American expat based in Goa, whose focus is on lifestyle/glamour travel in out of the way places.
39) englishwifeindianlife.com (India)
The story of a young English mother raising her child in India – this is a very personal blog and provides an interesting look into Indian life as well as the experience of being an expat with a young family.
40) retiredinsamar.com (Philippines)
A retired American living in the Philippines – this is an interesting read for anyone weighing up the pros and cons of living in an expensive Western country versus living a slower paced life in Southeast Asia.
41) travelsintranslation.com (Japan)
Beth Williams launched this site while studying abroad in Japan – it’s now a highly popular expat travel blog covering Japan, Hong Kong and other parts of Asia. Great for tips on travel destinations, working abroad and general life and travel advice.
42) ephemeraanddetritus.com (China)
Much of the content of this blog covers life in Shanghai, although the writer has since moved on to Hanoi and Leicester – well worth a read if you are considering a long term move to China.
43) tielandtothailand.com (Thailand)
Lifestyle and destination guides for Thailand, along with practical tips on how to move and live in Thailand long term and make a living while you do it.
44) expatedna.com
Food, travel tips and photography from a widely travelled American expat – based in Paris for much of the life of her blog, Edna’s currently location at the time of writing is Wellington, NZ.
American expat Cody McKibben blogs about life in Bangkok and running a business while travelling.
Rob Lloyd is a “permanent traveller,” on a long term trip around the globe visiting destination as diverse as Riva Del Garda (Italy), Edinburgh and Golfo Dulce (Costa Rica).
47) becomenomad.com
Eli blogs about the realities of life as a long term traveller, budget travel and earning money on the road.
48) theplanetd.com
Adventure travel tips, stories and photography form one of the world’s most famous long-term travel couples, Dave and Deb (they beat out National Geographic to win the Society of American Travel Writers’ Travel Blog of the Year in 2014).
Long term travel to a wide range of destinations around the world, with a vegan and LGBTQ perspective.
50) nomadicmatt.com
Matt Kepnes’ blog about permanent travel has become one of the world’s most popular travel blogs since its inception. One of the most valuable elements of this site is the breakdown of living costs for various destinations based on real-world experience – this will help you get a realistic idea of how much monthly costs will be if you’re assessing potential move destinations.
Major Expat Websites and Blog Directories
Above are some of our favourite personal expat and travel blogs – but there are a few major expat websites we haven’t mentioned yet. If you’re an expat, make sure you have these bookmarked as well:
One of the world’s most popular expat community websites – perfect for finding meetups and support groups of other expats living in your new city.
The original independent travel blog. A great source of information on destinations for people who don’t follow the typical tourist path. They have a series of value guides that will help give you an idea of how far your money will stretch in various destinations around the world.
Expat guides and articles covering cities all over the world – a handy resource if you have just arrived in your new destination and need to know the essentials of getting set up – visas, bank accounts, etc.
Interviews, guides and articles on a wide range of topics relevant to expat life including currency transfers, insurance, exchange programs and pension transfers.
Plenty of personal expat blogs to keep you entertained here. There are also expat interviews, job boards, forums and cost of living guides for many locations.
Guides on moving abroad, helps with financial matters, property listings and buying guides, forums and Facebook groups – it’s all here.
expatexchange.com
Information on healthcare and insurance, moving your belongings internationally, tax, banking, buying real estate and pretty much any other questions you might have about making a permanent move abroad.
Share Your Favourite Expat Blogs
Do you have another favourite expat blog or website that we’ve missed here? Be sure to let us know in the comments below, and don’t forget to share this post with your expat friends!