Lisbon

Housing is competitive. Search by the weekly journeys you need, compare furnished and unfurnished terms, and verify the landlord, contract, energy performance and full upfront payment before committing.

Start with excellent, then time the journeys you would make to work, school, shops and healthcare from the address you are considering. An outer parish can work very differently from the centre.

The local starting point is major public and private hospitals. Identify the public health centre for the intended address, urgent-care options and which specialist or private services would require travel.

For international travel, plan around direct metro connection. Test an early departure and late arrival, including the first or last public-transport connection and the realistic cost of a car or transfer.

A capital offers a different balance of anonymity, local relationships and service choice than a major city. Visit on a weekday, in the evening and outside the peak season before judging the pace.

The headline strengths are urban energy, car-light life, international network. Check each one at neighbourhood level: proximity, noise, terrain and transport can change within a few kilometres.