Expat Life In Austria: Slower, Cheaper, Better?

Travel writer Carly Hulls joins the Expat Focus Podcast to talk about slow living, and why it's worth trading a fast-paced life abroad for one you can actually savour. Carly is an Australian who moved to Vienna in 2012 after a season as a tour guide and a whirlwind romance that began in an Austrian après-ski bar. She explains how Vienna's long lunches, Sunday closures and Heurigers first set her on the path to slow living, and how burnout and a pandemic move back to Australia made her rethink how she wanted to live.

Now settled with her family in the Alpine region of Tyrol, Carly talks about the seasonal rituals that make slowing down feel natural, and the less picturesque side of the countryside dream, from empty holiday homes to the learning curve of growing your own food. She also shares practical advice for new arrivals in Austria, including joining a local Verein to get out of the expat bubble and giving yourself at least 18 months before deciding whether to stay.

If you're living abroad and feel like you're still running at your old pace, or you're dreaming of a quieter life in Austria, this episode offers an honest look at what slow living really involves: the joys, the trade-offs and the small daily choices that make it work.

#SlowLiving #LivingInAustria #MoveToAustria #ExpatLife #Vienna #Tyrol #ExpatFocus

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00:00 Introducing Carly Hulls

00:54 From Tour Guide to Austria

04:38 First Months in Vienna

06:50 What Makes Vienna Great

10:42 How Vienna Sparked Slow Living

12:49 Burnout and a Pandemic Pivot

16:07 Why Move Back to Austria