A British family who moved to Italy for a ‘better life’ have revealed why they’re now giving it up.
Annabel Fenwick Elliott left the UK three years ago and lived in Iceland and Mauritius before settling in Italy.
The Telegraph writer has lived there with her husband and three-year-old son for six months.
Despite having an ‘idyllic’ life renting a farmhouse located in a small Umbrian village, Annabel explained why they will be leaving the European destination for America.
She admits one of the reasons is her own fault – the language barrier.
Despite trying her best on an intensive Italian course, Annabel has found it difficult to learn and thinks she is ‘simply bad at foreign languages’.
The knowledge she did pick up on the course helped her to ‘get by’ but isn’t enough to be fully immersed with locals and the Brit describes it as ‘difficult’ and ’embarrassing’ to try and speak with them.
She also feels there is a lack of opportunities for young adults leaving school, and describes the Catholic teachings her son experienced at nursery each day.
Annabel Fenwick Elliott left the UK three years ago and lived in Iceland and Mauritius before settling in Italy (pictured)
What’s more, Annabel has found it incredibly ‘complicated’ to do basic errands like booking a doctor’s appointment or posting a letter.
Even with the issues Annabel outlined, she’s experienced plenty of positives during her time in Italy, too.
The Brit has enjoyed good food, ‘perfect’ weather and met plenty of friendly locals.
She praised the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, for bringing ‘optimism and national pride’ to the country.
A decent ‘fixer-upper’ can be purchased for around €80,000, while in the UK Annabel explained she will lose money when she sells her London studio.
The local nursery is located nearby and ‘costs nothing’, according to Annabel.
Despite the good experiences in Italy, the Brit feels European locations and having to learn another language to fully settle isn’t for her.
Instead, the family’s next venture will be America.
Despite having an ‘idyllic’ life renting a farmhouse located in a small Umbrian village, Annabel explained why they will be leaving the European destination for America (stock)
Others have had more success moving, Luca Tagliaferro, who was born in Italy, moved to the UK in 2011 to study at university.
He then built a career in the UK and settled in his university town of Portsmouth with his wife and son.
But after beginning to feel tired of his life in the UK, in 2023, he made the decision to resign from his job, sell his home and uproot his family to Italy.
He said the UK’s cost-of-living crisis was the tipping point.
