# Limassol with teenagers?



## Trisha (May 7, 2010)

Hi Everyone,

Apologies if this has already been discussed but I can't find anything much - could be my bad searching.

We are contemplating the big move from London to (probably) Limassol. We have 3 children, 3, 13 and 16 and would like to come this year to give my oldest the opportunity to study her A levels overseas. I'm pretty sure we have enough money to see us through a couple of years as well as myself and my husband having business plans to work both in the UK and later on Cyprus.

My question is what is the lifestyle like for teenagers in Cyprus? They are both outgoing friendly kids and will be going to one of the English schools, do the kids socialise outside of school much or are they too widely spread in the area. I know that the buses stop pretty early so I'm concerned that they might not get to see any friends they make unless we are available to drive them.

Thanks in advance


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## kimonas (Jul 19, 2008)

Trisha said:


> Hi Everyone,
> 
> Apologies if this has already been discussed but I can't find anything much - could be my bad searching.
> 
> ...


I'm familiar with several private schools on the island (although none admittedly in Limassol) and also familiar with common parental complaints. The 'my-kids-think-I'm-a-taxi' complaint is probably universal, however. Public transport is very rudimentary to non existant in Cyprus, so chances are you will end up ferrying your kids around. 

Please read the threads on schooling - particularly the dangers of messing up the education of vulnerable teenagers. Unless there are particular problems that they are keen to escape from, or particular subjects that they want to study that are not available where you are currently, I'd be inclined to not interrupt their education. The A level choices in Cyprus tend to be more limited than in most schools in the UK.


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

I would be inclined to agree with Kimonas. If your childrens education is important to you it would be unwise to interupt it at this stage.
Kimonas is very well clued up on the education system here so I would advise you to listen to what he says.
My advice is to wait until the two oldest are finished with school at which point the youngest would not yet have started secondary so would be at an age where the move would not be too disruptive.

Veronica


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## Trisha (May 7, 2010)

Thanks Kimonas, much appreciated.
I suspected we may be a bit of a taxi service so it's one I'll bear in mind.

I was hoping their education would do pretty well due to the smaller class sizes in the private schools (it's at least 30+ here) our reasons for coming now is that it's between GCSE's and A levels for one and before GCSE courses have started for the other but it is something that we are considering carefully.
Their schooling is going well here, I'm just fed up with the daily reports of gang fights and teenagers stabbing each other in the London area. We live in a nice area but they have to go to the shops/cinema/general teenage places and it's a worry until they return home safely. It may sound like an exaggeration but trust me it gets worse by the year.


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## Trisha (May 7, 2010)

Thanks Veronica.

Our current plan is to come out for an initial visit for a few weeks and rent a Villa/car and see what they think. I've stressed to them that it would be nothing like being on holiday and they would need to adapt to school etc. They are both aware that if they do not think they would be happy then we stay here no questions asked.
If not now then we will wait until the middle one goes to Uni and come over when the youngest is still in primary school and young enough to adapt.


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Trisha said:


> Thanks Veronica.
> 
> Our current plan is to come out for an initial visit for a few weeks and rent a Villa/car and see what they think. I've stressed to them that it would be nothing like being on holiday and they would need to adapt to school etc. They are both aware that if they do not think they would be happy then we stay here no questions asked.
> If not now then we will wait until the middle one goes to Uni and come over when the youngest is still in primary school and young enough to adapt.


The latter sounds like a good plan to me, especially as it also gives you and your husband time to get your business plans into action so that you have a secure income when you come. 
Life here is great if you have planned well beforehand and got your finances in order.


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## kimonas (Jul 19, 2008)

Trisha said:


> Thanks Kimonas, much appreciated.
> I suspected we may be a bit of a taxi service so it's one I'll bear in mind.
> 
> I was hoping their education would do pretty well due to the smaller class sizes in the private schools (it's at least 30+ here) our reasons for coming now is that it's between GCSE's and A levels for one and before GCSE courses have started for the other but it is something that we are considering carefully.
> Their schooling is going well here, I'm just fed up with the daily reports of gang fights and teenagers stabbing each other in the London area. We live in a nice area but they have to go to the shops/cinema/general teenage places and it's a worry until they return home safely. It may sound like an exaggeration but trust me it gets worse by the year.


I'm so sorry to hear of your fears - but youth disturbances, violence and trouble with police conflict etc are an unfortunate element of Cyprus too. The recent front page of the Cyprus Mail for example makes pretty grim reading
Cyprus Mail – Cyprus’ Leading Daily Newspaper
especially for those contemplating a move to Limassol. I think statistically it is still safer to live in the UK where there are better general health and safety protocols, better emergecy care etc. Here for example there are currently no trained paramedics dispatched with ambulances or attending RTAs and the general road safety record is horrendous. I've lost count of the pile-ups I've seen with selfish drivers blocking the hardshoulder so that the glorified taxi drivers (ambulances) can't get through. I know it is just my opinion, but I think you'd be swapping one worry for another. Daily School buses without seat belts in Cyprus, or a remote possibility of random violence in the UK...


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## zany (Sep 19, 2009)

If you are that worried about the violence then maybe you should consider another area outside of London.


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## Trisha (May 7, 2010)

zany said:


> If you are that worried about the violence then maybe you should consider another area outside of London.


We live in Surrey but the problems are spreading further out of London. Trouble makers travel out of their usual zones to new places because they have been moved on. My daughter had to take refuge in a shopping centre in our nearest town whilst Police dealt with running knife battles between 2 gangs who were not even from the area but arranged to meet there to fight.

However judging by the posts that I've read on here the general opinion seems to be Cyprus is not recommended for either families with young children or families with teenagers. And retirement is unfortunately a long way off for me 

Maybe a Desert Island beckons.

Thanks for the responses, much appreciated.


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## theresoon (Apr 11, 2008)

Trisha said:


> We live in Surrey but the problems are spreading further out of London. Trouble makers travel out of their usual zones to new places because they have been moved on. My daughter had to take refuge in a shopping centre in our nearest town whilst Police dealt with running knife battles between 2 gangs who were not even from the area but arranged to meet there to fight.
> 
> However judging by the posts that I've read on here the general opinion seems to be Cyprus is not recommended for either families with young children or families with teenagers. And retirement is unfortunately a long way off for me
> 
> ...


I very much doubt Cyprus is as bad as that. I see well behaving teenagers at the movie theaters all the time (they are dropped of or picked up by parents). While in Limassol one day there were different groups of teenagers at Starbucks having lunch and juice. There is a private school across the street from there- I don't know which one.


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## Cleo Shahateet (Feb 23, 2009)

I just think that everyone is just trying to warn you that it is not perfect here. While you will be gaining some pros there are definite cons like the ones Kimonas mentioned. Less traffic, less pollution and better weather will be a plus but as for the kids, the biggest fear is for us the driving, health care (or lack of), and if they were older like yours I would just keep them out of them clubs and keep track of them at night. There are pedophiles, bullies, drugs and all the rest of it here too and the law and schools here are not as effiicient at stopping certain problems or slow at correcting issues from what we have seen. However, we have all made a life in Cyprus with kids so there are some success stories. Good luck with your decision!


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## Trisha (May 7, 2010)

Absolutely, I've been reading the discussions on and off for a few years and the opinions of the people who have already made the move and know the pitfalls are invaluable. Like you and Kimonas have mentioned I have heard dreadful things about the driving in particular.
I guess it will come down to weighing up the pro's and con's and seeing how we get on when we visit for a few weeks.


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## methusela (Apr 5, 2010)

Trisha said:


> Hi Everyone,
> 
> My question is what is the lifestyle like for teenagers in Cyprus? They are both outgoing friendly kids and will be going to one of the English schools, do the kids socialise outside of school much or are they too widely spread in the area. I know that the buses stop pretty early so I'm concerned that they might not get to see any friends they make unless we are available to drive them.
> 
> Thanks in advance


Hi Trisha, I feel I must offset some of the bad things you have seen posted by saying something good about life in the Limassol area with a teenager. My wife and I moved to a village on the outskirts of Limassol, with our 13 year old granddaughter. She attended Logos school (see Logos School of English Education ) where, after the initial difficulty of getting to know a few pupils and building up a new circle of friends, she enjoyed her stay very much indeed. She would probably have been equally happy at the Heritage school (see The Heritage Private School, Limassol, Cyprus ) which has now moved to a new larger building, so more pupils to make friends with.
There was an active social life outside of school, much of which was organised by the school - discos etc (albeit with a little bit of easy-going religion thrown in, as they are Christian based schools - but nothing too serious) but also visits to the cinema, bowling alley, pool parties, beach parties etc arranged by the parents.
We all loved living in Cyprus but had to return to the UK for medical treatment after our granddaughter sufferred some bad epileptic attacks. Looking back now, we should have stayed and got treatment over there, but at the time it seemed the best thing to do. Now we are all set to move back again in September and we are really looking forward to it.
If you go to visit, I would recommend you visit both schools while you are there, to see what the opportunities are for the older two children.
I would also recommend that you look for somewhere to rent outside of the main Limassol town & tourist areas, which are not really the best places to live ( any more than you would want to live in the middle of Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds etc - but these cities also have nice outlying areas).
Even if you do end up driving the kids to school, there's no better way to start the day than a drive along the seafront road in bright sunshine, watching the swimmers and sunbathers enjoying themselves - even in December and January although then it is only a few hardy regulars.
Good luck, if you do decide to go for it. At least you have the right approach - try it for a year or so and see how you get on. Just make sure you have enough funds to see you through.


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## Trisha (May 7, 2010)

Hi Methusela,

Thanks for your thoughts, it's good to get a balanced view from people who have already done what we are planning to do. I understand that nowhere is perfect but we are hoping that a different lifestyle will benefit us all. I really like the look of Logos school and also The Heritage and Foleys so we are hoping to see them all when we come over.
I also saw a post of yours about recommended villages as I would like to live close enough to Limassol to get there in reasonable time but like you say not in the centre or the tourist areas so will be checking those out too. We are fortunate enough to have funds to see us through a year or two whilst we get settled and I hope to do contract work for UK companies (hopefully remotely from Cyprus with the odd trip back) so one less stress when we first arrive.
I hope your grandaughter is on the mend, good luck with your move back.


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## AradippouTales (Jan 27, 2010)

Trisha said:


> I have heard dreadful things about the driving in particular.


I'll go out on a limb here and say that I don't think the driving is _that_ bad. 

It's not great, it's certainly unconventional and some of the choices that the Cypriots make (particularly with regards to children in the car, and mobile phones, and drinking coffee) are interesting.

Compared to London I'd say there is much less aggression, much less road rage, quite a bit more courtesy and much less traffic. What you need to watch for is someone having an accident doing something daft like texting while riding a motorbike or talking on the phone whilst drinking coffee and driving. Things like that really do happen on a regular basis. So mildly crazy certainly 

Mands


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## Trisha (May 7, 2010)

Thanks Mands, as we are both used to the 'quirks' (lunacy) of London driving hopefully it will prepare us a little!


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## methusela (Apr 5, 2010)

Trisha said:


> Thanks Mands, as we are both used to the 'quirks' (lunacy) of London driving hopefully it will prepare us a little!


Among many other driving problems there are two in particular that I have noticed. Until a few years ago there were virtually no traffic lights on the island and it seems that many older people who live in outlying areas don't know what these are when they come up against them (this is not an ageist comment, simply that newer drivers will learn about lights through their driving instructor).
Maybe these people think they're seeing some kind of flashing illuminations, but they certainly tend to ignore them and you will often see cars - particularly the big double cab pick-ups - going through red lights without even slowing down.

The second problem is that, when they are stopped by a red light many local drivers don't stop at the painted line but edge forward well into the junction, sometimes far enough to block turning traffic on the other road. Then, having reached this point they seem to forget why they are there, so they don't move when the lights go green - until someone behind wakes them up with a blast on the horn. I call this phenomenon "traffic light narcosis" and it seems to affect one local driver in every three or four.


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## AradippouTales (Jan 27, 2010)

methusela said:


> Maybe these people think they're seeing some kind of flashing illuminations, but they certainly tend to ignore them and you will often see cars - particularly the big double cab pick-ups - going through red lights without even slowing down.


I once heard a tale of an older Cypriot who ended up in court for driving through a red light. When asked why he hadn't stopped he stated that the traffic lights had been introduced to the island for the expats. He was local therefore he wasn't required to stop.

I doubt the tale is true, but the sentiment is awfully honest!

Not using indicators is another issue. 
_
But, I know where I'm going so why would I need to indicate?!_

Quirky, but not aggressive, driving 
Mands


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## theresoon (Apr 11, 2008)

methusela said:


> Among many other driving problems there are two in particular that I have noticed. Until a few years ago there were virtually no traffic lights on the island and it seems that many older people who live in outlying areas don't know what these are when they come up against them (this is not an ageist comment, simply that newer drivers will learn about lights through their driving instructor).
> Maybe these people think they're seeing some kind of flashing illuminations, but they certainly tend to ignore them and you will often see cars - particularly the big double cab pick-ups - going through red lights without even slowing down.
> 
> The second problem is that, when they are stopped by a red light many local drivers don't stop at the painted line but edge forward well into the junction, sometimes far enough to block turning traffic on the other road. Then, having reached this point they seem to forget why they are there, so they don't move when the lights go green - until someone behind wakes them up with a blast on the horn. I call this phenomenon "traffic light narcosis" and it seems to affect one local driver in every three or four.



 Very positive prospective! :clap2:

I am not sure what your definition of a few years is but I assure you, there have been traffic lights here for more than a few years. But I think another excuse locals make is- going the wrong way on a one way street- "but my house is right here so I always drive this way"


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## Aase (Jul 8, 2007)

Going back to the original question about moving here with teenagers... We have younger children but have friends with teenagers and yes, they do drive them a lot to different places. One of the problems we find here is that everybody live in different villages so if kids want to see each others outside of school, you have to drive them. For our kids this has meant that they don't have much to do in the afternoons or at weekends and they really miss having friends nearby. 

The teenagers I have met here that go to private schools are generally very polite and well mannered and seem to enjoy living here, even though as already mentioned, the choice of subjects at A'levels is quite limited. Activities outside school are also limited, even though there are drama groups, sport groups and other activities they can join that are English speaking. 

I would also look at Red Dragon School if I were you. Their senior department has recently moved to a new building in the centre of town and their facilities are very good. The classes are small, which can pose a problem with finding enough friends, but academically it is great!


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## Trisha (May 7, 2010)

Thanks for that, I'll add Red Dragon to my list. I have a feeling they may end up at different schools if some are better for A levels and some for younger children.
I'm kind of hoping that having a pool and sometimes the beach etc. will help with after school activities, especially once they make friends. I always have a house full of teens who come round and raid my kitchen before being driven home so was hoping to eventually have similar there once they settle in.

Do you know what the cycling conditions are like? My son often cycles to see his friends here and would be bringing his bike if we make the move.


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## Aase (Jul 8, 2007)

I would be very worried about letting my children out on bikes here! Apart from along the seafront, there are no proper cycling lanes and the streets are very narrow and drivers not very careful. Also, unless you live in central Limassol or along the coast towards the west of Limassol, it is very hilly and not very cycle friendly!

As you say you may be better off sending them to different schools as some are better for young kids. Dragon is brilliant for the young ones but as they are only introducing A'levels this year (I think) you may want to send the older one to a school with a track record and with larger classes as the social life will be easier. With your youngest, you may find that Heritage and Foleys are oversubscribed, a friend of mine has had her three year old on a waiting list at Heritage for over a year and only just got her a place. 

We have been here for two years now and have had a great time. We have a business in the UK which provides us with enough income to live on. We have been surprised, however, at the cost of living here which is not in proportion with the salaries on offer. We have decided to leave Cyprus in the summer and move to Norway, which according to official lists is one of the most expensive countries in the world. Comparing living costs with Cyprus, they are not much higher, salaries are four to five times higher, though, and there's a decent social system. The living costs are not our only reason for leaving, another and maybe even more important reason for leaving, is that we feel that our children will never fit in here. They will always be foreigners and will always live in an expat community, never really having a feeling of belonging to somewhere. If we had sent them to the local Greek school they would possibly have felt more of a belonging but they would always be outsiders. Being at an international school they have met lots of friends from all over the world, the problem is that there's quite a large turnover of children and many leave, which means that they have to start all over again making friends. 

I don't want to put you off coming as Cyprus is a wonderful country, I just wanted to tell you a bit about how we feel about being here. Before coming I seriously thought the kids would make some friends in the village but it's been very hard, which means that I either have to drive them across town to see friends or they spend the weekends without seeing anyone.


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## Trisha (May 7, 2010)

Thanks Aase, it sounds like the skate park in Paphos will be where he does his only cycling!! The cost of living does seem high, I am planning to do contract work for companies based in the UK and fly back and forth when necessary with some remote working from Cyprus thrown in so can hopefully offset that a little. It sounds like a it can be a struggle for anyone relying on the average Cypriot salary.

We are mulling over the possibility of sending our 3 year old to a Cypriot school so that she can make local friends but I would then have to seperate her from her friends at senior level as I would like her to gain IGCSE's so that she has more choice of university. Rock and hard place I think.

I think if we make the move it will be very different for all of us with some good and some bad, I'm just hoping for mostly good!!

Good luck with your move back to Norway.


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## Bazbar (Jun 3, 2010)

Life is what you make it and yes Cyprus has some problems.However we have been here 5 years and our son loves it here.He has been at the heritage school since year 8 and is now doing his As level in year 12.
He has an active social life including five a side football and Limassol offers 16 year olds options.
He had a choice of 10 As levels so there are plenty.They are Edexcel just like the UK or Cambridge depending on which subjects.
They have school classes available from 3 to 18 years old but it is not cheap.
Our sons fees for the year are 7,200 Euros per year plus uniform,books and exam fees so nearer 8,500 per year.
The fees are lower for younger children and there is a discount scheme for families.
Hope that helps.
Mark


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## Trisha (May 7, 2010)

Thanks Mark, funnily enough it's my year 8 son that I'm most concerned about. He likes to play football/go BMXing with his mates and I need to make sure he can get a good social life going as well as settling in at school hence our plan to be nearish to Limassol. If we didn't have the kids I'd be happy in the middle of nowhere!
I don't expect things to be perfect anywhere but I hope to make it a great experience for the kids and give them the opportunity to do things a little differently for a while.


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## TonyBain (Dec 10, 2008)

Allow me to give you my view... when I was 10 we moved to Cyprus limassol, the schools we went to were the best of all my years, and the Time out of school was fantastic times, I can honestly say they were the best days of my life, . . I wouldn't think things are much different now! I am 51 years old
Yes we started early for school and there were organised buses to and from school and many british families lived nearby as the parents generaly worked on the R.A.F. Camp nearby in Akotoiri. As for being a taxi?
depending where you stay walking in Cyprus weather was all part of the joy...though i must say Limassol is much much bigger now.

Life is about new Adventures. DO IT NOW! tomorrows memories will make you smile, Mine do!!!


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## Trisha (May 7, 2010)

Thanks for that Tony, it's good to hear both the Pros and Cons  I agree about the adventures, I see this as an opportunity for the kids to experience something different whilst still having us around to take care of them. 

Enjoy the sunshine, it's chilly here in London this morning!


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