# Looking for expat families with young children



## asmith (Mar 31, 2010)

Hi

I am moving to Portugal and I am undecided on where to live. I am Portuguese but left Porto when I was 15. Some of my family still lives there so Porto would be the easiest option. However I am hoping to start up a business venture and think that maybe, the better option would be the Algarve.

Would love to hear back from expat families with young children (I have two boys of my own - 2 years old and 6 months old) and I am a qualified teacher. I am hoping to set up a small English preschool wherever we end up, however I'm just not sure _where_ in the Algarve would be the best bet. Any thoughts/recommendations?

Thanks

Marta


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

Personally I think you'd get more business from Portuguese families who want their children to have better oppurtunities in life by being bi-lingual from an early age, so should locate in a still prosperous area of a major Portuguese city, although I don't envy you at all in setting up a pre-school as you'll face established competition from similar places, Coimbra as an example has a heavily subscribed one, apart from the bureaucracy involved.
Catering just to ex-pats of any Nationality limits you tremendously and are there enough in any given catchment area, I very much doubt it.


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## asmith (Mar 31, 2010)

Hi Canoeman,


Thanks for your reply. Would love to know the details of the one in Coimbra. I know that in Porto there isn't an English preschool. Really, the choice of the Algarve is purely selfish as I would love to live there.


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

Not there at moment but someone from Coimbra might know it, it's in the apartments on the big roundabout by LeRoy Merlin (old Makro site).

Personally Algarve is still a holiday destination for me, even though I live here


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## locovida (Mar 3, 2009)

If you open near vila nova do poiares we are hoping to be there soon, and you may have a willing employee! (Im a qualified teaching assistant,experienced nanny,registered childminder)


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## asmith (Mar 31, 2010)

Hi! 

That's not a bad idea! My husband and I are looking to start an agricultural business venture as our main source of income, with the preschool being a secondary plan, so we are looking for land. V.N. Poiares could be factored into the equation! 

Why there? What are you moving for? And do you have children?


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## locovida (Mar 3, 2009)

My husband is portuguese, and we just want a different way of life, my mum and her husband are coming too. We do have children they are 6 and 9yr old boys, we recently viewed a house in vila nova, we really like the area, and its not too far from coimbra - about 30 mins, and an hour from figuiera da foz beach plus its really cheap! so ideal for us. Not sure how we will make a living yet, we have a few ideas but would be great to still work with children.


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## asmith (Mar 31, 2010)

How can we chat off the board? The centre of Portugal is ideal for our business ventures. We like the look of Lousa and VN Poiares and I could definitely use your help


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

Do another message, you need 5 and you can PM Forum members, which puts you in personal contact


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## asmith (Mar 31, 2010)

Thanks Canoeman


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## locovida (Mar 3, 2009)

Great!


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## asmith (Mar 31, 2010)

Locovida


Email me: araujo dot smith at gmail dot com

Can't get the private messages to work and I'm too impatient to wait!

Thanks


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

I'm sure moderators will tell you but it's not good practice to publish your e-mail address on a public forum, PM's very easy if you and person you want to contact has made 5+ posts then just click on their name on a post and you'll get an option to PM them, to send you must put a subject in box


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