Notorious for deal-chasing and finding smart ways to secure cheap flights and accommodations, much of Clark’s travel advice pertains to saving money.
But where would he live if he had to pick a location outside of the United States? That's what a listener of the Clark Howard Podcast recently asked.
What Countries Does Clark Howard Admire Most?
Clark doesn't have any plans to leave the U.S. But a listener posed a fun question on the Nov. 15 podcast episode.
David in California asked: "Clark, you are a person who has traveled many places. I know you love the good old USA, but if you had a choice to live anywhere outside of the United States, where would that be and why?"
Since this was a hypothetical question, Clark picked Italy as his favorite “not practical” choice.
“I mean, I love Italy. Every time I go, I just love it, love it, love it.”
However, he cites constant disruption and chaos, as well as the fact that buying property there “is just a nightmare,” as reasons why Italy would be more of a fantasy pick than where he’d go in reality.
His practical choice is also in Europe: Portugal. The people are nice and it’s more affordable, Clark says.
“And they have a path to long-term residency for Americans that is not that convoluted if you’d like to be able to stay there a good long while,” Clark says.
“Now an honorable mention would be Thailand. But it gets a little hot. It gets a little rainy part of the year. But the Thai people — and the country that I’ve had the privilege of going to several times in my life — what a great place.”
Where Would Clark’s Children Go?
As much as Clark loves Italy, he can’t help but think practically. So Portugal wins out for him, even though he finds Portuguese to be a difficult language to learn.
His children, however, would pick a different country, Clark speculated: one with a giant Outback, a Great Barrier Reef and plenty of kangaroos.
“If you ask my kids, there’s one place and one place only they’d want to live in the world outside the United States: Australia,” Clark says. “They just love, love, love Australia. I took my three kids to Australia, and they had the best time.”
Final Thoughts
So there you have it. Given a choice to live anywhere in the world outside of the U.S., Clark leans heavily toward Europe, especially countries that are known for being friendly and welcoming.
However, the ease of buying property, the legal process to secure residency and the language are among the practical factors that Clark says he’d consider.
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