Originally Posted by MrMore

Well, when we go to Mexico, we just walk over the border, there are no US agents to pass. Even the Mexican agents don't do anything, except randomly stop vehicles. I've never been stopped at all when walking over. So I (non lawyer, not binding advice disclaimer) would suggest that's all you need to do: exit via Mexico.

Originally Posted by bergeroo

yeah but then the next time you go back to the US there is no record of you ever having left. So isn't that just as bad?

Originally Posted by brendons31

Don't Europeans, Aussies and Kiwis get 90 day tourist visa's which renew themselves whenever leaving the country? If so, and you're in San Diego, why not just do a day trip/visa run to Mexico every 89 days.

Originally Posted by MrMore

You wouldn't be able to re-enter without going through the whole illegal immigration process all over again. So if you hiked over the border (current fees: about $2,500, with polleros in Juarez or TJ, and it's not a safe or pleasant hike), or flew in and overstayed a visa, whatever, you'd have to do it again. Mexican illegals here don't go home until they're going to stay home for a long time, and in fact at this point, most just go home only when planning to never return.

If you went home and then got another visa, which I suppose would be the case of most 2+2ers, I have no idea if US agents would be able to deduce from your passport that you'd overstayed your previous visa, and thus take enforcement action against you.

Nothing in this or any other post of mine should be construed as encouraging criminal behavior. Obey the laws.

Originally Posted by bergeroo

So if you hiked over the border.

Originally Posted by Stuffdog85

Dublin, Ireland

Cost of Living: 2/10
Despite the banking system collapse, the death of the Celtic Tiger and the arrival of the IMF, Dublin is still a very expensive city. A decent suburban room will set you back €400 - €500 a month and a city centre equivalent will cost between €600 and €800. Saying this there are plenty of sketchy places that are significantly cheaper. Food, alcohol and petrol are between one and a half and double the price you would pay in North America.

Crime: 7/10
Dublin is pretty safe, no doubt there are dangerous parts of the city but anybody with a modicum of common sense should be well able to avoid them. If you are unlucky you might get leered at or leeched over by a stumbling heroin addict in town or be on the wrong side of a staggering punch from an intoxicated local on a night out but overall Dublin feels much safer than big cities in the US and the UK.

Poker 8/10
Ireland's capital boasts a decent selection of casinos, most of which hold nightly cash games and tournies. The players are soft, the rake is decent and the action is fast. Online poker is pretty much unregulated and you do not have to pay tax. Internet connections are sufficient to play poker but still lag behind North American and Continental standards.

Recreation 5/10
Ireland has notoriously unattractive weather and while Dublin is one of the driest parts of the country it does not have a climate which encourages an active outdoors lifestyle. The nightlife is decent but expensive. There is a great selection of pubs and clubs to suit most peoples tastes. The choice in restaurants is adequate with mosts tastes catered for however the local cuisine is almost non existent.

Ease of entry/residency:
EU citizen 10/10
First world country 5/10
other 2/10

Women 3/10
Don't come to Dublin for pussy. Irish women are ugly, both genetically and in the manner that they look after themselves. Additionally this fault is not tempered with the down to earth quality one might expect, in fact Irish women are fueled by a healthy dose of self delusion. Your typical 6 thinks that she is an 8 and your typical 8 thinks that she is a 10. This is due to the fact that there are essentially no 9's or 10's in the country. On the plus side, traditional Catholic morals are fast evaporating so one night stands are definitely possible, just remember that you will be shooting around 2 marks lower than you would in the US and a mark lower than in the UK.

Originally Posted by Leedslad

Leeds, England
Experince, lived here all my life

Cost of Living - Typical for a large European city. More expensive than America for sure. It's the 3rd largest city in England. Less expensive than London for obvious reasons but more expensive that some smaller cities. A £25,000 ($37,000 USD) salary is just above the national average. A beer will typically cost you £2-£3 in most places but they can be found cheaper than that if needed (£1 a bottle some places). A weekly food shop a supermarket will cost you around £60-£80. Internet about anyway from £15-£25 a month. Very reliable cable internet services and the Wifi coverage is good throughout the country. Housing you can find a pretty broad range of costs to suite your needs. High end city centre flats can be as high as £800+ p/m. Cheaper areas located in the city can be found thanks to the large student population (largest in the country outside london) and rented housing. Obv cheaper to live outside the City centre. Transport around £2 on the bus. £3-5 in the taxi if its a short hop or roughly £1 per mile.

Health care is free. You'll need insurance if you plan to own a vehicle, which can be expensive.


nightlife & Recreation - As with England in general its a pretty diverse city. Lots of different sub cultures and non UK residents. Speaking English is going to be essential, we're pretty poor compared to our European neighbours when it comes to speaking other languages fluently. Fun, big vibrant city. Theres the yuppy business vibe, the grungey student vibe and everything in between. Lots of bars and clubs in the city. As mentioned the largest student population in England means the citys always got a youthful party element to it. Golf courses and countryside all within a short trip. Any activities that you'd expect in a large city you can get here.

How Scary? - 4. Very safe during the day. High police presence, especially in the city centre at night. I've never had a fight or been a victim of crime but every large city has crime so Leeds is no different. if you live a decent area and aren't typical the sort to get into bar fights you'll prolly not see anything. Culturally and religiously diverse so foreigners arent hated. People wont rip you off. its a one price for all system.


Poker Playing - Poker is legal. 4 main casinos in leeds. Merrion G, Alea, Gala, Napoleans. Offer a range from NL cash and low-mid buy in tourneys (£20-£50). Live cash is pretty soft with 0.5/1 or 1/2 on offer. Rake is usually capped at £100 pots and 5% i think. Alea has the softest cash games imo. It would be hard to make a living of the tourneys in leeds but Dusk Til Dawn poker club is about 1hrs drive away in Nottingham and offers much larger prize pools and buy ins. Or london is about 3-4hrs drive away if theres a big EPT or WSOPE on. In general you can get to pretty much anyway in the country from leeds within 4 hours max.


How Easy to Get There and Stay There? - Easy to get here. Major transport hub, especially the london airpots. Americans should have a 6 month stay with no Visa required. EU countries are free to come and go.


That should jsut about cover it.

Originally Posted by Benoso

Someone asked for Leeds/Manchester earlier...

Liverpool. Some of this might apply to UK as a whole too.

Smaller than both the above, Liverpool still has a lot to offer..

Experience: Been a student here for almost three years, I like to this I have a pretty good grasp and 'feel' for the city by now.

Cost of living: Probably a tad cheaper that Manchester and Leeds and a lot cheaper than London. You'll get a nice dockside apartment for about £450/month I imagine. I live in the suburbs in a shared student house and pay £60/week, all bills inclusive (inc. broadband).

Crime: Liverpool has an undeserved reputation for its crime levels. The common stereotype is that Scousers (Liverpudlians) are all burglars and muggers. They'll steal your stereo and TV etc. etc. Stats show that Liverpool is safer than most major UK cities. Liverpool went through a bit of a bad patch in the 80s I guess with the Toxteth race riots and so forth but that was because it was a city in decline then, its manufacturing base got annihilated by Thatcher and it left a lot of resentment. Now it's retooled itself as a tourism area/service industry dominated city (like many cities have had to) and it's bustling once more. It was named European Capital of Culture for 2008 and this led to a massive of investment. Cranes seem to always dominate the skyline and there's always some new bar/gallery/museum opening it seems.

Poker: Three casinos, all chains. Gala, Mint, Circus. Cash games and tournies run every evening. Games tend to be 1/1, although 1/2 runs at weekends. 5% rake, capped at £5. There's Manchester's Grosvenor a short drive away which apparently spreads cash games virtually 24/7.

Recreation: It's a thriving student city. Loads of bars, price of a pint is about £2.40 although you'll find a lot of sub-£2 places too. Liverpool is somewhat famed for its nightlife. It's a smaller city than its peers but people still come from miles for weekends here. There's also the fabled 'Scouser charm' I guess. There's loads more (two amazing and very different cathedrals, some of the best architecture in Europe etc. etc.) but we don't care about that right?

Ease of entry: Standard UK policies.

Women: Nothing special. If you're a decent looking guy and have a modicum of charm/charisma, you'll be able to pull on a night out.

Originally Posted by ExpensiveTaste

Anyone have experience of Bulgaria?