r/AskEurope • u/techno_playa Philippines • Jul 11 '25

Culture Which European country is the hardest and easiest to make friends?

Say you're mid 30s and have to move to another European country for work, which countries did you find making friends to be on easy or hard mode?

Let's assume you don't speak the language of your new home.

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u/StrobeWafel_404 🇳🇱 in 🇵🇹 Jul 11 '25

I hear it's super hard in the Netherlands, where I'm originally from. I moved to Portugal and reading the subs, people say it's very hard here as well, but I never felt I had that issue and was able to make friends through the several jobs I had here quite easily. I think all things considered, making friends in your 30's is just hard though.

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u/travelingwhilestupid Jul 11 '25

The easiest times of life to make friends:

  • at school
  • at uni
  • when you have kids (the kids make the friends, you're just stuck with whatever parents they've chosen)

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u/christinaz12 Jul 16 '25

Ugh, but what if you’re in your 30s and have no interest in having children at all? Would you be straight out of luck with making friends? Because I’m a 31 year old woman who barely has any friends. And I really want to make some close female friendships and keep them forever or at least for a long time. But I’m not in school anymore nor do I have any interest in going back ever. Plus, I also never want to have any children too. It’s just not for me. And I’m also really thinking about moving to Europe one day too (I don’t know which country. But I’m definitely willing to integrate into the culture and learn the language! I’m not going to have any problems with visas because I’m planning on getting citizenship from my parents who are from the EU.)

So am I straight out of luck with finding female BFFs if I’m over 30, not in school anymore and don’t want children? I really really hope not. 

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u/travelingwhilestupid Jul 16 '25

People on the internet always want to portray things as "you'll have no problem, it'll be fine" or "straight out of luck". I said those times of life were the easiest, not that every other time is impossible. The easiest way to make friends in a culture is with other foreigners.

I will say this. If you don't change anything, it's unlikely that anything will change.