Expat Essentials

Expat Essentials: Dispatches’ guide compendium of Europe’s international schools, Pt. 1

Since the day we started Dispatches Europe, one of the biggest undertakings we’ve committed to is our lists of English-language international schools in Europe’s expat centers for readers with school-age children.

We also know it might be time-consuming to sift through our archives to find the schools for the city you’ll be moving to in order to find the right school for your children. So, we’ve decided to create a multi-part compendium of all of our guides to Europe’s international schools, organized by country, then (if applicable) by city.

All you need to do is check the compendium for where you will be heading, click the link, and the guide(s) will appear on your screen.

Also: if there are any schools opening up or ones we missed over the years, please let us know. The only stipulation is that the school’s curriculum must have English as the primary language of instruction.

[email protected]
[email protected]

• Austria

Vienna
Vienna (Pt. 1 & Pt. 2): The world’s best city to call home several times over, Vienna is one of the wealthiest cities in all of Europe, and its contributions to music are bar none. It’s also a burgeoning tech hub on par with Helsinki and Munich, with 9,000 IT firms plus multinationals such as Hewlett-Packard, Frequentis, and Kapsch.

And of course, Vienna is the ball capital of the world, holding over more than of them between the autumn and spring months. Our guides for the capital of Austria cover the seven English-language schools in Vienna as of the 2018-19 academic year.

The largest is Vienna International School, founded for the children of United Nations employees and diplomats.

• Belgium

Brussels, Belgium
Brussels (Pt. 1 & Pt. 2): The home of NATO, the de facto capital of the European Union, and the de juris capital of Belgium, Brussels is Europe incarnate; 70 percent of the city’s residents have roots outside of Belgium, with France, Romania, and Morrocco contributing the most.

It’s also the comic book mecca of the world (Tintin was born here, and there’s a comic book museum there, too), and boasts 1,800 restaurants serving the best waffles, fries, chocolates, and beers around.

Our guides for the capital of Europe cover the 11 English-language schools in Brussels as of the 2018-19 academic year.

• Denmark

Copenhagen, Denmark
Copenhagen (Pt. 1 & Pt. 2): Once a Viking fishing village established in the 10th century, the Danish capital of Copenhagen is now one of Northern Europe’s biggest economic drivers, and one half of the Øresund transnational region with Malmö, Sweden.

Copenhagen is also the cultural anchor of Denmark and of Scandinavia, has a thriving jazz music scene, and boasts specialized business clusters for every sector from IT to biotech.

Our guides for Denmark’s capital cover the 13 English-language schools in Copenhagen as of the 2018-19 academic year.

• France

Paris, France
Paris: The city so above all others, only Rome is its equal (and vice versa), Paris is a goddess of art, music, fashion, theatre, revolution, history, and so much more. La Défense and the QCA are the City of Light’s two largest economic drivers, hosting the likes of BNP Paribas, Total S.A., AXA, and other multinationals. And you can’t forget landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Musée d’Orsay, the Louvre, and the historic axis from the Louvre to the Tuileries Garden.

Our guide to one of the cornerstones of Western civilization covers the six English-language schools in Paris as of the 2018-19 academic year.

And of course Paris schools claim a glittering list of celebs including actress Eva Green; Andrea Albert Pierre Casiraghi, grandson of actress Grace Kelly and son of Princess Caroline of Monaco; Yann Marte, Man Booker prize-winning author of  “Life of Pi;” Jochen Paesen, creative director at BWM and TV and film director Barnaby Southcombe, son of Charlotte Rampling.

• Germany

Berlin, Germany
Berlin (Pt. 1 & Pt. 2): Once the divided city of a divided nation, Berlin is a major cultural center for Germany and of Europe. Currently the capital of a post-unification Germany, Berlin was the capital of several historic nations, including the Kingdom of Prussia, the Weimar Republic, and the Third Reich.

Deutsche Telekom (the parent of T-Mobile), Axel Springer, Air Berlin, and every American tech giant all have a presence here.

Our guides to the city that inspired the late David Bowie’s Berlin Trilogy cover the nine English-language schools in Berlin as of the 2018-19 academic year.

Demand for spaces is rising in Berlin and many of those schools have plans to expand including Berlin Brandenburg International School:

Frankfurt, Germany
Frankfurt: The geographic center of the European Union and one of our top suggested destinations for expats, Frankfurt am Main (Frankfurt, for short) is one of the largest economic engines in all of Europe, one that will only grow larger thanks to Brexit.

And speaking of large, Frankfurt is home to the largest internet exchange point, auto show, and book fair. Hyundai, Opel, KMPG, and Nestlé are a handful of the multinationals who have a home in Frankfurt.

Our guide to Germany’s financial powerhouse covers the five English-language schools in Frankfurt as of the 2018-19 academic year.

Munich, Germany
Munich: The home of BMW and the biggest beer and fun festival in the world, Munich is the third largest city in Germany, and a city that finds itself among several top liveable cities lists.

Siemens, Allianz, and Microsoft all have a place here, as does famed German beer brewer Hofbräuhaus, who also has a place at Oktoberfest every late September.

Our guide to Germany’s beer-fueled party center covers the five English-language schools in Munich as of the 2018-19 academic year.

Cologne, Germany
Rhine-Ruhr: Containing major cities including Bonn, Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Essen, Germany’s Rhine-Ruhr region is the nation’s sole megaopolis, and one of Europe’s most industrialized regions.

There are more than 900 companies in the Rhine-Ruhr, most of which are heavily involved in the automotive industry.

Our guide to the German Detroit covers the nine English-language schools in the Rhine-Ruhr as of the 2018-19 academic year.

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Lifestyle journalist. Born in Louisville. Raised in Kansas. Where I lay my head is home.

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