I lived in W. Europe for a few years in the 1990's. I was on a tight budget ($400-$500 per month) so I didn't get to do many things I wanted to do. I'd love to live there again in FIRE with the chance to do what I couldn't afford to do then.
I mastered a foreign language while living there and now own a house there, too.
What I love about W. Europe:
1) lots of free time activities that don't cost a lot of money, or even any money at all. (bike tours, hikes, historical city centers, museums)
2) with careful planning, no need to own a car.
3) lots of very affordable sights and attractions to see and do.
4) meeting a culture that is sort of familiar to yours, but still very different if you dig deeper.
5) different weather types found in very close proximity.
6) different countries are close together and thus easily accessible for excursions.
7) lots of history/historical things, if you're interested in that. If not, there's plenty of sun, sand, mountains and forests, too.
With Airbnb it's now possible to get a fully furnished apartment for a long term rental, say, six months. Then you can get to know the area and decide if it's for you. If not, then it's easy enough to up sticks and find another airbnb in another city/country.
Another benefit now vs. when I lived in Europe is the Euro. Before, I'd always lose time (and money) changing money every time I visited a new country. Many countries in W. Europe have adopted the Euro, so that is one less inefficiency to deal with.
For inspiration I'd look to Rick Steves. He's been going to Europe now since the 1980s (?) and has produced lots of videos (now on YouTube) on travel and life in these countries.
Let us know what you decide to do!
