Day to Day Living In Spain

Are you fed up of where you are living in the UK and are really feeling the need for a sea change for your health ,sanity or maybe just to have some adventure in your life and explore a new area or culture abroad ?

Living in Spain is certainly a change from day to day living in Britain as apart from the heat there is the fun of remembering Siesta time when you want to go shopping and it does take a few times of walking up to the shops only to find them closed yet again to get it into your head not to bother between the hours of 2-5PM !

Learning a new language is certainly a challenge when older and will take time . A good Spanish- English... English -Spanish Dictionary is a must here to survive day to day life and have some fun with especially when buying food !

There are many British people living in Spain and enjoying the relaxed life here , Some only stick with other British people and others choose to live a more Spanish lifestyle. Many are retired and others are working.

We found Luggage Mule a great help when coming to Spain as they picked up our bags from our doorstep a couple of days before we left & delivered them to us in Spain on the first working day after we arrived and the cost was cheaper than struggling at the airport & on our flight !

The Public Transport System in Spain is really good with buses running up and down the coast.

We are a 5 minute walk away from a Bus Station + Train Station which links us to the rest of Spain so we do not have a car at the moment as car parking is difficult here & I work within walking distance.

When moving to Spain you need to get a NIE Number as soon as possible as this is needed to

Buy a Spanish phone

Find a job - Both of these are needed to open a bank account.

Need to get a Social Security number.

Within 3 months you need to register where you are living at your local Town Hall. Make sure you have all your paperwork with you. It doesn't cost much but is very important.

There are many places looking for English speakers for jobs on the internet or in English papers.

However learning Spanish will give you the edge when it comes to Job hunting.

Many that come to live in Spain start their own business like we are planning on doing with Vibrosaun ( A machine that helps with Arthritis,Back Pain,Cellulite ,Sports Injuries,Weight loss etc).

There are many choices for buying food here in Spain and you can get most things you like. It does pay to shop around as there can be a big difference in prices.

We have a "Mascom " Supermarket across the road where we buy our dozen eggs from 1.20 up. Cola is 49 cents.

Another supermarket about 10 minutes away "Mercadona" we buy our prawns at 8.99 a kilo. White wine 99cents a litre + baguettes .

For fresh meat we love to buy our pork chops off the bone at a Spanish butcher ,however there is a lot of choice.

We have Iceland here where we treat ourselves to a Bounty bar or chicken & mushroom pastry every so often.

Be very careful where you park your car in Spain or you could come back to find it has been towed away and it will cost a lot for you to get it back as well as a lot of time trying to get it back.

If unsure of the meaning of signs keep going until you are sure . The Spanish park in some crazy places however it is best for you not to follow their example.

Blue short lines mean you have to pay between certain hours.

Yellow lines usually mean loading zones between 8AM- 2PM .

They have some unusual rules like parking on alternate sides of the roads different weeks so please do check where you are based.

Spanish people dine out late so it is always busy of an evening if you are near the centre. We can hear happy diners chatting & laughing , Singers entertaining the crowds and we often go out for a stroll of an evening along the beach or down the very popular Fish Alley where we have enjoyed dining as well.

We love our markets as well as car boot sales so we were delighted to find a car boot sale every Saturday which you can buy neary anything you want at.

We bought an Iron,Microwave, Small oven, Kitchen gear,Shoes for work, English books + lots more and saved a fortune !

There are also plenty of markets selling New goods along the coast most days.

You might be hesitating over a move to Spain as you think you will be all alone in a place you have no one to communicate with.

There is plenty of support here in Spain in groups along the coast . Facebook groups like Expats in Spain are always willing to answer a question on

Bringing a car to Spain

Buying property in Spain

Where to find needed items

Finding English Business People for different jobs you might need doing.

There is always Skpe/ Facebook to keep in touch with family back home and I am sure they will use any excuse to come and enjoy a visit with you !

Just wander along the waterfront cafe s and you can find many English people willing to have a chat over a beer !