# Maybe moving to Alicante? anyone there who can give pros & cons?



## welliknow2 (May 10, 2017)

Hello all,

My wife may be getting offered a job in ALicante, we are British and live in the UK. 
It would be a big move but an opportunity probably would not come along again so would like to consider it. However, we have a few questions if anyone can help?

Her employment would be next to Sant Joan d'Alacant so we would like to rent somewhere within easy bus distance so can anyone recomend a nice please near by? Somewhere ideally that has lots of British Expats/shops and a friendly area. 

In terms of renting, where to rent a property from? ie names of any reputable letting agents, what to avoid when renting etc? 

Also we wanted to know should we bring our car or not? Its obviously a right hand drive. WOuld that be a problem? WHat is the average cost to bringing it? We would be flying down and not driving. 

My wife speaks Spanish but I do not. 
Can anyone recomend a good Junior age school for children near that area? no a private school though or any good nurserys?

What are the pros and cons of living in ALicante compared to the UK? 

Does Spain have a siesta all year around? and what times are they normally? do all companies have a siesta?

Also what about health insurance? how would we sort that out? 

Thank you all in advance.


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## bob_bob (Jan 5, 2011)

Property for rent in Spain

How old is your child?

Better off selling your car and buying in Spain IMHO

Food prices are much the same as the UK in general, smokes and booze is much cheaper.


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## welliknow2 (May 10, 2017)

Under 3 Bob.

Thanks for the info on the property, is that link from a reputable website? like have others used it and rented places?


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## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

Alicante is a big city and doesn't have any kind of British ghettos. If you want those kind places you probably need to live in Guardamar or La Marina but that would mean driving into Alicante for work. I used to live near the centre and it was fine but I was much younger then and didn't have a family. School will be an issue and I imagine there are few state schools but probably not used by many Brits. The people I know in Alicante all send their kids to private international schools because they can afford it. If your wife has a well paid job that might be an option. Most schools in Alicante have changed their timetables and the kids now finish earlier than before this means they don't come home for the siesta. Most big companies don't close for the siesta now but small shops and language schools do. Don't bother bringing your car its kind of hard to drive here and will cost more to insure. Your wife's work contract will cover health care for you and your son so you won't need to buy private insurance. If your wife speaks good Spanish you should be able to navigate yourselves through most of the hurdles. You'll need to register on the padron and then get residencia, a gestor will do this for you. All in all if one of you has a good job and speaks Spanish you will manage fine


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## bob_bob (Jan 5, 2011)

At your child's age they will soak up the language, especially as your wife speaks Spanish. I may be wrong but I think Schools are allocated by the district you live in to some degree.


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## welliknow2 (May 10, 2017)

Thank you all for the very helpful replies. 

Can I ask which area would be a good place for British Expats to live which is within easy bus route to Sant Joan d'Alacant? ideally an area which has lots of Brits living there. 

I know you mentioned Guardamar but thats 60 miles azway from Sant Joan d'Alacant so too far. Any other sugessions?


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## welliknow2 (May 10, 2017)

Which is the nicest closest place to Alicante city (north of) which has the most UK Expats? Maybe Javea for the links to a bigger expat community


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## welliknow2 (May 10, 2017)

My mistake Javea is too far away.


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## dmret (Mar 12, 2013)

welliknow2 said:


> Which is the nicest closest place to Alicante city (north of) which has the most UK Expats? Maybe Javea for the links to a bigger expat community


I would suggest that you check out the tram route. Well worth a look.


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## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

Really if you need to be reliant on public transport then the only real option you would have is to look somewhere along the tram line as has been mentioned.
Pretty much anywhere along the route from Sant Joan to probably as far as Venta Lanuza would be suitable for a daily commute.
If you need to also be within walking distance of shops and services then really only go as far north as El Campello.

There is no real British enclave in these areas but there are a lot of internationals and you can find many Brits as well as others.
Outside of these areas you would need your own transport depending on where you choose.


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## welliknow2 (May 10, 2017)

Thanks very helpful indeed thank you.

Can I ask you either south or North or San Joan could anyone name a place or two which is on the tram line which is a nice place to live for a family with children who need to attend a school and ideally somewhere with shops we could live next to within Walking distance of our home and ideally with lots of expats Brits or non Brits. Ideally within about 30-45 max of getting to San Joan via tram. 
We may or may not have a car so need to make sure we are somewhere thats good for not having a car. 
We looked at Venta Lanuza but looks like its around 1 hour on the tram which is too long really but a great idea thank you anyhow. 

Thank you all again for your help.


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## welliknow2 (May 10, 2017)

PS also direct on the tram line to San Joan also no changes would be great.


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## stevesainty (Jan 7, 2011)

welliknow2 said:


> Thanks very helpful indeed thank you.
> 
> Can I ask you either south or North or San Joan could anyone name a place or two which is on the tram line which is a nice place to live for a family with children who need to attend a school and ideally somewhere with shops we could live next to within Walking distance of our home and ideally with lots of expats Brits or non Brits. Ideally within about 30-45 max of getting to San Joan via tram.
> We may or may not have a car so need to make sure we are somewhere thats good for not having a car.
> ...


El Campello would suit your needs admirably. Lovely linear seaside town, regular tram and bus services into Alicante, and in between, 21 minutes by tram to Sant Joan dÁlicant, shops, bars, restaurants and lots of English speaking residents.

https://www.google.es/imgres?imgurl...d=0ahUKEwi1kfTJnojUAhUDM8AKHV7MDE8Q_B0IogEwDg


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## The Skipper (Nov 26, 2014)

Just a note of caution but are you referring to the village of San Juan or the beach of San Juan? They are two different places and are about 5km apart. The tram that is being referred to runs along the beach front connecting Alicante with Benidorm and various resorts in between. I am not 100% sure but I do not think the tram serves the inland village. There is also a big difference between property prices in the two locations, the beach area being a lot more expensive for purchasing and renting. PS: Sant Joan and San Juan are, of course, the same place (Valenciano and Castellano spellings!)


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## stevesainty (Jan 7, 2011)

The Skipper said:


> Just a note of caution but are you referring to the village of San Juan or the beach of San Juan? They are two different places and are about 5km apart. The tram that is being referred to runs along the beach front connecting Alicante with Benidorm and various resorts in between. I am not 100% sure but I do not think the tram serves the inland village. There is also a big difference between property prices in the two locations, the beach area being a lot more expensive for purchasing and renting. PS: Sant Joan and San Juan are, of course, the same place (Valenciano and Castellano spellings!)


My mistake, I thought the public transport icon on Google maps was a picture of a tram. It is the bus journey that is 12 minutes, C53. Here is the bus route on Google Maps.

https://www.google.es/maps/dir/El+C...f449f184456!2m2!1d-0.4360296!2d38.4020456!3e3


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