# Moving out of BCN. Ideas for other places to live in Spain



## paulmol (Jul 21, 2013)

Long time lurker here.... sorry to demand free advice without having contributed much , but I'm hoping for some tips on nice places to live. 

I run an internet company and can work anywhere, so or the last couple of years I've been spending the winter in Barcelona, renting airbnbs, the last time for 4 months. After a long UK summer, I am planing on moving to Spain for a longer spell of 6-9 months, perhaps even permanently, and rent my own place. 

But I'm thinking about moving somewhere new. I'm in my mid 30s, single. I would love somewhere with internet speeds of 5mb+, ability to walk everywhere, some trace of a dating scene, lots of cafes to hang out in for lunch, good transport links to an airport. 

Things I don't like about Barcelona:
- Super super touristy,, a bit too far along the theme park dial. 
- Bit too big for me. I like to be able to walk across a city in a couple of hours. 
- Catalan makes it slightly harder to learn Spanish. Also socially it's a bit harder to mix with locals without Catalan. I need to learn Spanish first!
- I am not on a budget, really, but Bcn is quite pricey. 
- It can be super noisy. I'm not much of a clubber.
- Food is a bit hit and miss

Thinks I do like about BCN
- Excellent transport system. 
- Bike sharing, very walkable
- good internet and biz scene
- Cosmopolitan, lots of people from all over the world. 
- lots of meetups and mixers
- Cheap and easy flights. 

I'm thinking about Madrid, but also would consider slightly more offbeat ideas... so I thought I'd ask here : )


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

Have you thought of Malaga city and Seville?


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## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

Valencia city is one of the most gorgeous cities I have been anywhere on the globe


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

paulmol said:


> Long time lurker here.... sorry to demand free advice without having contributed much , but I'm hoping for some tips on nice places to live.
> 
> I run an internet company and can work anywhere, so or the last couple of years I've been spending the winter in Barcelona, renting airbnbs, the last time for 4 months. After a long UK summer, I am planing on moving to Spain for a longer spell of 6-9 months, perhaps even permanently, and rent my own place.
> 
> ...


I think Madrid could suit you very well as like many big cities there are places that feel like a small town within a bigger one. The only thing is that maybe it would take you a while to find which part of the city would work for you. Also if you have any notion of being here for July and August personally, especially after the summer we're having, I'd say it's a big no no.
Bilbao is a very maneagble city, very walkable, but with good transport if needed. It's prettybike friendly. There's plenty to do, lots of music, concerts, theatre - maybe a bit lacking on cinemas, but then you have the film festival in San Sebastian / Donosti. There are plenty of opportunities for getting out into the country on bikes or walking and there are beautiful places to visit nearby. It's a lot more cosmopolitan than it was, but it's still very Basque. You do not need the Basque language to be able to operate in Bilbao though.
The weather? Rainier and colder than Malaga, that's for sure. Better than the UK? That's for sure too. (It's forecast to be 38º today which would be horrible and is not at all usual)
All in all well worth thinking about.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

You might find Granada more to your liking. It is a provincial capital with lots of history and has various barrios giving you a choice of environments. The airport is just outside the city along the A92 on the way to Sevilla. You are only about an hour away from the coast and overlooking the city is the Sierra Nevada for skiing.


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## olivefarmer (Oct 16, 2012)

I would agree with Granada as a suggestion however although the airport is handy , it has a limited choice of destinations.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

olivefarmer said:


> I would agree with Granada as a suggestion however although the airport is handy , it has a limited choice of destinations.


It suits me with LCY and with links via MAD and BCN, I can cover most of Europe even (a possible destination) Bergen in Norway.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Cádiz!


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

How about San Sebastian de La Gomera, it suited Columbus well enough, somewhat different to Barcelona though.


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