# Best place for me to live?



## redbourn (May 8, 2013)

Hi, 

I've decided to move to Spain and want to make a recce in the next few weeks.

My problem is that I don't know where to check out.

I speak almost fluent French and good Portuguese so learning Spanish would not be difficult. In fact I've started already ;-)

It would be nice to be near the sea but I don't have to be right on top of it: a place with a little cafe action, but the feeling of Spain and not the UK.

My total pensions amount to £1,200 a month; excluding rent allowance and top-ups that only apply to those living in the UK.

Am in very good health.

I'm single, and furnished might be best or part furnished, although unfurnished would be OK

Any ideas, help and suggestions would be much appreciated,

Michael


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

You know, Michael, Spain is a large country, several times the UK. It isn't easy to advise someone as to where they should live without a detailed and perhaps intimate knowledge of an individual's needs and tastes.

Put it the other way round: imagine a Spaniard asking which was the 'best' place to live in the UK.

As for living on £1200....yes, for one person, feasible, depending though on your location and choice of residence. That must be an important factor in your decision as that £1200 wouldn't get you much round here where a two-bed piso still rents out at around 600 euros a month without utilities - and electricity in particular is expensive.

Then you have to factor in those other 'extras' that eat into your money: insurances, repairs, replacing items, new clothes, medical requirements, transport and so on. But whilst £1200 may not go far in some areas in others you will be able, from what I have read, to live well.

The only way to find the best place for you is to see for yourself.


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## redbourn (May 8, 2013)

mrypg9 said:


> You know, Michael, Spain is a large country, several times the UK. It isn't easy to advise someone as to where they should live without a detailed and perhaps intimate knowledge of an individual's needs and tastes.
> 
> Put it the other way round: imagine a Spaniard asking which was the 'best' place to live in the UK.
> 
> ...


Its size makes exploring it to find a place that much more difficult.

Areas that I have in mind are, Benicassim and Valencia, but they'e not written in stone ..

I don't have a car.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

What we did when we moved to Spain was to make a couple of lists. What we wanted - sun, beaches, village life, close to expats, good transport links, infrastructure..... and what we needed - to be near a good airport, hospitals, schools, reasonable prices.... Once we'd done that, we then looked for good airports, for us it was Malaga. So from there, we looked at google maps and then did a few reccies and narrowed it down even further

Jo xxx


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## redbourn (May 8, 2013)

jojo said:


> What we did when we moved to Spain was to make a couple of lists. What we wanted - sun, beaches, village life, close to expats, good transport links, infrastructure..... and what we needed - to be near a good airport, hospitals, schools, reasonable prices.... Once we'd done that, we then looked for good airports, for us it was Malaga. So from there, we looked at google maps and then did a few reccies and narrowed it down even further
> 
> Jo xxx


Thanks. I will make a list and narrow it down so that people on the forum can help me more. Only looking for a one bedroom and apart from the Internet I'm pretty Spartan ;-)

I've been teaching English in Israel for a few years and need a change, and a break from teaching.

I just came back from Madrid and liked it very much but I'm not looking for a big city. 

I'd give a link to some photos of Madrid but I'm not allowed to yet.


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

Feeling of Spain and not the UK... You speak Portuguese... Have you looked at Galicia? The food is good, cheap, and bountiful. The people are kind (even though neither I nor my native-Spanish husband can understand them.)


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## redbourn (May 8, 2013)

redbourn said:


> Thanks. I will make a list and narrow it down so that people on the forum can help me more. Only looking for a one bedroom and apart from the Internet I'm pretty Spartan ;-)
> 
> I've been teaching English in Israel for a few years and need a change, and a break from teaching.
> 
> ...


A small town but not a village; reasonable prices; beach preferably within 30-45 minutes.

hospitals and schools not important because my 'children' are grown up and married and I'm in excellent health.

Airport? I'd most likely only visit the UK once a year, and doubt that people would visit me more often.

Ideas anyone?


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## redbourn (May 8, 2013)

elenetxu said:


> Feeling of Spain and not the UK... You speak Portuguese... Have you looked at Galicia? The food is good, cheap, and bountiful. The people are kind (even though neither I nor my native-Spanish husband can understand them.)




Thanks, I will check it out.

After living in LA for 15 years and teaching English in Israel for several years, I still like the sun, but it's not a driving force anymore ;-)

I lived in Belem (northern Brazil) for a year.

My ex-Brazilian girlfriend used to speak English when she visited Portugal ;-)

When I visited Barcelona a couple of years ago I told them in Portuguese, "Sorry but I don't speak Spanish", and they replied, "It's OK, neither do we".

I could never understand people in Cornwall or parts of Scotland.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

redbourn said:


> Its size makes exploring it to find a place that much more difficult.
> 
> Areas that I have in mind are, Benicassim and Valencia, but they'e not written in stone ..
> 
> I don't have a car.


Then easy availability of public transport will be a decisive factor. Such public transport as exists here is great for short journeys but getting to Malaga, which is about an hour's drive by car, entails a trip to Marbella or Estepona and a change of bus so the journey could take three hours or more!

You should be entitled to state health care here as a retired person. You may be healthy now but chances are that at some point you'll need medical attention.
I came to Spain thinking I was a healthy person but found after a free routine check-up that I had a previously undetected 'condition'.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Santiago de Compostela in Galicia has an international airport with flights to UK. Very nice area. A Coruña is also very nice, as is Pontevedra. We have holidayed up there and can recommend Galicia. Galego, the local dialect is not difficult to understand (I didn't find it so) being a blend of Portuguese and Spanish with local flavourings.
For a sample try this:
Wikipedia, a enciclopedia libre

It will also give you your beaches without the crowds, clean water and nice people. They also have interesting but different local wines. The grapes they grow are also different, and delicious. We found the people friendly.


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## Sirtravelot (Jul 20, 2011)

You speak Portuguese - why not Portugal? O cafe' Portugues e' melhor do que o cafe' Espanhol.


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## redbourn (May 8, 2013)

Sirtravelot said:


> You speak Portuguese - why not Portugal? O cafe' Portugues e' melhor do que o cafe' Espanhol.


I'll investigate Portugal but I learned mine in Belem. 

Whenever my ex-Brazilian girlfriend went to Portugal she found it easier to converse in English ;-)

Actually I'm just looking at Oliva in Valencia.


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## flamenco-flo (Feb 18, 2013)

We are also on a reccy in Spain. Started in the area around Malaga, Benalmadena, Mijas etc and have moved along the coast into Almeria. Currently in Mojacar. We are liking it a lot. A mix of Spanish, Brits, and a few other nationalities. We are currently renting a 3 bed house on a small urbanisation of 30/40 properties which is front line beach for €450 per month plus bills. I find the rentals around here very good value for money. Masses of choice for eating out, Menu del Dia for €10 and a decent glass of wine & tapas for €2. A good bus service, with an "urbano" service which goes on a loop of the local vicinity for €1.20. And routes which also go further afield.

That said we are going to have a look in Portugal in a few weeks time too... 

Take a peak down the coast a bit... You might be pleasantly surprised! I hope you are enjoying your adventure as much as we are. Good luck!


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