# Want to move to Spain!



## Emms75 (Dec 20, 2012)

I love Spain and have always wanted to live there. I am in my 30's, married with a 3 year old daughter. We're just not clear on the exact place in Spain that we want to move to. 
My husband works from home so thankfully we don't need to consider finding employment, although we would need to be near-ish an airport.
Schools is an issue, and we realise that we would need to pay to send our daughter to an English speaking school.
At the moment we live on the Wirral, we don't have any seasons as such, it's just permanantly grey and wet! So we're not put off by the fact that Spain does have cold winters as at least the summer is warm!
We don't speak Spanish although intend to learn, is it true that the Spanish who live in the north tend not to speak English?
I will continue to read through all the forums on here, but any advice would be much appreciated! x


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Emms75 said:


> I love Spain and have always wanted to live there. I am in my 30's, married with a 3 year old daughter. We're just not clear on the exact place in Spain that we want to move to.
> My husband works from home so thankfully we don't need to consider finding employment, although we would need to be near-ish an airport.
> Schools is an issue, and we realise that we would need to pay to send our daughter to an English speaking school.
> At the moment we live on the Wirral, we don't have any seasons as such, it's just permanantly grey and wet! So we're not put off by the fact that Spain does have cold winters as at least the summer is warm!
> ...


:welcome:

get yourself here for some recces 

where have you been in Spain?

what did you like / not like?

do you want to be near the sea or inland?

quiet area or city??

as for 'the Spanish who live in the north tend not to speak English' - it's not so much that they don't speak English, as that brits tend to congregate more towards the south, so English is less widely spoken the further north you go


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## Guest (Jan 2, 2013)

I think it depends on what you mean by Northern Spain. Here in Asturias I find it a rare occurrence to talk with anyone in English. In Vitoria-Gastiez (Pais Vasco's capital and the "Green Capital of Europe 2012) a lot of people have learned enough English to hold a good conversation, and it is a more international city in that you can hear many other languages besides Spanish or the native language of Euskara.

The north is warming up (Climate Change), although nothing like the south. This last Summer saw temperatures in the North rising to 30ºC and the lowest I've seen this Winter is 8ºC.

There are excellent schools in both Vitoria-Gastiez and Gijón (Asturias).

That's my limited experience.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

mysticsmick said:


> I think it depends on what you mean by Northern Spain. Here in Asturias I find it a rare occurrence to talk with anyone in English. In Vitoria-Gastiez (Pais Vasco's capital and the "Green Capital of Europe 2012) a lot of people have learned enough English to hold a good conversation, and it is a more international city in that you can hear many other languages besides Spanish or the native language of Euskara.
> 
> The north is warming up (Climate Change), although nothing like the south. This last Summer saw temperatures in the North rising to 30ºC and the lowest I've seen this Winter is 8ºC.
> 
> ...


 heck - it's been colder here (2º) halfway down on the sticky out bit on the right


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## Emms75 (Dec 20, 2012)

Thanks guys. Been south, love Murcia. Would prefer near coast but not necessarily right on the coast.
Really interested to find out more about the north...will definately have to get over there and check it out. Any particular areas in the north worth a visit?


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## Delila (Jan 3, 2013)

You can find english speakers everywhere in Spain, but not with high english level, trust me... I think that you can find nice english school in Madrid or Barcelona, but I will ask you the same, quite area, or big city? South is harder to learn because their spanish is quite different, and the use to speak so fast! And only pronounced the beginig of the owrd, never the end, lol


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

xabiachica said:


> heck - it's been colder here (2º) halfway down on the sticky out bit on the right


... we had -3º last night! ... here comes winter.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

snikpoh said:


> ... we had -3º last night! ... here comes winter.


brrrr

do you get snow there ??


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## Guest (Jan 3, 2013)

Vitoria (País Vasco - pop: 238,247) is an hour South of the coast and a great place to live (many cultural events: film festival, several music festivals including their well known Jazz festival... walking in the streets you see a lot of young couples with children), but I don't know about schools. Gijón (pop: 281,649), near me in Asturias, is right on the coast and does have an English language school. My limited experience so far is that once you leave the coast you encounter varying sized pueblos. The coast however is dotted with the larger cities from País Vasco to Asturias with smaller fishing villages in-between.


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## Leper (May 12, 2010)

I was about to thrust this enquiry aside until I read that you are not looking for work. I have no hesitation in recommending Mojacar Playa in Costa Almeria.

1. It is in the warmest and driest climate area of mainland Spain.

2. It is a resort but not on the scale of many of those in the Costa del Sol.

3. Mojacar Playa is low rise.

4. Rentals are competitive there [works out at around €500 per month for a 2 bedroom apartment, centrally located + utilities].

5. Although I am Irish I know a few people from the Wirral who live in Mojacar Playa off season.

6. You have a choice of schools. I dont know the cost of education for expats there.

7. Walks are on the level for miles and miles unless you venture into the hinterland where walks are as difficult as you wish.

8. Airports:- Almeria, Murcia, Alicante, but longer drives to Malaga, Seville.

I recommend you give Spain a try from next September/October. The summer rush will be over and the weather is good in the south until mid December and picks up again from mid March. I can argue for the north of Spain also but you said you did not like grey skies.


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## Emms75 (Dec 20, 2012)

Leper said:


> I was about to thrust this enquiry aside until I read that you are not looking for work. I have no hesitation in recommending Mojacar Playa in Costa Almeria.
> 
> 1. It is in the warmest and driest climate area of mainland Spain.
> 
> ...




Thanks very much for that...
So is the north generally cloudy?


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## Navas (Sep 2, 2012)

Emms75 said:


> Thanks very much for that...
> So is the north generally cloudy?


It depends what you mean by north. To me north is anywhere "above" Madrid. I know that's a very broad definition!

I have family who live in Tudela, Pamplona, Tarazona, Zaragoza. To me they're all north, but still hot and sunny in summer. Head into the hills though and it can be very chilly at night, even in August. I've never been there in winter, but I'm sure they have cold wet weather and sometimes snow, much like most of the rest of Spain.

If you want cooler and wetter, head for Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country (hint: it's greener up there - so wetter!) although even as far "south" as Salamanca I once had to wear socks on a day in August (only 16C!)

The Costa Brava, north of Barcelona, has a pleasant summer climate, it can be very hot but can be less reliably hot than the south. Oh and yes, I reckon they have a bit of cloud at times, even in summer. The coastline is rather beautiful and well worth a visit if you've never been there. Airports? You have Barcelona and Girona. Lots to see and also very close to France. It has a lot going for it. The cons? I'd say it's rather more expensive there than in the south.


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