Living in Spain
Fancy the glamour of a Spanish lifestyle? Want to learn a new language? Or do you want to retire to a
place in the sun.? Whether you're planning on living in in Spain permanently or just thinking about staying
for a few months, our guide should help you on your way.
Living in Spain is quite different from living in the UK. Traffic jams are shorter, bars open late, eating out
is cheap (in fact the cost of living in Spain is generally lower than in the UK) and people are generally more relaxed. It’s much more child-friendly here too: on an ordinary Saturday
night in most cities you’ll find everyone from young children to grandparents on the streets and in restaurants
having a good time. And of course there’s the great variety of countryside and wildlife. Fewer people living in
a bigger country means there is just so much more space for forests, olive groves and everything from lush green
countryside in the North to the breathtaking semi-deserts and mountains of the South. You’ll even see wild boar
if you’re lucky!
There are downsides to living in Spain too, though. The national telecommunications company (Telefonica) make BT look like the best
run outfit since Roman times. You can wait hours for service even in big stores and there is no point at all in
trying to tie a Spanish plumber down to a particular time or even day. On the coast you’ll also have to be wary
of fraudsters (especially British ones) but you should be able to avoid most with our guide.
Still want to live in Spain? Click on the links on the right for more information. Alternatively, we would recommend the
following further reading (in association with Amazon.co.uk)
Living and Working in Spain 2006
An excellent all-round guide for those thinking of living in Spain for any amount of time. Although it is a little
pessimistic in places and makes some things sound more complicated than they actually are, it is by far the best guide we've read.
Buying a Home in Spain 2006
A very useful guide to the pitfalls of buying a house in Spain. Forewarned is fore-armed!
You and the Law in Spain: Incorporating The Spanish Poperty Guide
While 'Living and Working in Spain' is a good introduction to the subject, this book really gets down to the nitty gritty, and is
indispensable for anyone who will have to deal with any official Spanish body, such as the tax office.
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