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, There is something for everyone.

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.