Hello expats & wannabe expats!

Myself and my wife have toyed with the idea of living in Spain on and off for the last 10 years and during that time we have lived in Australia.
We are now back in our native Scotland and as lovely as it is, the feet are itchy again and the lifestyle just doesn't do it for us anymore, in fact it never has.

We are a fairly large family with no less than 4 boys aged 12, 10, 5 & 7 months therefore life can be somewhat hectic at times but lots of fun into the bargain. In the past crica 2005-2007 we spent a great deal of time holidaying in Nerja and surrounds and even had a few proper reccie style trips with a view to moving there on a permanent basis, however Oz got in the way and it never happened. At that time we considered Local schools as our elder children were of an age where sliding into the Spanish system seemed doable. Fast fwd quite a few years where did the time go and we are again considering life in Spain. This time we are fairly sure the big two will attend a British/International school and the 2nd batch would most probably go to local schools.

I work in Oil & Gas as a contractor in the N Sea and I'd continue to do this when we move.

We have decided to explore the area in and around Alicante. First thoughts are that the area would have to offer the following.

1: Easy reach of British/International secondary school

2: Mix of expats and locals, don't want to live in a Brit only zone but also wouldn't want to be in a Spanish only enclave as we don't yet have the language skills!

3: Within one hour of a major airport, likely to be Alicante

4: Good social scene for families, tapas bars that we can enjoy of an evening

5: Coastal setting, or within 10-15 mins drive of beaches

6: Rent a 3-4 bed place for no more than 850 per month

Any feedback on the above greatly appreciated, I also have loads of boring tax & health insurance questions but will leave them until I understand what I really need to ask.

All feedback welcome

Hi and a warm welcome to the Spanish forum on BE. Myself and Fred James are the moderators for the Spanish forums whilst BEVS moderates Europe. Moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. This is so that members gain the information that they are looking for and find their experiences on the forums to be friendly and worthwhile.

Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderator who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are usually friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge about the issues of living in Spain. I hope that you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

Thanks for the welcome

Javea is popular and I think that it would possibly fill most of your list. I believe that there are people living there who work on the rigs.

Rosemary

Thanks Rosemary.

The Javea & Denia area do look appealing, we shall add them to our list of potentials and also do some internet research on the schooling options.

Alicante airport no longer has direct flights to Aberfreeze. You might be better looking nearer to Malaga? Good International Schools are expensive. Tax and Health Insurance have been discussed on several previous threads.

Hi,
We have a holiday home near Rojales. Very happy with it. Good location, 5 minute walk to bars and shops etc.
A neighbour friend lives in Aberdeen. A few years ago he could get a direct flight to Alicante. Now he has to fly from Prestwick - so not a happy bunny!

As an aside I notice you're in the oil industry. Are you personally feeling the effects of any downturn?
My son is an ocean surveyor for a Co based in Aberdeen. For the past year he has only been at sea for 10 weeks in total. Although he's worried, he is still on a reasonable basic salary - so in some ways he can't believe his luck (so far) !

Yeah I noticed the flights are no longer available between the frozen North and Alicante. I had factored that in and planned to travel over the day before I go offshore and hopefully make it home most times the same day I demob, weather permitting!

I was looking at flights into Prestwick, Glasgow & Edinburgh with a hire car to Aberdeen. Reverse the process on the way home. Also considering flying Aberdeen to Gatwick/Luton then pick up a flight to Alicante.

The international schools are indeed expensive but with the age of our eldest children a must in my view.

The Malaga idea isn't off the table, we are keeping an open mind.

Thanks for the input

Hello just doing some research on Rojales, it looks promising.

The N Sea is having a hard time lots of payoffs and cost cutting. I'm in the maintenance/integrity side of the operation, we have had a rate cut but not suffered any redundancies to date. Other disciplines such as drilling and projects have been decimated. I hope things pick up for your son and he gets some time at sea soon.

I would suggest you check flight times from and to Edinburgh / Glasgow. Even if you get the first chopper, I doubt even Lewis Hamilton could make those connections. I would suggest you factor in an overnight stay in both directions. Friend of mine travels via Luton and sleeps in the airport. Not something I would like to do. Indeed, I would agree kids education is important and thus I suggest you check out the school fees. Private health care for a family of five will be expensive too. Rojales would be a good choice. There is a Spanish school there and an International school close by in Quesada.

yeah it looks a big ask.

I'll have to play about with flights etc. and see if a flight direct from Aberdeen to Luton/Heathrow then onto Alicante will get me back on the same day. Otherwise it will be an overnight stay as you have suggested in both directions. Not the end of the world but it does essentially eat into my precious leave in the short term. The mid to long term plan is to return contracting on shutdowns etc. therefore cutting down on my overall travel needs but earning a bit less into the bargain, the upside is I'll spend more time in Spain.

Do you work offshore yourself?

I have spent a lot of time offshore, but no longer. It was easy when there were direct cheap flights from Abz but two flights & overnight stay every two weeks no thanks. Your fourteen days off is really only ten.
My friend has tried various options. Last flight Aberdeen to Luton and first flight to Alicante is the cheapest / most convenient route for him.

Good point on the 2/2 rota effectively being cut down to 10 days relaxing leave in Spain. I am currently working in the office in Aberdeen but due back offshore on my normal gig permanently on a 3/3 rota early next year. As a result the travel costs won't have as big an impact as it does on the 2/2 rota. From back of the beer mat calculations the travel costs look to be fairly similar to what I incur commuting from Aberdeenshire into the city at the moment if you include fuel, insurance and wear and tear on my car. My crew change flight usually gets me into ABZ around 12:30 giving me scope to make multi stop connections to Alicante the same day but it's tight and if you account for weather/tech delays and with the general buggeration factor of offshore flying ops you have to accept flights will be missed on occasion and I'll be out of pocket.

I've taken your advice and began looking at Malaga again but flights don't seem to be anymore plentiful at this stage.

Thanks again for the reality check

Thinking on the positive aspects - CB is a great place to be. Three and three rota is "only" 14 crew changes per year. I am sure you will find a way to make it work for you. Good Luck.

Yes trying to focus on the positives but it is so important we face the realities as well.

Currently trying to figure out tax implications of operating as Ltd Company contractor, can I be classed as autonomo? Will I pay full rate Spanish tax on all earned income in the UK?

I'm not trying to avoid paying tax in Spain more trying to understand what the options are. I have also considered going staff and getting a no tax code in the UK and paying my tax in Spain.