Evening all
 

Have been on here before some moons ago but had to change my username for reasons I wont bore you with so if this jogs your memory and you remember my old name Id rather you didnt mention it here, cheers.

I had some excellent advice back in February 2020 and I remember missile and Loafing Along being particularly helpful so thanks for that. At the time I was aiming for Granada but then after 2 recce’s realised being near the ski resort wasnt important as the skiing was a as Missile suggested mainly a beginners place. A bargain rental came up in Salobrena so even though I wanted to be back from the coast away from the touristy bit the cheap rent and the very pleasant landlord saw me put down a deposit and first months rent, then Covid reared its ugly head and we never made it out there. Heyho

Fast forward to now and the pleasant landlord and the property is still available so yep Ive paid a deposit and will (Covid allowing) be picking up the keys on Friday. I’m excited and nervous. Nervous that the Covid situation makes everything uncertain and nervous that Ive committed to doing this!

Hoping the tarmac and the biking make it worthwhile. I think it will, usually in Blighty by the end of November I’m royally pissed off by the inclement unfriendly biking weather and our pot holed gridlocked roads ice the cake of discontent.

Can’t make up my mind whether to buy bikes in Spain or bring them from here. I understand vehicles shouldnt live out there long term but any experience or advice appreciated.

Re: Evening all
 

Be careful you do not get asked to pay duty if you import bikes from the UK to Spain.
The duty is due on the value of the bikes plus the cost of posting them, as I recall.

Re: Evening all
 

Unless you're within your first year of residency in Spain and can prove you were previously a resident in GB, you could end up paying VAT and possibly import duties on bikes sent from GB.

GB because this doesn't apply to NI.

Re: Evening all
 

Welcome back.
It is a bit of a drive to Andora, but the slopes and apre skii are much better than Spain :-)
Is it bicycles or motorcycles?
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...b70929ae01.jpg

Re: Evening all
 

missile Cheers. Motorcycles, definitely motorcycles 👍
That looks like a lot of fun.

Re: Evening all
 

I could prove both of those but I’m not moving over lock stock n barrel straight away, still have a business to run in the UK. Was more thinking about keeping the bike as a UK bike and riding it home for the necessary breaks to keep it legal. A UK vehicle is officially allowed in Spain for the same length of time as a non resident. Just wondered how this was enforced - or if it ever was, how does anyone know how long a vehicles been in a country? Dont get me wrong I’m not planning on flouting it I just want to know how it works.. or doesnt work.

Re: Evening all
 

There are a lot of costs and some hassle involved in re-matriculation so Id rather buy a bike out there in that instance. Wondered if anyone had experience of keeping a UK registered vehicle in Spain for any length of time?

Re: Evening all
 

For a UK vehicle:

They check if the vehicle is yours or not <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/driving-in-the-eu">by insurance and ownership documents</a>.

They check if you can drive on your UK licence by finding out if you're a resident or not. If you're a resident you get six months from when your residency started or up to 31st October 2021 (whichever is later), if you're a visitor you get six months from the date stamped in your passport.

Re: Evening all
 

Ah interesting. Not that it makes any difference but they didnt stamp my passport 🤷‍♀️

Re: Evening all
 

Keep the printed PDF or boarding pass stub (are they still a thing?) along with the rest of the paperwork.

Re: Evening all
 

Guessing youve not flown for a while 😂
You can either download your boarding pass to your phone or print it out to scan at security gates. Either way you keep the whole thing so no problems there 👍
Thankyou.

Re: Evening all
 

Don't trust my plane ticket in an app on a smartphone... and I work in IT. Last time I messed around with Ryanair's app it couldn't show the pass.

Re: Evening all
 

Me neither. Watching people holding everyone up because it’s disappeared is annoying. I noticed the easyjet website now says you must print this where as before it said “print or download”

I do sometimes use app passes and scan codes on my phone but I always do a screenshot and save it to a folder in my pics 👍

Re: Evening all
 

Salobrena looks to be a nice location for you. Have you signed for 12 month contract? The N340 is very busy, avoid N & A roads. There are many other great roads for biking. Be sure to carry all your documents, there is a heafty fine if you are stopped by the police. A photo copy is acceptable. You also require breakdown insurance.

Re: Evening all
 

Thanks. Salobrena is much nicer than I anticipated. We arrived late on friday so its all still very new.
The landlord is a lovely guy, very helpful so thats a bonus. He said its not well known as a tourist destination for foreigners which I think is true as the locals are pleasant and smiley at our feeble Spanish rather than exasperated by another non spanish speaking Brit.

Yes 12 months with an option to extend each year for 5 years 👍 so getting an NIE should work out ok, I hope 😬

I knew about having to have your documents on you at all times. I didnt know photocopies were acceptable so thats good to know.
I hadnt heard of the breakdown cover part of the equation? My UK motorcycle insurance includes European break down cover.

Re: Evening all
 

Check ANY insurance is still valid if you cease to be resident in the UK. So once you exceed 183 days in Spain you become resident here...

Re: Evening all
 

Thanks.
I wont be exceeding the 183 days so not a concern for now 👍

Re: Evening all
 

Watch out for the round a bouts. It can be a surprise when you find guy in inside lane goes all the way round to the third exit.

All the lovely ladies love bikes>>
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...dc6ae8016.jpeg

Re: Evening all
 

Hehehe.
I am a lovely lady, CIS gender heterosexual female (boring by todays standards) so it would have to be some very lovely men before Id risk my paintwork on the untrained 😂

Yes Ive discovered roundabouts are sometimes a bit of a free for all. Like the idea of priority doesnt exist!

Re: Evening all
 

Just a word of warning if you ever travel thru France - right always has the priority. You do not see it to much here in Spain or there is a stop sign for you..

Happy travels..

Re: Evening all
 

Cheers

Re: Evening all
 

I hate to be on here asking this but I suppose we’re all sympathetic in Blighty when homesick foreigners miss their countries food so I’m just gonna go for it and hope not to get a bashing. The decaf tea I found in only one of the 5 supermarkets I’ve visited is awful. How might I go about finding a Brit Supermarket near Salobrena? Ive googled it and found one 40 mins away in Torrox but was hoping for something closer in Motril. If there’s not one fair enough I’ll settle for being grateful one exists at all!

I don’t want to be one of those brits with my luggage full of tea but… 😂

Re: Evening all
 

I get mine here in the Valencia region at a shop called "dealz" it is the spanish version of the pound shop or something like that.. I do not know if they have one nearby or even outside of this region tho.

Re: Evening all
 

Holy Custard, when flying to Spain from the UK it is ESSENTIAL you bring the following items:

1) Passport
2) Flight ticket
3) Large supply of tea bags.

Re: Evening all
 

every Consum, carrefour, mercadonna or el campo in Spain has PG tips and since brexit they have come down in price to €1,75 from €1,77.
The problem is finding a name brand decaf version of english tea...

Re: Evening all
 

Yorkshire tea?

Re: Evening all
 

If you are going to be picky then Dealz stocks it.

here is the link for decaf - https://dealz.es/infusiones-typhoo-one-cup/

Re: Evening all
 

ASDA do 480 Yorkshire tea bags for 9 sterling.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You can get 1040 Yorkshire tea bags for 56.51 euros on Amazon Spain.

https://groceries.asda.com/product/e.../1000028747910

That would make 5 pence per cup of tea! Shocking!

At that rate with the amount of tea I drink I would have to remortgage the house!

Do you have a price for the Dealz Yorkshire teabags?

Re: Evening all
 

Have not been in a while but if I remember correctly it was €6 for a pretty big box.

Re: Evening all
 

Thank you very much growinspain for that hot tip....

I shall make my way to one of their stores and see what I can find....

Re: Evening all
 

Photo from yesterday


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...dca2bd4e59.jpg

Re: Evening all
 

By gum, Yorkshire Tea!
:goodpost: