Carlio99

I’m new here, so sorry If I am posting this in the wrong forum.

I was seeking some general advice. I’m a professor in the UK of Maths, and I have been asked if I would like to take a 2-year sabbatical stay at the University of Valladolid. My knowledge of Spain is not great, I’ve been to Madrid and Barcelona and have done cliché tourist things and also a few islands etc.

Does anyone here know Valladolid well? From my basic reading, it seems a very ‘nothing’ city (and sorry I do not want to cause offence with that statement, please educate me). The high-speed train from Madrid is only an hour away, is this commutable, or is it too expensive?
Any help would be great ,so many thanks in advance

jonboy

I have only been there once so have no useable opinion. For train travel check this website.

https://www.renfe.com/es/es

Mustard

I've never visited Valladolid but have been to all the other provincial capitals in Castilla y Leon. They all have their cultural history and of course good food and wine. Living there would be a good way to get to know an authentic Spain.

Living in Madrid is expensive and you could get a nice flat in Valladolid for much less and avoid a lot of travelling, giving you more time for after-work socialising. It's an hour to Madrid by train for weekends and also you would be well placed to explore NW Spain ( Galicia / Asturias ) then South to Salamanca and Extremadura. I'd definitely seriously think about it.

Carlio99

Many thanks for your comments. But yes, your comments seem to echo what most other people say, in that they have never been. I've spoken to friends in Madrid, and Salamanca, and even they say they have never been! and just got me thinking, what is wrong with this place!

Chipmonk

If it's got a university it will be fairly vibrant and very Spanish so maybe not on the tourist trail or place for retired expats. I would imagine it is quite nice. However if you are looking for sun and sangria and pints of Guinness, not so nice

Mustard

Nothing wrong with it. It's just down the pecking order after Salamanca, Leon, Burgos and Avila for tourism and it doesn't have a Parador. It's got a historic centre and a decent river running through it ( nice riverside walks ) It is on our list as next to visit once COVID leaves us in peace.

Moses2013

Can't comment too much and according to other people it's just one of those cities you end up living in. Either you were offered a job there, or maybe the new partner lives there and it turns out to be fine. Seems to have all the typical city things like Kebab shops and Pizzerias and even a la liga club. Extremely hot in summer and for your typical retired Expat it's just too far from the coast, but I don't see anything wrong if you like these type of cities.

Lagoo

Had a friend from there. She said it was hot in summer and cold in winter (true also of Madrid). They have days with free bus travel when it gets too polluted, which may mean a progressive city or one that is regularly clogged. On the plus side the best Spanish is spoken there so you could learn more easily. I would guess that not many people speke English so you could top up a bob or 2 by holding conversation sessions, 1-to-1 or in a group.

I don't think there's anything wrong with the city; perhaps like Birmingham it's nothing special compared with the nearby cities mentioned above.

Loafing Along

Just a very normal city. Used to backwards and forwards to the Renault plant from Madrid but otherwise limited experience , not so far from some fascinating places Zamora, Salamanca, Leon, Burgos. A region to be thoroughly explored . Definitely would live there as get a "proper" view of life in Spain

lupin77

I am actually from Valladolid and I studied Maths and Stats there. I have been living in England since 2003, after my Erasmus in Leicester, but we want to move back there this Summer. I work at the Imperial College and my intention is to keep working remotely for them.
Valladolid is a middle size city where you can find everything, several shopping malls, good restaurants, bares, etc... It is the economic centre of Castilla y Leon. For me, it is ideal because you can meet anybody in 15-20 minutes. It has a very good bus network and lately, they have built bike lanes in many areas. The quality of life is very good because renting is relatively cheap.
In the Maths department, the most famous Professor is Sanz Serna, one of the most famous mathematicians for his work in solving differential equations. Maths and Stats department are very theoretical.
From Valladolid you can visit other nice cities in one hour or one and a half hours, like Leon, Salamanca, Segovia. Madrid is just one hour with a high-speed train.
The climate is cold in Winter, especially this Winter and dry hot in Summer. Same as Madrid. Many people own second houses in Santander to go in Summer. I think there is a direct flight to Barcelona as well. The city is dead in August as people tend to go to their second homes in towns around Valladolid or in the coast.

Feel free to email me if you want more information.

steviedeluxe

Stayed a few times in Valladollid when the cheap air fares flew from there (and hadn't started in Madrid). My impressions were of a well-to-do city (which Lupin seems to confirm with his description of families having summer homes in Santander) that has a lot of historical charm as well as modern housing. Some interesting museums and churches. Given it's situated right next to the best wine regions of Spain, a very good place to wine and dine. As mentioned by a few people there are lots of places to discover around there, including mountains, historic towns/cities, and the magnificent coastline to the north. Yes it has a Castilian climate, and is in fact quite a bit colder in winter than Madrid city (or at least it was whenever I travelled there). I never went there in summer so I can't confirm the hot, sunny description, but suspect that is the case. Very well-connected by train and bus, and it does have an airport that is convenient on non-foggy days...just don't expect direct routes to many destinations.

lupin77

You have some things to visit in Valladolid like the museum of Polychromatic wood and several churches. But you can do many day trips to Salamanca, Leon, Madrid, Toledo, Segovia. If you like trekking you can try "La Ruta del Cares" for example. We have many mountains around, so I am sure you can find nice routes or even climbing clubs. Valladolid is a valley (Valley of Olid). If you like skiing, you can go to San Isidro or Alto Campoo, you can join a ski club in some sports shops and they go by bus every weekend. The food is really good. You must try the suckling pig and suckling lamb. Although the bares in Valladolid do not give tapas for free as other cities like Leon, they have a tapas competition every year, where bares have to produce a tapa and a glass of wine for 2 or 2.5 euros. Once you know the bares that are normally in the final, you can try the winners in previous years. Some of them are like one Michelin star restaurant. One of my favorite places is Restaurante Jero as it is always in the top 3 positions. Once you live in Valladolid, you will not go for Rioja. You can just for a "Ribera" when you go to a bar. They used to have tours that you can go by bus to visit several vineyards, so you do not need to drive. Some of the best "bodegas" have opened spas and restaurants next to them like Arzuaga. I cannot think of anything else at the moment, but I would stay in Valladolid and travel around rather than being in Madrid and commute.