julie22

I live in the Almeria region and am lucky enough to have got out of England with a Teachers Pension. However most of the brits near us, and there are lots of them, usually have to make do with jobs with estate agents or in bars, unless you go to Almeria city there seems little in the way of call centres etc.

If you are thinking of coming over and renting, would suggest you dont come out July or August, most landlords can rent property as holiday lets. However understand that this might not help with organising schools.

I wish you luck, and would not want to put you off from coming to Almeria, and there may be others on this forum that have had success here, but there seems to me little in the way of jobs here

nikvin

we are in inland almeria with 3 kids. Albeit not easy, for lenghthy periods
we have and do survive on a little less than 1000 euros a month. This includes 1 smoker, drinks, occasional coffees out and the odd beer or 2. We do own the house outright and the car, but elec, phone etc still have to be paid, as well as trying to renovate the house. I have add a variety of jobs, and now self emp, but only rarely earning. paying the social dues for the medical etc benefits more than anything.

I know of several brits , in different parts of Almeria who have got long distance lorry driving work, with little or no spanish. Mainly for international trips, to uk or germany and they have been hired because spanish isnt much needed in Uk etc, where communication is more important in order to find one's final destination. at this end its more, just load up ( or unload ) and go.

There are schools all over, from small rural places with possibly no more than a dozen or so kids to the more familiar large establishments with overcrowded classrooms. high schools are fewer, but the kids are bussed (usually free) from their home village to the nearest/catchment high school.

Smaller, more "remote" areas should mean cheaper rent, but less possibilities of work nearby, but apart from within large cities, travelling time would not be that much in comparison to the UK. Larger towns, with more local brits( coastal, roquetas, Mojacar, Garrucha , or inland Albox, Arboleas,Huercal Overa areas) may offer more possibilities of employment with little Spanish, (but lots more chasing the jobs), but learning Spanish willl be harder,as in some areas its more like Blackpool/southend, etc in the sun, and so many Brit kids in school that progress is much slower, and the rents are likely to be more expensive.

All the main services ( doctors, schools, shops, etc), are available in just about every village, except the very smallest ones which may have no shops, but visiting bread vans, fish, frozen goods etc do visit even the seemingly most outlying remote areas.

There are lorry drivers (and coach drivers) in employment all over, and generally there appears to be a shortage of these, however the main areas would be coastal (all the fruit and veg) and around Macael ( centre for the marble industry which exports worldwide. there are of course numerous other areas, which have businesses which use a lot of hgv transport, but not as concentrated as those 2 areas.

Personally, I'd say, go for it, the kids are still young enough to adapt, you would still have a home in Uk to return to, if it doesnt work out, and at worst the kids could fall ayear behind in uk schooling if you had to return, and it would have been a great adventure if it doesnt work out.

keithwalters

There is a fast food chain that do the bocadillos - I think it is called Pans & Co. You must have seen them?????

Anyway, re the sandwich bar thing....I think this sort of thing is popular in the UK where we only get one hour for our lunch break and very often eat our lunches whilst we are in the car/on the move/in the office because that is the sort of rat race we have come from.

The Spanish however get a nice relaxing 3 hours for their lunch break, so a quick sandwich probably isn´t what they are after.

That said however, in the right location it could work. You´d need to think who your target market would be (probably not the office workers on their lunch breaks). Maybe near a beach for the people who forgot to bring a picnic with them???.......I don't know really. When you go to Pans & Co the clientelle seem to be the same sort of people you get in McDonalds.....teenagers or parents with kids. People who are more interested in convenience than a healthy meal.

rugbymatt

Smart response for you sir.

keithwalters

Hey! Not everything I say is total drivel you know!

rugbymatt

sorry, I mistook you for me for a second!!

keithwalters

It´s easy to tell us apart. I´m the good looking stuuuuuud man and you are, well, you.