Sarah Dixon

Hello everyone

Very new to all this but finding it very interesting. My husband & I are looking into moving abroad. We have found out lots of information about New Zealand but also want to find out information about a place in Europe to compare.

We have two small children, 3.5years and 18 months. Can anyone tell me a nice place in Spain, not commercialised with tourists, with a low crime rate, near the sea, good education.

What are the property prices like in Spain and cost of living?

Is it easy for the English to get jobs without speaking the language? What are the most common workplaces for such people? My husband is a lorry driver, does anyone have any information regarding this occupation?

Does anyone know about the education system, is it free? Is it better than that in the UK? What about class sizes? Are we best putting the children into a private English school and what it the average cost for this?

What is the health care like. do we have to pay for this?

So many questions but I have no idea of where to start. Thought hear might be a good starting point!

many thanks.

Sarah

Carol&John

So many questions, yes! Stop and take a deep breath! Have a look at the "Articles" heading on the top menu (just below the logo) for starters. Happy reading & good luck!
Carol

jdr

Most of these have been covered just lately, read the previous threads and remember everyone has different ideas of good and bad

Amara

hi there - We live in the South West of Spain and there are a couple of International Schools here - the fees are 2400 Euros per year at one and 3400 Euros at the other one for Infant and Primary children - there are some additional costs ie registration fee, foreign child programme (for learning Spanish quickly), bus fare, extra activities, music lessons etc. This increases as they go into secondary education. These schools are primarily designed for Spanish children to learn English, but when they start they will do most of the lessons in English so it will obviously be easier for them at first from a language point of view. As they go into primary and secondary the majority of the lessons are in Spanish. The alternative is Spanish state school, which although daunting at first ensures they will learn Spanish very fast - the schools are good and will put the children into extra Spanish classes when the Spanish children have English and religious lessons. These schools are free but you do have to pay for their books. Also the private schools have uniforms (expensive) and the state schools do not. Your children are at the perfect age to come to Spain and be fluent very quickly. My son is 3 and is already saying Spanish words and mimicking what he hears people saying - we have only been here a couple of months!! If you need further info I will be happy to provide - good luck

bfg69bug

lol.. aint that the truth

welcome to the forum, most things have been covered recently as jdr says - and perhaps the search button up top will yeild some of the answers that you require

Unexpat

One question at a time, maybe and lots of reading of past threads here and elsewhere? As said above, there are so many perspectives on these things that you really have to search and read before you can form your own informed opinion.

PULULA

May I suggest to move to New Zealand better??'

No comparison!!!!!

Good Luck]

tim hortons man

www.moving-to-spain.info

Since you have young children and want to live in a "real" Spanish area I'd suggust buying and reading her book before you go. Should cover everything you need to know, and its a good story to boot!

Rob

Mitzyboy

Just out of interest, bearing in mind the huge amount of differing info there is on all the forums, how confident are you that this ebook is accurate?

tim hortons man

the book is less about info facts on spain and more one ladys story of moving to spain as a single mom. Some of the problems she had fitting in, school kids etc the culture shock etc.

If your considering moving to Spain with kids I'd recomend reading the book.

coralsoft

Have you considered Asturias in northern Spain? It doesn't have the hot, sunny weather of the Costas to the south, but it's a great place if you're not a sun-worshipper.

tim hortons man

If you don't speak Spanish you will find it very very lonely, and the thrill of "living Spanish" will disappaer very quickly. Just think, the extent of your daily conversation will consist of not much more than hello and goodbye. On the other hand you will be forced to learn the language very quickly.

Kids on the other hand if they are younger will pick up the language very quickly, they will also just a quickly grow tired of translating for you.

Myself, I've been around enough to know that I want an English community close by.

As I recomended before the ebook living in spain is well worth reading. If for no other reason than her struggle in trying to be "Spanish" when you don't speak the language.

peterbainham

Agreed. There's barely a non-commercialised tourist-free place left in southern and eastern Spain. Head north. People are friendly, beaches are nice (except when tankers are depositing their loads into the Atlantic), the scenery is fantastic, food is great and it's cheaper.
Then again, there is a reason that it's not as popular as the south.

Mrs eddie

Hi Sarah,

Geez....you sound just like me a few months ago.....it's probably the older threads to me that people are referring too.

Everyone has been soooo helpful.....but like everyone says it's persaonal taste and down to what you want, earn etc etc etc.

Me personally from knowing silch....nada.....we discovered a little town called Oliva....Valencia......we loved the feel of it, mainly Spanish but some English.

We have a son, just over 3 years old and a daughter 18 months.

Plently of schools, nurseries etc. I've been advised that the Spanish education system is better, the children apparently integrate better with the Spanish and learn Spanish quicker. My husband and I have bought a Spanish course and are very keen to learn Spanish, very shortly.

He has a job for a English computer company but his boss has let him work remotely from Spain....bargain !!!!!

House prices vary.....it depends what you are looking for of course. We have bought a lovely 3 bed, 3 terrace townhouse for about £105k......so our mortgage is lower as I won't work here.

Oliva has 4 beautiful beaches, is not a tourist place, has plently of Supermercado's, it's beautiful and an hour away from Valencia and Alacante airport.

Well, everything that we wanted.......

Obviously it's personal taste but for us we fell in love with it. everyne is so lovely and helpful.....

We started off looking at Andulucia but too expensive for us, looked at Altea and Denia on internet aswell lovely but touristy and expensive ...so stumbled on Oliva down the coast...visited it and my husband said it felt like "home".

Hope that helps....its only our story but other stories helped us in the right direction.

Hope everything works out for you.....it's the right time to move for the children....and if it doesn't work out they are still young enough to go back to england without missing any of their education.

Take care

Mich

Mitzyboy

You'll be knackered climbing those hills every day