craiggingell

I'm looking at relocating to SPain. I've applied for a job with a company that I already deal with with my current job so its not just a whimsical move for a bar job somewhere.

Anyway the job is in Madrid and i've never been. Its to the north of the city and I would like to think I could live in the outskirts rather than the city centre. I have an 8 month old daughter too to consider.

I'll stop waffling now and get to the point. Does anyone know if there are outskirts North of Madrid? What the schools are like? How much Spanish you need (i'm taking a night course but still only have basic skills)? What kind of expat community there is.

I havent got the job yet so dont waste too much of your time answering but any quick pointers on where I can focus my research would be appreciated.

PS Soy hincha del Barca

livit

Good luck with the job result.

I did the same thing, not in Madrid though.

For me Spanish was essential as i needed to work with Spaniards.

For research i did it when i was interviewed in Spain, also the company allowed me time to resettle, that was pretty essential, they adviced on location etc.

Children wasn`t an issue at the time i moved, my OH came at the same time and we both spent a lot of time viewing property and area`s.

Before you go out reference location`s on the net, some outskirts of Madrid are ok, others not so.From what i gather the north of Madrid is up market and expensive.

Check the price to rent/buy etc some expats i`ve meet didn`t and found the reason there companies were recruiting abroad was due to lack of employees in area`s because of the cost of living compared to wages.

You don`t want to get into that situation, commuting around Madrid can be stressful.

Check out www.kyero.com there a good site for prpoerty to buy and rent.

Most normal peeps in normal paid jobs live on the outskirts, i don`t know enough to recommend, but there are websites for madrid residents check out

http://www.aboutmadrid.com/madrid/forum/default.asp

Veleta

A few years ago I had a boyfriend who worked in the centre of Madrid, but bought a place in somewhere called Fuente del Fresno if I remember the name correctly. It was on the outskirts, to the North. I went there a couple of times and it seemed a nice area to live. Quiet, middle class.

steviedeluxe

Hi!

Loads of nice places to the north of Madrid; surprisingly a lot of locals live in Madrid and commute out to the new industrial parks. Like everywhere you'll find fairly reasonable places to rent cost-wise if you look around; house/flat prices are high I'm afraid and likely to remain so (this is where people in Spain and/or Latin America come if they want a job). The further north you go out of Madrid, the closer you get to the mountains - this means you're cooler in the heat of summer, but also have snow scenery to look at each morning in the winter.

As for learning Spanish - I suspect you'll learn it a lot quicker there, than say on the coast. Don't get me wrong, there are lots of clubs and organisations that cater for ex-pats (there's a sizebable American community there too) but in your local shop or cafe or bakery etc you'll be expected to use the language. There are several English language forums devoted to Madrid - try spaintalk, notesfromspain or Madridman to start with. They may be good places to ask about schools and education.

Incidentally the commuting around Madrid (if on public transport) is far better than London (or other UK cities) and a lot cheaper. They've invested heavily in new tube stations and tram lines over the last few years (at one point 80 odd new stations in 3 years). There's a lot of new ring road/motorways been built too; however a lot are toll roads so be careful if you want to drive.

I doubt you'll get` that much grief from being a Barca fan; I met plenty there when I worked there. Probably best to watch the Derby (Barca v Real) in an Irish pub though - most British and Irish expats are attracted by the Barca glamour and choose to disdain supporting Real.

Lastly - good luck! I only returned from Madrid because of my partner in the UK and health issues. It's a great place to live (and possibly the best place to find work I've found either in Spain or in the UK). Any downsides? Well, I never liked Sol, and the thieves that hang around there. And, just like shopping centres here in the UK, you'll never get used to people who just stop in your path. But that's "other people" for you.

Relampago

In Notesfromspain.com there is a English called Ben, and I believe that it is married with a woman from Madrid. I believe that he is the main moderator or the owner of this forum, and I suppose that he could give you good advice. By the way, you have not arrived and you are already thinking of only meeting with people of your country or anglo-speakers. Ok. You make what you want, but my advice is that before you try to know Spaniards, you will practice and it will be you easier to learn, slow but progressively. But like I have said, it is your decision

It is not so difficult. It is the same alphabet that English. If Paul Preston or Geoffrey Parker speak to the perfection (it is not noticed nor their accent) you can also make it

By the way, if you like the Nature, the mountain etc etc etc, in Madrid there is many beautiful places to live. No problem

Sam Greenfield

If you dont try it you will always be thinking what if.............. the big thing is - make sure you do all your homework and hopefully it will work out for you - good luck in whatever you decide chick xxxxx

livit

Madrid is a good place to learn Spanish.

There are groups who exchange languages, you go to a bar with a group of Spaniards etc and you teach them English and they teach you Spanish.

You only speak the lingo your learning or teaching on that particular night.The next time you swap.Most groups don`t charge anything.

Its a great way to make Spanish friends and learn the culture.

Spanish is an easy language to learn, all letters a prounounced, so spelling and reading is easy.There are far harder languages.

But its like all learning, you have to want too learn and put the work.You`ll not be fluent overnight, it takes time, like anything new.The more the work the quicker you`ll learn it.

craiggingell

Thanks for your reply but i'm afraid you've missed my point on this post. I do want to integrate into Spanish culture and make Spanish friends however the British ExPat community will have a better idea of what I face if i make the decision to move.

Thanks to everyone for their replies. I've got loads of homework to do but fingers crossed.

cricketman

If you dont want to integrate into Spanish culture I'd say dont go to Madrid!

What would you be moving for? Madrid is quite an uncomfortable city with the heat in summer and cold in winter. The positive is that it is the captial of Spain and has the culture and "juerga" that comes with that.

steviedeluxe

Afraid I have to disagree with cricketman here - I'm a fan of Madrid. Apart from anything else it has the best tap water in Spain! It does get hot at the peak of summer, yet it's not as bad as say Seville or Cordoba, as the air from the nearby mountains normally ensures cool nights. Plenty of excursions - Segovia, Avila, El Escorial - to escape the big city heat. Yes, it can be cold in winter, but the blue skies often compensate. As for other attractions - well most day time bars still give free pinchos with your drink. loads of theatres and cinemas (extremely well blessed with Version Original cines) a great public transport system, the Rastro, decent public parks, good shopping facilities, fantastic museums etc etc. As I mentioned before perhaps the major downside is the pickpocket and thievery element - but you should soon work out the zones (normally around Sol and other areas eg Bilbao where there's a lot of Guiris) where this happens and how to prevent being a victim. If you need a good expat network, there are plenty of Brits, Irish, Americans living and working in Madrid; but it's also a great place to meet other Spanish (and Latin Americans) who've moved there for work reasons

Anyway good luck with the job application.