Hi to all.

Although I've owned a house in the Costa del Sol area for 12 years, my wife and I have just moved over here and plan to spend a year to see how we get on.

She is Gibraltarian and properly bi-lingual (no janito for her) but has lived in UK for 36 years so is not sure how she will settle in here.

I understand some written Spanish and am just trying to learn to speak it conversationally.

Our neighbours who are all Spanish are very pleasant and of course my wife has no problems in chatting with them for hours but has to translate for me. I'm trying to find out if there are any English speaking clubs or societies between Marbella and Estepona so I can get to meet a few people as well.

We are near Guadalmina on the road to Benahavis.

Any advice will be appreciated.

Hi and a warm welcome to the Spanish forum on BE. Myself and Fred James are the moderators for the Spanish forums whilst BEVS moderates Europe. Moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. This is so that members gain the information that they are looking for and find their experiences on the forums to be friendly and worthwhile.

Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderator who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are usually friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge about the issues of living in Spain. I hope that you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

We are also thinking of moving to Spain but we are a bit concerned about the healthcare as we are both in our sixties

If you are state pensioners, then you will get free healthcare.
If not, after a year on Spanish private health insurance you can apply to pay into the Spanish health service, and pay 60 euros a month each. You pay a % of your prescription costs.
If you have existing medical conditions, the private company may not cover them, or if they do, the premiums will be very high.
If you have any disabilities, you will have to think how you will cope in Spain, as you will not get the support you get in UK

... and from another EU country.

People who buy holiday homes do they have to take out medical insurance for the time they stay

You don't have to but would be unwise not have some additional insurance to back up the EHIC which will cover emergency treatment and some chronic treatments (e.g. dialysis or chemotherapy if organised in advance) but certainly wouldn't cover repatriation if that became necessary.
Most standard travel insurances are usually only valid for up to 45 days in any one trip so you need to seek out a specialist insurer for longer stays or nip back home for a day to restart the clock.

Remember that the EHIC will not cover repatriation costs for flight/ambulance back to the UK, and only covers emergency treatment
The costs per day iof staying in hospital after the emergency , treatments, medications etc will be very high.

Good afternoon all. We are a new couple to this forum. we are just finishing the purchase of our town house in Atalaya Alta, we hope to start spending as much time as we can there soon. we have a few questions that we hope people on here can help with. firstly Internet, who offers the best deals here, and also what are the Do's and Dont's to look out for. we need to try to find good car insurance compass and well. its a completely new start for us, so as much advise as we can get would be helpful.


Thanks.

Martin

With respect, it might have been a good idea to do a lot of research before buying in Spain.
Look through specific threads on this and other forums
Google specific subjects eg tax
Look at expat press online , but don't believe all you read.
There will be a lot of conflicting advice, and many different opinions.
You will have to sift through, and choose what suits you.
There is less regulation in Spain, and therefore less chance getting money back if you are ripped off or let down by " Experts"
Unfortunately nothing can safeguard you against bad experiences
The advice of a motoring guru who used to write a column in a ex pat newspaper rings true- Trust no one!
Good Luck!

Hi and a warm welcome to the Spanish forum on BE. Myself and Fred James are the moderators for the Spanish forums whilst BEVS moderates Europe. Moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. This is so that members gain the information that they are looking for and find their experiences on the forums to be friendly and worthwhile.

Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderator who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are usually friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge about the issues of living in Spain. I hope that you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary