SWAPPING PORTUGAL FOR SPAIN
#1
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2010
Location: Alhaurin el Grande
Posts: 50
SWAPPING PORTUGAL FOR SPAIN
Hello everyone - we have been in Portugal for a few months looking for a better quality of life than in England and have decided for a number of reasons that Portugal is not where we would like to settle permanently. We have decided to give the Costa del Sol a try. Has anyone else followed the same path? If so why did you decide against Portugal, where in Spain have you settled and why have you found Spain more to your liking?
#2
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 5,368
Re: SWAPPING PORTUGAL FOR SPAIN
Just talking to some friends of ours on skype yesterday that left UK for Portugal about 18 months ago and they reckoned it has hardly stopped raining hardly since November! They are in Coimbra area. Here in UK, my wife was at the computer in just a blouse thingy, and she said both of those were wrapped up in big sweaters and smoke bellowing out of a wood burner! The irony is they are both sun worshippers, and used to have the CH up really high here in UK, so they are not happy bunnies at the moment. Nothing much to do, it seems to me the husband just seems to sit around the house drinking, or on the computer. Some better quality of life!
#3
Re: SWAPPING PORTUGAL FOR SPAIN
Each of us has our own priorities on what we are looking for and have to decide if sea, sun and sangria make up for family, friends and football which we leave behind.
I would suggest wanting a better quality of life is a bit vague and it takes a lot longer than a few months to settle
I would suggest wanting a better quality of life is a bit vague and it takes a lot longer than a few months to settle
#4
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Joined: Dec 2006
Location: Living in a good place
Posts: 8,824
Re: SWAPPING PORTUGAL FOR SPAIN
I would think if you don't like Portugal then you wouldn't like Spain.
Has anyone ever thought where they would like to go if they left Spain.?
Has anyone ever thought where they would like to go if they left Spain.?
#5
Re: SWAPPING PORTUGAL FOR SPAIN
I would like to try Italy, but I don't speak Italian.
I like San Francisco, But don't think I could live in USofA
I like San Francisco, But don't think I could live in USofA
#6
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 24,043
Re: SWAPPING PORTUGAL FOR SPAIN
Hello everyone - we have been in Portugal for a few months looking for a better quality of life than in England and have decided for a number of reasons that Portugal is not where we would like to settle permanently. We have decided to give the Costa del Sol a try. Has anyone else followed the same path? If so why did you decide against Portugal, where in Spain have you settled and why have you found Spain more to your liking?
I would say it took me over 2 years to settle properly.
Oh and yes,it has never stopped raining for over 3 months now.
#8
squeaky clean
Joined: Mar 2010
Location: Spain 4th feb 08 - October 11, now flits batck and forth from sunny Worthing
Posts: 1,576
Re: SWAPPING PORTUGAL FOR SPAIN
Jo xxx
#10
squeaky clean
Joined: Mar 2010
Location: Spain 4th feb 08 - October 11, now flits batck and forth from sunny Worthing
Posts: 1,576
Re: SWAPPING PORTUGAL FOR SPAIN
#11
Re: SWAPPING PORTUGAL FOR SPAIN
Each of us has our own priorities on what we are looking for and have to decide if sea, sun and sangria make up for family, friends and football which we leave behind.
I would suggest wanting a better quality of life is a bit vague and it takes a lot longer than a few months to settle
I would suggest wanting a better quality of life is a bit vague and it takes a lot longer than a few months to settle
3 or more years
#13
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: May 2009
Location: Alicante province
Posts: 5,753
Re: SWAPPING PORTUGAL FOR SPAIN
I agree that Portugal and Spain are much the same for English expats, Spain having more facilities geared specifically at us. That’s why we’re here, a million of us.
I would add that it takes courage to become an expat, it takes courage to emigrate to anywhere, although the US, Canada, Australia and the like are easy places because they speak the same language, have very similar laws etc etc.
On the courage scale, I take my hat off to those in the campo with Spanish neighbours often miles away. I take my hat off to those in Spanish cities where English isn’t spoken, and I take my hat off to the pensioners who arrive knowing nothing about the country they’ve arrived in.
How long does it take to settle in your new country? It must vary depending on the individual, but it’s years rather than months.
Having raised my hat to the brave, I’m sticking two fingers up at those scared characters who consistently find excuses not to emigrate even if they’re able to and possibly want to. They don’t because they lack the courage.
I would add that it takes courage to become an expat, it takes courage to emigrate to anywhere, although the US, Canada, Australia and the like are easy places because they speak the same language, have very similar laws etc etc.
On the courage scale, I take my hat off to those in the campo with Spanish neighbours often miles away. I take my hat off to those in Spanish cities where English isn’t spoken, and I take my hat off to the pensioners who arrive knowing nothing about the country they’ve arrived in.
How long does it take to settle in your new country? It must vary depending on the individual, but it’s years rather than months.
Having raised my hat to the brave, I’m sticking two fingers up at those scared characters who consistently find excuses not to emigrate even if they’re able to and possibly want to. They don’t because they lack the courage.
#14
Re: SWAPPING PORTUGAL FOR SPAIN
I'm not so sure. I like city living, and I like being by the sea. While I could do both in Portugal, it'd be on the Atlantic coast, not the Med, and a fair bit further north than I am now. That is a significant difference to me.