Hello Terry
I am doing a reply this way as it is difficult to remember what your message is
I think you need to ask (by the looks of your message) whether you want to be with English people or real Spanish people !!!My name is terry and I live in Dublin. I am considering buying an apartment and recently stayed in Javea and Albir to see if I could find one. Both towns are really very niceAs we have found there is not much to do there in Albir but Javea there is not so much as much to do as its still a small place, we go there every Friday or did do until we got bored with it all) We would go there for a walk now!!!
however I now think I would prefer to be in a city. Valencia looks beautiful Yes Valencia is beautiful, and you can get around, most people speak a little English, I know I would choose Valencia any day. There are a number of English schools teaching Spanish. And if you get into the way of keeping a diary when there are things going on you have them for the following year) Sorry, its a bit late to answer your question but if you let me know whether you are now in Valencia, which I hope you are you can tell me how you got on.and I hope to travel over in the new year to have a look around. I would appreciate any advice or suggestions as to what areas within the city are recommended for an apartment purchase and also the best way to get to Valencia from Dublin in January as there are no direct flights and also any.
No idea how to get from Dublin to Valencia, if you get to Valencia airport there are good trains into the city and beyond - thats one thing here, trains are brilliant. We often go to Valencia on the train but depends on which part of Valencia you want to go to, I can't walk so far so its good for me
There are so many areas of Valencia that are nice, but el Carmen, I wouldn't touch - its nice to go around as a tourist but not to live. And just because its old and quaint, don't be pushed. I would have thought renting is the best, although you then have two lots of removals if you then want to buy. Some blocks of flats don't have management charges either!!!!
Albit and Javea would be too quiet for me and I'm in my 70s. We live in Gandia and we have the best of both worlds, 40 minutes each way and thats not breaking the speed limit lol. This means we can go to Valencia, Alicante, and Benidorm for days away but don't think you are an old fogey like us..... What I'm trying to say there are lots going on. Costa Blanca News is good to read, but online, it doesn't have all the newspaper (perhaps a good thing) There are other newspapers The Post, Euro Weekly, but Levante tells you whats happening too. By now as I said, I do a diary and now its full for weekends, also if you subscribe to Tourist Info Valencia/Benidorm/Alicante they cover a lot of places with things going on.
if i can help please contact me.... Anne