Living in Barcelona

Wow, what a character bcnexpat was! The fact he tried to drown everyone's point of view with his own is reason enough to see that he'd hate anywhere he lives..!

Kako ste vi ineshinha? That's about it except for palachinka and kolodvor I'm afraid.. :-).

Rental prices in Barcelona are relatively high if you want an entire flat in the centre, but if you share or move further out you'll be paying much less. On www.loquo.es you'll find non-agency prices for flatshares and entire flats..

As for learning Catalan, the Ajuntament (Town Hall) teaches catalan for free as does the CNPL (http://www.cpnl.cat/xarxa/cnlbarcelona/). I don't think the CNPL is run by the ajuntament...

I moved from London to Barcelona, so the prices are incomparable (except for supermarket food - about the same price or cheaper in the UK).

Restaurant food at midday is a bargain (6-12 euros for a 2-3 course meal + coffee + drink) and there's much more free stuff to do than in many countries due to the weather and the fact that the catalans and their government are the most people/culture/experience-focused of anywhere I've been, even as far as decreasing the amount of (much-needed) housing to create public spaces. The result is that it feels like a city for the people, regardless of their wealth (housing aside). There's always something to do...

Public transport in Barcelona is varied, excellent and cheap as chips in comparison (chips in the UK are also cheaper). For example, buy a 10 journey travelcard for 7 euros or so, and each journey will get you to places outside Barcelona itself if you want, and each journey consists of an hour and a half's journeying on tram, train, bus or metro, with as many changes as you like (in 1 direction only! Though this means you can do a loop to travel to a location by bus and back by metro for the price of 1 journey). Another option is Bicing - you pay 24 euros a year online (bicing.com) and pick up a bike from one of the many stops to use for up to 2 hours at a time as often as you like. Lots of stops in the centre, less in the suburbs. They even do cars now...

Hope I haven't seemed too biased, but I really do love the city and people, and housing is becoming more obtainable (though still silly in comparison with the average wage): property prices have dropped about 20-30% and there are goverment schemes to part-purchase flats.

Cheers,

Steve from Norn Iron (would be good to see it in the list! :-)

The classes at the Universities are offered in either Catalan or Castillian. They are usually described in the form in advance that way.  There does seem to be work, it can be hard to get.  You may get assistance from other expats from Croatia.  The university will offer Catalan classes specifically for people who are coming to study, and also the Escola Oficial d'Idiomas http://www.eoibd.cat/ offers classes quite cheaply.  Around a hundred and fifty Euros for four months, five days a week, two hours a day.

Co-sharing apartments, as anUlaidh said, is quite common, and as well as the sites he mentioned, the University may have a system for helping the students out.

bcnexpat is telling the truth. The truth can be hard to swallow for some people, but the posts are as brutally honest as they come.
I used to live in Barcelona almost three years ago. My impressions were varied but having lived there I can see the points bcnexpat is trying to make, and know there is much truth to it. Most of the expats I knew moved out of Barcelona after only a few years. Their reason were simply that they preferred to live in better conditions. I still have two friends who live in Barcelona. Both are planning to move out soon.

What I did like about Barcelona is the same as I guess most people like about the city. All the cultural events, and the spanish late night culture with shops, restaurants and streetlife being alive until ten or eleven in the central part of the city. You wont find this 'late night living' anywhere else in Europe, I think.

For those who claim that it is not expensive to live in Barcelona, I think this is very untrue. Barcelona has been dubbed as a housing disaster by various financial and housing sectors of the EU, simply because the costs are so out of range. I can assure that rwilson will not find a house for 1200 a month in actual Barcelona. Maybe far outside, so far that you would be nowhere near actual Barcelona. Those who have been lucky to arrange deals, have simply been lucky. Its not at all normal. If they feel its easy, maybe they should offer to help you find the same deal? I doubt you will ever hear from them again.

And salaries are low, low, low. I would not imagine that there are plenty of jobs available for 1700 euro a month and more in Barcelona as one post said. I knew many educated professionals with excellent degrees and background that earned no more than about 1000 to 1200 a month in Barcelona. Its extremely difficult to even find a job at all, let alone one that pays above 1200 a month even with high qualifications. I did have a friend who was a specialized software developer for security patches who earned 1750 a month in Barcelona. His rent was 1000 a month for a small apartment in Poble Nou. In London he had made over 6000 euro a month for the same job. He left Barcelona after three months.

I have been living in the UK and France since. Some people used to tell me that France has the same problems as Spain. France could be compared to the little brother to Spain as far as bureacracy goes, but its by no means the same. Its much better structured. Although Spain is always associated with a rich social life I actually find it much more so in France. General living costs are fairly the same, just slightly higher. I live in a very exclusive region in Paris but housing is actually cheaper here than in Barcelona although its hard to find housing, as in any city. One thing I do find similar between France and Spain, is the conditions for rentals where you have to put a downpayment of several months to secure housing. Crime levels were very high in Barcelona as I recall, but in France I have come across very little crime although statistics supposedly show a high crime.

siiix wrote:

we moved here about a year ago, we rent a beautiful 5 bedroom HOUSE with panorama view and garage and pay 1200 euro / month.. and its not even 300m from the next metro station witch you can reach just about any point of interest in 15-20 minutes TOPS ... and this is NO exception there are plenty of apartments and houses in Barcelona for not much more then any major EU city...

the subway and bus connections/quality meats/beats the best of the best in the world, not to mention its enorm fair pricing = 73cent for the 2 hour standard ticket (same ticket in Berlin 2.40,Vienna 2.20,Paris 1.10,Rome 1.00, London whopping 6.00 in cash - even with card 2.00)... and that bus (always) and subways (seasonal, but most of the year) run all day long in not more then 20minute increments.. not many other cities can say this.. the last 6 months its been FREE (saved 73cent) to use the metro from the airport... HELLO how was it last time i visited Paris airport ? 9.00Euros/person (OrlyVal) ?! i chose to take a taxi and paid 11euros for the same distance and i was not alone.

Barcelona IS NOT expensive!

I must really disagree. Your post seem quite unreal. Barcelona is VERY expensive. There are some local services that are widely used by the spaniards that is cheap. But overall, I had about 400 euro more in expenses in Barcelona than I have in France.

I have to point out that it's not at all common to find a house for 1200 a month. Its difficult to even find housing. Many working locals live with their parents bacause of the housing situation more than anything. In Barcelona preference is given to the Catalan people. You may be living outside the city. If there are many similar places available for the same price in actual Barcelona as you say, please contact me, because I have friends who have lived in Barcelona for eight years that would be interested.

My transportation does show up every 10-20 minutes in almost every city I have been to in Europe, so I am not sure how this would be unsual for Barcelona?
The bus is 1.10 for a single ticket in Barcelona and about 43 euro for a monthly pass; a 10-card pass is about 8 euros. It does not cover long distances. These regular fares cover zone 1, but includes bus, metro and the tram within zone 1. People tend to cheat and use the zone 1 card for other zones to skip paying the actual rate since the city does not have a system in place to separate different zones. anUlaidh said he paid 11 euro for a taxi in Paris from the airport. I paid about 20 euro from the airport to central Barcelona for taxi each time I visit, if I dont feel like fighting with others to get on the crowded train to that goes into the main station, or if the flight arrives late.

Its 1 euro in France for a single ticket (bus rates were reduced on September 1) and less if you buy a monthly buscard (a bit over 20 euro). This one euro actually reaches almost 3 zones. So, yes, Barcelona is more expensive even with tranportation. A big plus with Barcelona is that buses run all night. I guess its necessary since the city has a lot of clubs and pubs open throughout the night.

Another great thing in Barcelona is that they offer free Catalan classes at some government run places. Its not always that easy to get in as many immigrants are waiting, but it is free. But its free in France as well in some schools to learn french.

For inesinha: it's difficult in Barcelona to even find a good room for 200 euro per month. Housing will certainly be one of your biggest problems. Spain had the worse property collapse in all of Europe. But they still would not lower the rates. I was visiting friends in Barcelona a week ago, and read about all the plunging rates but saw no signs of it (A friend has been looking for a property and they are still highly overpriced). If you want to get an idea what the rates are for rentals or sales in Barcelona, you can view www.idealista.com
This website is the most popular for finding apartments or houses. For rooms and vacation rentals, louqo.com is the most popular.

Hi Oreneta, or somebody else:

I don't know if you are still active in the blog, but I would like to ask for some advices.

Me and my friend we are living in USA, I'm an US citizen and he is an italian citizen. We want to relocate in Barcelona, we both speak Spanish; I am a Spanish teacher and he works in the hotel industry. Any tip for me as a US citizen to get a legal status over there? Or anyone who can give me some advices about the procedure, or how to act?

Thank you.

I m sorry but ,I would like to live in Barcelona and I also look for some advices!
I'm French and I have never been to Barcelona,I am going to taste the town in August!
so, good luck!

Hi, My dh and I are visiting Barcelona in Dec of this year. We are thinking about relocating there.

We have PhDs in chemistry. DH is fluent in spanish and I'm learning. We just want to make enough money to live, do some traveling. Are there opportunities to teach chemistry? Or should we just *try* to get a job teaching english?

Thanks for your help!

Your best source for information about visas is through the embassy, as it varies over time and nationality.  If you have an EU passport you are able to work in Spain, and are eligable for health care, I don't know if you can support another person or not.  There are many many people who work under the table, but I am not sure you want to go there, I wouldn't.

Thank you for your answer. I'll check with the embassy, I hope we can find a solution.
Thanks again.

Hi Zilda,
I would like to keep in touch with you, since you are going now in August to Barcelona. Could you let me know what ever you find out about living there. I don't know if you read my previous message. I'm a US citizen and my friend has the italian citizenship, we are living in the USA now.
Good luck in your research, an I hope you find good news!!!

Hi Mary_Ann,

According with your message we have the same goal. Could you keep me posted regarding any information about teaching there.
I'm looking in Internet all the time.
Regards,

Below I'm doing a "Copy and Paste" of a message that I sent Mary_ann when she asked me about how you need to go about getting a work visa ... it may help you as well.


I believe, but am not positive, that you have to do it this way
(and this is where you'll start to see that the whole process is like a "wild goose chase"):

1. Have a signed work agreement.
2. With that "contract" you can apply for the visa back in the US.
3. With that visa automatically you will acquire residency.

This is called being "sponsored" by a company.  The tough part is that most Spanish companies look for people with their work status already "legalized" ... i.e. EU residents.  It's tough for Americans.

Here's a good site that explains lots of the inner workings of the labyrinthine process:

http://www.spainexpat.com/spain/informa … _in_spain/

However, I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH that you should talk DIRECTLY with the SPANISH CONSULATE that represents your area.  By doing that you will avoid becoming overwhelmed and confused with [mis]information from lots of people who know a little about a lot ... know what I mean?

Los Angeles Consulate General of Spain
General Consul: Inocencio Arias
Address: 5055 Wilshire Blvd.
Suite 860
Los Angeles CA 90036
Telephone :               323 938 0158       ;               323 938 0159       
Fax: 1-323-938-0112
Email: cog.losangeles@mae.es

http://www.maec.es/subwebs/consulados/L … me_LA.aspx

Don't put off getting in touch with them if you're serious about trying to make this work ... it's a long, slow and very involved process if you want to do it legally ...

Let me know.

this may be more relevant to you, being in Seattle:

CONSULADO GENERAL EN SAN FRANCISCO (415)

   Cancillería: 1405 Sutter St.- San Francisco. California 94109.

      Teléfonos: 922 29 95, 922 29 96, 922 01 70 y 922 79 42.
      Fax: 931 97 06.
      Web: www.mae.es/consulados/sanfrancisco/es/home

      E-mail: cog.sanfrancisco@maec.es
   Oficina de Educación
      Teléfono: 922 20 38.
Cónsul General, D. Manuel Pradas Romaní

Hello Daney

OK, I will tell you about what I feel when I go to barcelona !

I only spend 5 days in the town but I think it's good for the first time.
I'm  a choreographer and danse teacher and I hope I will find some indication how to find a job!
best regards

Hello, My name is Lenka and I am from the Czech Republic. I work in Barcelona.

Does anyone have anything good to say about Barcelona and the potential in moving there? Even any kind of encouraging words for the mid-twenties girl who wants to get a job teaching English and live in BCN?

Understood that salaries are low, accomodations are high, and it doesn't sound like crime is exactly a walk in the park... but still anything at this point would help.

Thanks so much.

Hello, all.

Planning to visit Barcelona and looking to rent an apartment rather than stay at a hotel. We're a family of 2 adults and a 13-yr-old, and we live in Manhattan, so we have some idea of how to avoid becoming a victim of crime.

But here's where I could use some advice:

In searching online for vacation apartment rentals, we really have no idea which neighborhoods are safest, and which ones to avoid at all costs. Am sincerely hoping that the members of this forum can help.

We've narrowed our search down to apartments in these areas:

near the Sagrada Familia metro station;
on the Ramblas, across the street from the Liceu;
near the Plaza Catalunya;
on C/ Valencia, between Sant Joan and Bailen;
on C/ Sicilia, between Consejo de Ciento and Diputacio;
near the Jaume I metro station;
near Estacio Sants.

Could anyone here give us a "heads up" if any of these areas are out of the question?

Again, we have a certain amount of street smarts, and have no plans to walk around in public flashing large wads of currency or dripping with 1000s of dollars worth of camera gear. But we also don't want to be looking over our shoulders if we're returning to the apartment after, say, 10pm (we can stay here in NYC for that!).

Any and all advice would be most welcome, and very much appreciated.

Hi Everyone,

My girlfriend and I currently live on the Costa del Sol. I've been here for 5 years and my gf for 3. We're both brits and are considering moving to Barcelona, mainly because we prefer city life and desperately want some culture, specifically live music which is thin on the ground down this way.

It's interesting to hear such mixed views about the city. I'm from London myself so I'm no stranger to big city life and it's ups and downs. The crime in Barcelona does concern me a little but I'm sure being vigilant, just like anywhere, will go a long way.

I'm wondering what the employment situation is like there for expats. Here, I work for an english company and get what I would consider a poor wage compared to the cost of living, but it actually seems higher than the figures talked about in this thread.

Neither of us are fluent in Spanish, I can get by and have basic conversations whilst my gf is just at a very basic level. Are there many english companies in Barcelona? Or is Spanish or Catalan a definite requirement? Is there an expat community comparable to the Costa del Sol? Here it's pretty easy to move from one job to another, there's so many English companies here there's a lot of choice, even in these difficult economic times.

Any help or advice would be much appreciated!

Best,

Ed

Kilgore Trout, stay out of el Raval, which is on the south side of las Ramblas and you should be OK, the one up by Sagrada Familia should be great, it is in l'Eixample which is more upmarket.  Sants is fine, a bit less central.  Near Plaça Catalunya is, of course, very central, but you want to go across the top of it, or into the barri gothic....

Hope that helps.

Sugarcane, I am sorry but I can't really help...my husband and I are both working for Catalan companies outside of BCN itself.

oreneta wrote:

Kilgore Trout, stay out of el Raval, which is on the south side of las Ramblas and you should be OK, the one up by Sagrada Familia should be great, it is in l'Eixample which is more upmarket.  Sants is fine, a bit less central.  Near Plaça Catalunya is, of course, very central, but you want to go across the top of it, or into the barri gothic....

Oreneta ... by many of your posts, I have a hard time figuring out where you may live (although I think I recall a post that spoke of Sant Cugat...?) and how much of the "URBAN" Barcelona you really know ... and furthermore, if you're familiar enough with it to be able to give such sound and frank advise like "STAY OUT OF EL RAVAL" ... As a moderator to a forum, you need to remain objective.  I find it unfortunate that a personal bias may be expressed so freely in this forum by the person whose role is simply that, to "moderate" ... perhaps I'm wrong.

Frankly, coming from the NY/NJ area, and knowing Manhattan quite well, I think that it would be a shame for a family of New Yorkers to be deterred from discovering one of the most interesting and racially/culturally rich neighborhoods of Barcelona.  The Raval is filled with wonderful sights, smells, shops, restaurants, streetscapes and people that help to make the neighborhood a beautifully cosmopolitan environment ... somewhat like the vast diversity that New York is so lucky to have as a defining trait. (You can even find food to rival the restaurants on E 6th Street!)

Throughout my 10+ years of living IN Barcelona, I have rented apartments in el Born, la calle Ferran, and now I live in my own home in Gracia.  I have family members that live throughout the city and I have had family and friends come and visit numerous times.  I work just across the street from where the Raval begins, and enter/cross/visit/experience that neighborhood daily ... It is a wonderful neighborhood.

Perhaps you might like a few "links" to some good apartments where friends/family have had safe and enjoyable stays.  (I can send you a personal message if you'd like.)

Kilgore Trout, as for your street smarts ... I don't know what you've heard or where you heard it ... but it sounds like you've been a bit "spooked" about Barcelona.  You can hang your camera around your neck.  You should, of course like in any city, be safe and aware (you already know that from living in NYC) Pick-pocketing is your biggest danger here.  If you walk around with backpacks, just be aware of what's going on around you.  Make sure you have the zippers closed and controlled.  Don't leave your stuff unattended anywhere.  Don't set your bag on the floor next to your table without wrapping the strap around your leg or the arm of the chair ... etc, etc, etc ... Common sense, you'll be fine!

But most importantly ... don't be so stressed out that you can't enjoy your visit to Barcelona.  For that, you can stay in Manhattan ... (ha ha) ...  Enjoy the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, etc ... in short, the charm of a DIVERSIFIED city ... including "El Raval". 

I hope you enjoy your stay.  I still am!

thanks, oreneta and nj_bcn. i much appreciate the advice.

oreneta, your guidance is exactly what I was looking for.

nj_bcn, please don't think that we're going to avoid el raval completely. in fact, sant pau del camp is near the top of our list of sights.

from my research, i understand that el raval has acquired something of a hip cachet over the past decade or so, but that parts of it are still a bit dodgy; i'm guessing this is why oreneta advised us against renting an apartment there. given what i've been reading, i think i know where she's coming from. here in nyc, for example, harlem has changed quite a bit in the last few years, but i would still advise a first-time visitor against staying there -- NOT to avoid the neighborhood altogether, but to be careful and alert at night, especially in east harlem.

i'm guessing it's the same with el raval.

in any case, i thank you both.

nj_bcn and kilgore trout.

Sorry if I misrepresented, I love el Raval, it is my favourite part of BCN and my favourite stores are in there.  What Kilgore assumed was accurate,  I am advising a first time family who are visiting BCN to avoid el Raval at night.  There are areas in there that are not so charming or safe.  Store keepers have petitions for more police presence because of robberies, walking through the internal pati for the art school there is unnerving for a single woman.

Sorry, but I think they would be happier somewhere a little better lit and a little safer at night for their vacation.

I stand by my opinion, but it doesn't mean it isn't a great part of town TOTALLY worth visiting.

if someone is still interested in web sources for job and property, so far one of the best are:
fotocasa.es - for property
infojobs.net - for jobs
Barcelona is a nice city, but do not forget that there is quite good connection by Cercanias/Rodalias and you can find decent and quite cheap place to leave outside of Barsa...we are renting one-bedroom flat for 500 euros/month in Vilanova i la Geltru...and living in smaller place have so many advantages, from having a quiter life to extremly low crime rate.
good luck to all you guys

Well, I am from Barcelona, born, studied and worked there untill I moved to Sweden. I bought my flat there and I had a very nice comfortable life there with a salary of 1600 euro.
Barcelona is easy in the surface and perfect for vacation, but hard in deep. As in all countries there are things you have to simply accept.
As barcelonian there are many problems with expats coming to the city. They pay 6 months in advanced so it means that even spanish people are going to  be requested 6 months in advanced. Why do you accept this conditions? Just say no. You don't help even yourself accepting these conditions. The city has allways been quite cheap in comparison with other european cities and very expensive in comparison with other middle town in Spain. Tourism has developed so that everything is very expensive and the traditional shops have almost dissapeared. We that live in the city center have to drink perfumes and eat clothes!
It seems to me that the city is dying of its own success! The high times of Barcelona are passed and some sad time has to pass before the city becomes attractive again.
Barcelona is a nice place to live, you have to adapt yourself to the city not expecting that the city adapts to you.

Hi,

My girlfriend and I are moving to Barcelona in January 2010. I've collected quite a bit of information as to what neighbourhoods to live in, how much things cost, etc.

I do have a little bit of a trouble getting advice about living there, such as:
What cell phone company to choose (list would be good);

Is a scooter really the best way to get around? I would be buying one upon arrival, but should I just go with the car instead? Are there traffic jams that rule out cars? How about parking of a scooter and a car, is it paid, how much monthly if so?
Do scooters get stolen or not really?

I've narrowed our apartment search to Gracia and Eixample neighbourhoods.

Apartment rental, I understand that "3 bedrooms" is actually 2 bedrooms + living room, am I correct? I would like to rent an apartment, which would have a normal bedroom, another bedroom which I'd be using as office, and a living room, am I looking for a 3-bedroom or 2-bedroom?
I see that majority of apartments rented are with furniture - I would like to rent one without, is it OK to ask the owner to remove all furniture, or maybe just selected pieces?

I'm sure I'll come up with more questions later on.

I'll be very grateful if anyone can answer these.

Thank you,
MD

Whew....some of this I can't answer, I'll ask if no one else chimes in.....cell phone companies...

There is Vodafone -which is the national phone company, reputed to be the most expensive.  There is Orange, which I use, it is cheaper and has better coverage where I live, there is yak, I know nothing about them,

Honestly, go into FNAC on Placa Catalunya, upstairs somewhere there is a desk with a representative from each of the big companies and ask there.  The customer service is good and with luck some of them will speak a little English.  That's what we did.  Though I also asked around in my village about coverage....in BCN that isn't an issue.

The metro is a great way to get around BCN, no parking worries and no worries about anything being stolen.  I would probably go for a moto if I needed something, they are much easier to park, I have heard that there are 10,000 fewer parking spaces in BCN than there are registered cars.  Urban myth?  I have no idea....I have never heard of a moto being stolen, but that is not necessarily a good indicator.

I would start out on the metro and decide once you are there.  The other issue is the driving license, unless you are from an EU country, in 6 months you would have to get a Spanish drivers license.  If you are from N America, you have to do all the test, which is expensive and a pain as your license will not be recognised. 

I believe that with a moto it is much simpler to get a license, if you need one at all.

Apartments...3 bdrm...habitacion is a bedroom, sala is a room, this is catalan....so it may be a function of 3 rooms, or 3 bedrooms....they may well be counting rooms....

Furnished is surprisingly common, and unfurnished is listed seperately, if you find a furnished apartment that you really like it might be worth asking the agent if you can have some of the pieces removed.

Remember that you need three months rent up front, so come with enough cash for that....

Sorry I can't help more, I'll ask about the rooms.

Cheers,

O

Oreneta,

Thank you so much for your extensive reply.

I'll try orange, I've been to vodafone's website, the plans are somewhat confusing to me, as you may know from US it is quite different - US providers usually have pre-paid plans for so many minutes a month, and usually people stay within those plans to have a flat monthly fee. Alternatively you can get unlimited plans, which are more expensive, but least troublesome.
In Vodafone's plans there're morning and evening plans, and none seem to offer prepaid minutes, so it'll take me some time to figure out what plan to get.
Also, what about internet on the phone? Here in US you have this $30/mo unlimited plan (actually I think limited to 5GBs/mo), I've heard that internet in Europe is very expensive, is that so?

Internet - what companies I should look at? Ideally I'd prefer either WiMax or cable, as I have no use for regular phone line which you have to have for DSL. Also, cable is usually faster than DSL, and I need speed.
I've tried researching via google, so far no luck.

As far as transportation - we were planning on getting a scooter (new Honda), but looking at google street view and Barcelona's cameras I don't see much traffic. Parking most likely will be more troublesome with a car, but that enables you to travel outside the city with ease. Plus, living in US for last 10 years we grew accustomed to cars

I think Oroneta meant “Movistar” is the national phone company … being that it is Telefonica.  As per cellphones, the system here is quite different from that of the US … so try not to compare, you're going to have to learn a whole new system:

1.    you can get pre-paid plans … pay per minute, depending upon which plan, the calls can cost from a few cents per minute (usually to a “favourite number” from the same company … up to 60 cents or so for normal calls … I think around the average, a call from a cellphone to a landline is around 28cents and it always depends on which company your calling to/from for the mobile rates.  Here, unlike in the US, you don't pay to receive calls, only to make them … you can also get monthly contracts with a limited expense minimum and different call rates depending upon the plan you choose. (I've been a Vodafone customer since 1999 when it was Airtel … I'm pre-paid and it's ok … check what best fits your uses/budget)

2.    there are many internet plans that come along with CONTRACT agreements with the cellular companies … normally not applicable to the pre-paid plans … browse the websites to learn more …  Orange, Vodafone, Movistar, Yoigo, Tele2, Jazztel, Ono, etc …

3.    Skooter vs. Car:  Parking in Gracia, for example costs anywhere from 100-160€ per month for a normal sized parking spot.  I currently pay 110€ for my car and 60€ for my motorcycle … (I don't park it on the street, however many people do without any problems … and when you think about it, for 60€/month, you can buy lots of replacement parts … probably more than they can steal from you … hmmm …  I went through the BS with the US driver's license like Oroneta mentioned … not easy, not fast, and not cheap …. It all ended up costing me around 1800€ (car & motorcycle licenses … and I had been driving for 25 years in the US … but that doesn't mean anything over here)  You may not be able to register or insure any vehicle if you don't have legal residency … you may want to check that out too … look into the legalities (i.e. complications) of buying and operating a car in Spain ...

I had a Spanish friend put my ride in his name when I bought it ... in fact, until I "legalized" my driving situation a year or so ago, it was in his name, registered to him and insured under his name for 7+ years ....  (good thing, for his sake, that I never got into an accident with it ... not only would the insurance be "null and void" because I couldn't legally operate the vehicle (although I've held and STILL hold a valid NJ Driver's licence for the past 25 years ...) but he would have/could have "lost his shirt" for it ...

Check out the Spanish "DMV" for more info:

http://www.dgt.es/portal/es/oficina_vir … %20España.

4.    I've never heard that 3 bedrooms in only 2 … that's strange.  I think you may have been misled.  It's also strange that you're seeing mostly furnished apts … that's normally not the case … on my street, and in my building, they've just rented 3 different apts … and none of the were furnished …. They will, however – and I believe by law, although not completely sure – have a fridge and stove at least … you might want to check me on that one …

5.    Keep the questions comin' if you got ‘em ….

Phone plans.  There are prepaid cards as well, quite common with the teens...and monthly plans and unlimited plans and and and, I swear they make it as difficult as possible.  What I can say is that I do find that my cell phone here is cheaper than the one I have in Canada, with similar plans.  Texting is more expensive, but I am past the age where that is a problem

ADSL is common.  Cable is not.  Most people still have antennas on their roofs and prefer it that way.  Don't ask, I don't get it either, but as we don't have a TV, I have never investigated it too closely.  Sadly this makes internet kind of expensive.  I have ADSL through telefonica (who are a pain to deal with, everyone complains) but the service is excellent.

Orange can provide it too, I have heard some good and some bad.  You will almost certainly need a phone line, but look into other options.  WiMax...I don't know what it is, sorry...three years living on a boat before three years living in Spain...some things I am not up to speed on.

You will probably find that the IT world here is not QUITE what you are used to.  (European websites generally suck)  I am going to be mangled on line for that, but it is kind of true.  Of course not THIS website which RULES big time (Hi Julien!!!)

There is plenty of traffic if you look at the right times, and it depends on where you are.  If I were you, I would get here, ride the metro for a bit, get the moto if you want, and if you feel the need, rent a car.  Try it for a while. There are also carshare companies that may work for you...pepe car has cheap rentals....

I personally HATE cars, and one of the things I ADORE about living here is that we are free of the beasts.  They are so much less necessary....honestly, try it!  You might adore it too!

Cheers

O

Thanks guys for the answers, this helps a lot!

So I see ADSL is probably the way to go - how long you usually wait until you get it? Days? Weeks? Months? Years?

Driver's license - lucky on this one, as I'm natively from Lithuania and since it is in EU, my license is valid and I (hopefully) won't be in that much of a trouble getting it. I do have only car category, no moto - so I'll have to get that.

Cell phone plans - I looked at Orange, while site makes more sense than Vodafone, the plans are still confusing:
I'm eyeing the "24h mini flat rate" for 30EU, this has 600 minutes, out of which 300 are to mobiles. There's some "call connection fee", 18ct, if you go over. Why, is this popular to charge for call connection? Interesting...
There're also something called "Modules", such as "My Numbers, My Preferred, Common" - any idea what's that?

SMS - doesn't look like this is included in the plan, not sure if I can add a "module" for so many SMSes or have unlimited.

Also, internet - there's "internet everywhere", but that seems to be only for laptops (PC card), and there's "I surf all day" plan, which seems to only include internet, but not calling.

Ugh.. Oh well, I'll figure it out when I get there...
question though - will they sell me a contract if I'm not "local" yet? In US they'd require a deposit of few 100's to keep for 6 months.


Here's my plan, tell me if this makes sense:
We're flying over sometime in mid-end January, and I'll have an apartment rented for a week (www.rent4days.com). During this time I'll review regular long-term apartments I'll have contacted while still in US. Once we find suitable apartment we'll rent it in a week from then and we're off to Lithuania for a week, while we wait for our goods to arrive in Barcelona in a container.
We'll be back at Barcelona just before the container arrives to unload and basically start living.

I'll be working at home and my girlfriend has a job lined up, so hopefully everything will go as planned.

To do in a week in Barcelona:
Rent an apartment; Obviously have to find one to be available in a week. Not sure if it's possible;
Get all utilities (electricity, whatever else needed);
Get internet hooked up;
Get cell phone plan (I'll bring my phone from here);
Get scooter (or not);

I think that's it...
Let me know if this makes sense. I'm especially concerned about the apartment availability part and internet part, since I do all my work online.

Thanks again guys.

MD

I am also a little concerned about the apartment availability part, it can take a while....there are temporary apartments if need be....

Internet hook up, once you finally get telefonica....they are actually pretty quick, we got next day service, though it took an age to get someone we could talk to (at that time my husband only spoke Catalan and English, telefonica only speaks Spanish unless you are really persistent and can ask for Catalan speakers in Spanish, and then wait)

Cell phone is pretty fast.  If your cell phone doesn't use a SIM card, as most N American ones DON'T, you'll have to get a new phone here.

I am the proud owner of 4 handsets.  Two here (I have a teenage daughter) and two Canadian ones.....

At the bank, before your papers are in order, you can get a bank account same day.  This will allow you to start to get things organised.  However, it is a different kind of bank account than you will have once you get your NIE and there are restrictions on it.  You can get a bank card within a few days.  They will be reluctant to give you a VISA card.

We use Caixa Penedès and really like it, it has very few bank charges and they are quite helpful.  At least our branch is.

Hope that helps!

O

Here's another question - what about health insurance? Is it state, private? How much does it cost? What does it cover?
More specifically, how about giving birth and child care? In US if you're insuring privately, there's waiting period for at least 9 months, i.e. you can't get pregnant and then get insurance.

More questions:
what about TV? Satellite, cable, regular antenna? Are there DVRs (Tivo-equivalents)?

All the regular utilities: water, gas, electricity - how do I usually go about it? Apartment owner will give me that info? I should know about it beforehand?

Thanks guys, this really helps a lot.

I have a few questions about moving to Barcelona....

A little background:

My mother is from Spain and I have never lived there.  A few years ago I found out I had a brother there who was adopted at birth. There was some change in the law that allowed people who were adopted to find their family and vice versa. My brother made contact with us and seven days later we were in Spain.  I have been there a few times to visit him and am now thinking about moving there. My brother used to live in a small town in Navarra (Villafranca) and it was never feasible for me to make the move. He has since moved to Barcelona.

I have dual citizenship ( I attained my Spanish citizenship when I found out about my brother) and can legally work in Spain.  The problem is, I have a law degree in the U.S. and don't know if it will transfer or if I can attend school for a small amount of time and be licensed there.  I also have a degree in Supply Chain Management and wonder how the work is. I have a mountain of debt (law school is damn expensive in the U.S.) and want to be able to pay it while I live in Spain.  How are the salaries?  I speak Spanish really well, do I have to know Catalan to get a job?

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

dami, there is state health insurance and it is excellent.  It is possible to buy private insurance as well and many do, we haven't.  I believe that as soon as you have a NIE you are fully covered. That said, I have been told that even illegals have the right to state covered health care, so.....  It is WAY better than the US from an accessibility perspective (I am Canadian, what to say about that.....SO political right now in the US)...

TV.  Don't have one, don't know.  There is some services you can pay for, whatever channel plays Barça you have to pay for.  There is satelite, I see the dishes, and most people have antennas...Ummmmm

You usually have to pay your own utilities. Like most large utilities they can be a pain, and will need to read meters, the agent/owners will know.  Hope I'm right on that one, but we had an apartment on day 1 and moved in on day 2, lights and water included.  The agent was a dream and set up the utilities for us.  I suspect this is not a typical experience.

cabrown2, OK, you have Spanish citizenship, which is definitely the first hurdle surmounted....

Legal groups...I know little about this, but I am google searching in Catalan to see what I can find for you:

http://www.icab.es/http://www.ajilc.cat/

I would say that the first is the one you want to direct your question to.  They have pages in Spanish as well. 

Sadly (my bias is showing) you do not need Catalan to work as a lawyer in Catalonia, so you will be just fine with Spanish only.  I imagine it would depend what type of law you are doing, and I imagine (with some certainty) that some coursework would be required as the laws are, of course, different.

Lawyers here are not paid anything like lawyers in Canada.  At least that is my experience...though I have never hired a lawyer for anything other than mundane wills and house purchase/sale, and I am making assumptions about what US lawyers make, though I imagine the coin is normally pretty good.

Hope that helps.  I would talk to the lawyers association, I think the first is best, and see what they say.

Hello everybody!

We just returned from a nice trip in Barcelona and we loved the apartment we stayed in. We were very happy with this apartments. So if you want to visit Barcelona and discover its secrets I strongly recommend a lovely and peaceful apartment please, visit www.private-homes.com

Alisa Gatignon

I'd recommend rent4days.com, they have much bigger choice for Barcelona as far as apartments go.

Another useful link if you're looking for jobs in Barcelona is: www.infojobs.com

I lived in Spain (Madrid and Barcelona) and must admit I found it very hard to get used to. Madrid was very different from Barcelona and the people were more open and friendly. But Spain overall, was not a positive experience for me.

I suggest anyone moving to another country may want to consider living there a few months 'on trial' before moving for good. It can be a very expensive experience to move permanently and then find it may not be for you.

Hi Julien

I am hopeing you may be able to help although apreciate this is ratehr random. I have aranged our veterans football team to tour Barcelona over the weekend of 20-22nd MAy this year. We have been trying to fix up a game on the saturday 21st May but struggling as it appears this is a big tournament weekend for veterans football in Barcelona so at the moment cannot get a game. I just wanted to know if you knew of any expat football teams, or companies who may want to play a freiendly game of football against a nice bunch of 40 plus guys on that Saturday. If you could point us is nht eright direction would be much appreciated.

thanks

Welcome on board Mike Crad

I think you are off-topic in this discussion. I will suggest you to start a new discussion, which will surely help you to get more reactions & responses.

Regards