Hi everyone.

I’m looking to move out to Spain in August this year and was wandering if anyone could help me with a few questions:
To start with i’ll be looking to work in a touristy area as my Spanish needs work! Is it best to head South/North or inland in August?
I was considering the idea of working in the north for winter ski season and down south for the summer but I realize I’m going to be arriving in between these to seasons…

Any suggestions/tips would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Keith

Hi Keith,

Are you looking to work in just a small cafe type role, or are you looking for a more professional one in a restaurant or hotel?.

Hi Markk,

Either really, i’ve been working in restaurants in England for about 4 years now and just fancied moving away to gain more work/life experience. I’m pretty much prepared to work anyway as long as i can do some cooking!

Keith

Keith Turrell - 20 January 2009 08:13 PM

Hi everyone.
Is it best to head South/North or inland in August?
I was considering the idea of working in the north for winter ski season and down south for the summer but I realize I’m going to be arriving in between these to seasons…

Hi Keith, don’t head inland during August for work, as many Spanish businesses, including restaurants, close down for the holidays. You’ll also need Spanish inland.  One of the busiest ski areas is in fact right down in the South, in the Sierra Nevada, so you could split work between a ski resort and the Costa Tropical, for example, with just an hour’s travel in between.  Wherever you go you really do need the language, the only possible exceptions being the really high ex-pat concentration areas of the Costas Blanca, del Sol and maybe Brava, but even there, a lack of Spanish will prevent you from working in the majority Spanish-owned kitchens.  Are you into learning about exciting, cutting-edge Spanish cuisine?  It’s got to be the Basque Country, Catalonia or maybe Madrid if that’s what you’re after.

Good luck, or mucha suerte, rather.

Hi MartCross,
Thanks for the info. I did Spanish for GCSE so have got a basic understanding of the language and look forward to building on that as well as my cooking. I don’t wnat to focus too hard on working in predominantly English areas of Spain as that defies the point of moving, however I thought it might be a good stepping stone. My only worry is if there is gonna be much work in the south from August onwards.
Working at a ski resort would be ideal over winter and then maybe look at moving onto the coast in the summer, or possibly Madrid/Barcalona once my Spanish has improved.

When is the main season for the ski resorts?
Keith

The ski season in Sierra Nevada this year started early, in mid November, and it goes on until about March.  Down here it’s been getting longer over the last few years.  Don’t know much about the Pyrenees, sorry.