hi all , we are looking to move to spain in march but still havent decided on an area , the problem is we dont speak much spanish yet and i will be leaving my girl and 2 kids aged 2 and 4 for 2 weeks at a time to go to work , we are probably going to send the kids to a spanish school from other people?s experiences but my worry is my partner will feel isolated when i?m away , how easy are english people to find in spain and where are the best places to look at , we really want this to work but not speaking spanish is going to be our biggest downfall for now , any help would be greatly appreciated .  😊

due to flights and timetables the best airport for me to fly from is valencia , can anybody help me out on popular areas with british residents ???

P.S did i put my first post in the wrong section ?? i am new to the forum thing and am not great with computers .

Hello, we’re planning on moving to Spain in May. I also have 2 young children who will be 1 and nearly 3 by then. We’re planning on moving somewhere near the Girona area. Let me know where you end up if it’s anywhere close!

Orlena

Hi Paul,

According to Wikipedia 27% of the population of Spain speak English either as a first or second language so not being able to speak Spanish is not going to be your main challenge.

When living in the UK I worked abroad and left my wife and two children back in the UK in an area where my wife’s family were nearby, this was challenging enough. To leave your partner and two children in Spain for two weeks at a time needs very careful consideration and absolute commitment by both you and your partner. Your partner and children will miss their family and friends “back home”.

I believe you need to chose an area that has a permanent English speaking community and not a holiday resort area which could be like a ghost town in the off season months and crowded to the point of exasperation during the summer.

Most English speaking children do seem to adapt to the Spanish schools well and as a result learn to speak Spanish very quickly. Having said that some children do find the Spanish system difficult and I know families who have sent their children back to the UK for schooling!

Think very carefully about why you are doing this and don’t rush in.

orlena - 24 January 2011 04:35 PM

Hello, we’re planning on moving to Spain in May. I also have 2 young children who will be 1 and nearly 3 by then. We’re planning on moving somewhere near the Girona area. Let me know where you end up if it’s anywhere close!

Orlena

hi orlena , hope all goes well with your move , were going to view some properties in oliva and denia in a few weeks so will let you know how it goes .

paul

troglodita - 25 January 2011 11:45 PM

Hi Paul,

According to Wikipedia 27% of the population of Spain speak English either as a first or second language so not being able to speak Spanish is not going to be your main challenge.

When living in the UK I worked abroad and left my wife and two children back in the UK in an area where my wife’s family were nearby, this was challenging enough. To leave your partner and two children in Spain for two weeks at a time needs very careful consideration and absolute commitment by both you and your partner. Your partner and children will miss their family and friends “back home”.

I believe you need to chose an area that has a permanent English speaking community and not a holiday resort area which could be like a ghost town in the off season months and crowded to the point of exasperation during the summer.

Most English speaking children do seem to adapt to the Spanish schools well and as a result learn to speak Spanish very quickly. Having said that some children do find the Spanish system difficult and I know families who have sent their children back to the UK for schooling!

Think very carefully about why you are doing this and don’t rush in.

Hi les , thanks for the advice , we are looking at oliva at the moment as i know a couple of families who reside there permanently one dutch and one english , i am led to beleive its no benidorm but being coastal still has a good tourist industry but also has a good all year round population .

we have been planning this for over a year now and are now thinking stuff it ! if we dont try we’ll only regret it , were all learning a bit of spanish at the moment , and as for the schooling we plan on trying the kids in a state school in september but until then either go to spanish classes near oliva or hire a personal tutor , after 6 months of this hopefully the kids will be able to get by a little .

many thanks

Paul

Hi Paul,

OK it sounds like you have done your homework and have already got some contacts and ideas to get you started so you should be successful and I wish you all the very best in your new life.

Your children will adapt and learn very quickly and there are a lot of positives for children living in Spain, so go for it.

Regards

Les

Yes, good luck with house hunt, let us know how you get on although both miles from Girona!
O