Any Irish in Madrid/Spain?

lima

Hi,

I may have the opportunity to work in Spain (Madrid). I have been to Madrid a couple of times before and I realise that not many people speak English. As a complete non-Spanish speaker, do you think I would be ok working and finding my way around over there? What about getting somewhere to live? I'd be on a contract and would be on a reasonably good salary, but whats the cost of living like over there?

Any info would be much appreciated


:-)

Dardania

Just out of curiosity op, what industry would you be in?

lima

The industry I would be in would be Mobile Telecoms Engineering

no one is in Madrid then?

japanesebanana

Would like to know some on this myself! Heading in Feb for 5 months for a research visit. Don't speak Spanish, wondering about cost of rents etc

arch_stanton

Younger people speak more english than the older generations. Shopping, eating out, socialising etc. is pretty easy. Life gets trickier if you have to deal with typical middle aged "funcionario" (civil servant) or bank clerk. You should be able to manage day to day with basic spanish but to get the best experience try harder than Beckham did to learn the language.

The cost of living is relatively high for Spain but much lower than dublin. Local wages are much lower. Public transport in Madrid is excellent. You can get everywhere quickly, safely and cheaply on the metro and bus system. A single journey ticket is €1, 10 journey is €10 and a monthly pass is about €45. For the monthly pass you have to get an ID card with a photo from any tobacco shop. Tickets can be used on bus and metro. See www.emtmadrid.es and www.metromadrid.es for more info.

Rents vary depending on which area you go to. Many foreigners share apartments to save costs and to learn the language from locals. A 50msq apartment in a decent area will set you back between €600 and €800 a month. The best website to do some browsing is www.idealista.com. It's like the local version of daft.ie.

Rental periods are usually for a minimum of 1 year and if you have proper legal contract you can renew it automatically for up to 5 years. During that period they can only increase your rent by the official rate of inflation (IPC). Landlords will often ask you for an "aval bancario", especially if you're not spanish. It's a bank guarantee that they will get the rent. There are two types, if you have a relationship with the bank they can sign the agreement and you pay a monthly or quarterly fee, sort of like an insurance. In other cases the bank will instist that you lodge the value of an entire years rent in an account. If you go through an agency they will usually change you a month's rent plus VAT (known as IVA) commission.

Hopefully that gives you some idea. Madrid is a great city so I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Let me know if you have any more specific questions.

japanesebanana

That's great, thank you. Safety is my only other worry, really. I've heard blondes get hassled, is this true or just hyperbole?

arch_stanton

I've heard blondes get hassled, is this true or just hyperbole

Only when I'm around

I think that reputation comes from the 60's when foreigners first started to arrive for sun holidays. Madrid is quite international and there are plenty of blondes around. I've sometimes heard some of my friends complain about guys staring or the odd "hola guapa" type comment but I've never heard of any serious hassle.

Madrid is generally very safe. There is a problem in the big cities with pickpockets but violent muggings are very rare. In busy areas try not to look like a tourist. Don't wander about looking lost with a map and a camera. Avoid carrying valuables in backpacks. Mind you bag on the buses, metro, bars etc. Technically you should carry your passport in case the police ask you for ID but in practice that's not going to happen unless you're causing trouble. Maybe keep a photocopy in your wallet. You will need to show ID any time you use a credit/debit card in a shop. 99% of places will accept a drivers licence although I once had to convince the security guard in Carrefour that yes, Ireland is in Europe

japanesebanana

Haha! Cheers for that. So basically common sense, really. Just a little bit anxious as it's my first time living abroad on my own. Concerned about the language barrier but I have been taking a few classes and doing Rosetta Stone. I'm sure I'll be grand, it'll deffo be a shock to the system for the first couple of weeks.

What's the weather like in Feb? I know July and August are meant to be very hot, should hopefully be home by then though.

arch_stanton

It is a shock at first when you move from classes to the real world but it's the best way to learn. Don't worry, you´ll do fine, just avoid the temptation to hand around with english speaking people all the time.

While I'm preaching :-) , Madrid is full of Irish bars, don't spend your time here in them. They're fine now and again but you can do that at home. La Latina to the south of the Plaza Mayor is a good area for bars and tapas. The Malasaña area north of Gran Via is also a good area to go out. Around Sol and the Plaza Santa Ana are much more touristy.

The weather in Feb, March can be variable. Some years you can get days where it hits 20º in late February. If you're like me and you sun burn looking at other people's holiday photos it's possible to get a little pink around the edges on a sunny day from March onwards. Last year was unusually cold. A "typical" day in March would be between 12º-18º. It's unusual to get a long run of grey wet days but it does rain. Madrid is about 650 metres over sea level so in winter the temperature can drop quite a bit at night. Summer tends to hit with a bang around late May-early June when the temperatures can suddenly jump 10 -15º. July and August are very hot, although not humid. Air conditioning isn't as common as you might expect in private homes and it can be difficult to sleep if you're not used to it.

Tabnabs

If you're looking for Irish in Madrid, two words Madrid Harps. They do as much socialising as they do playing :pac:

japanesebanana

Left Mayo a few years ago to get away from the GAA thing!!

I see a Primark logo there, is there Penneys in Madrid? What other cheap shops are there, Ikea etc?

What's the best airline to fly with? I detest Ryan Air and would prefer to spend the extra few euro with Air lingus but they arrive in late in the evening. What's Iberia airlines like?

Thanks for all the info, excitement building, worries fading

arch_stanton

There's at least one Primark in a shopping centre in the outskirts called Plenilunio. That was the first to open but there may be more by now. It's not the easiest place to get to without a car.

There are 3 IKEAs, all again outside the city but you can get there by bus/metro and their delivery prices aren't too expensive so you don't need to drag a wardrobe home on your back.

As you would expect there are Zaras, Mangos and their sister shops on every corner. Their prices here are cheaper than back in Ireland.

Ryanair, Iberia and Aer Lingus all fly to Madrid from Dublin. There was a Ryanair flight from Shannon but they cut the route after a year. Of the three I prefer to fly with Iberia. So far they still include your baggage allowance in the standard fare. They let you check in 23kg and carry on 10kg which is pretty decent and they don't go around with tape measures checking your bag size down to the last millimetre. The price you see on the webpage is the final price with baggage, taxes, fees etc. included. If you book in advance and can be flexible with your dates you can get a return ticket from €95 and up.

Aer Lingus flight times don't suit me as well and by the time you add in the extras they are usually more expensive. That, and the fact that for most of 2010 they have given the impression of always being on the verge of a strike means I've avoided them.

Ryanair are what they are. Sometimes you can get a good deal, especially if you are making a short trip and can make do with cabin baggage only. The last time I travelled with them in october they went down the line at the boarding gate in Madrid and made everyone squeeze their bag into the little cage. The spanish are getting used to them now but I still laugh at the look of shock on people's faces when they try to check in with 3 x 30kg giant suitcases and after shouting match and much arm waving they step out of the queue and try to magically squeeze everything into the one bag.

japanesebanana

Legend. I'll go with Iberia so. Thanks you're a fountain of information, seriously helpful. What do you recommened regarding phones/contact with home? I'll probably get a laptop and set up skype anyways.

schween

Madrid is an incredible city, you should love it!

As already arch_stanton said, try your best to learn the language. Your life will be much easier. And brace yourself for the summer, they are very hot and long!

I have to say though that I've had a different experience with the airlines. I found that Ryanair and Aer Lingus have no difference in price really but Aer Lingus are nicer to fly with. I flew with Iberia twice, once to Barcelona, which was a nice trip. The other time was to Dublin which wasn't so nice. The flight was overbooked, the staff were very rude, I didn't once receive an apology, I had to wait for hours at Barajas and Heathrow when I was sent through there, they offered no food/phone calls, and when I complained after they ignored me several times until I complained to the Spanish air regulator. And usually I find Iberia to be much more expensive. Never again.

muffy

I am moving to Madrid in mid January for 6 months Erasmus, to study in Carlos III university in Getafe just outside the city. I have heard its better the get an apartment in the centre, better experience etc. Can anyone reccomend a good barrio for student living? Access to metro line 1 would be best, as have to get to Atocha to take the cercacina out to college. I like the sound of La Latina but its a bit off transport wise. Anyone think of any where good?!

nervous_twitch

I spent a few months in Madrid, and lived quite close to Atocha; just opposite the Legazpi metro stop. Like Dublin, central Madrid is relatively compact - I generally just walked everywhere, and you're never too far from any of the livelier night-time spots. Unlike Dublin, theres also a great metro system for the colder months. Tribunal was the student barrio when I was there.. lots of bars, clubs and cafes with a generally younger crowd. However, I'd imagine it could become a bit nightmarish to live there, as music/people just spilled on to the streets all night long.. if I were you, I'd go for somewhere closer to the park - the area around Anton Martin had a lot of cheap accommodation on offer when I was there, and was a stones throw away from Sol. Central Madrid is a pretty safe place.. the further you move away from it, into the peripheries, the dodgier it tends to be.. although no different from home I'm guessing.

30txsbzmcu2k9w

I'm moving there in 2 weeks to start a new job, dont know anyone either so if anybody fancies meeting up for as few beers dont hesitate to give me a shout

30txsbzmcu2k9w

actually this is a longshot but if anyone knows of a spare room to rent going in Madrid it'd save me a lot of trouble!