We moved to Spain from the USA about 6 months ago, so all of my pleasure and pain experiences are still fresh. I am a USA national that has been married to a Spanish national for many years.
General comments:
1.) It will cost about 1 USD/pound to ship via USmail/UPS or moving company.
2.) Ship important personal items via UPS etc. The movers DO loose boxes and you will not know exactly what was in the lost box until you are looking for that specific item. Also, you can never put a price on that lost family photo album etc.
3.) Backup your computer with CD's or external hard disc.
4.) Leave all your 110v/60cycle electrical items (except lamps & computer) in the USA. Forget about the step down transformers etc.
5.) Buy 220V/50cycle electrical item (refrig, range, microwave, multisyc VCR etc.) in the USA and have them shipped over. I didn't and wow do I regret it. The price difference will more than cover the shipping.
6.) Spain operates on credit cards and cash, personal checks are not well received.
7.) If possible, while in the USA, open and account with a Spanish bank that has offices in the USA and Spain. Get a credit card. Your telephone and utilities WILL be charges directly to that account.
8.) You can't have too many copies (8 minimum) of your birth Certificate, passport, passport size photo, driver's license etc. Copies are cheap and easy to make here but you will be busy enough with other things to be wasting time going 3 blocks down the street to get a copy made.
9.) Immediately apply for a CORTE INGLES (department store) credit card. It will take a few weeks to receive it. Free parking in downtown of all cities. Plus a great store with a no hassle return policy (with a credit card). Your Spanish bank credit card will make things a lot faster for this.
10.) Call the local tourist office and find out where and when the local daily markets are (these are not flea markets). Check these out before you buy things retail. Fresh fruit & veggies plus real "new in box stuff" at fantastic prices i.e. Burberry/La costa/Polo shirts for $12/15 USD (2000/2500 pts).
11.) I didn't bring a car over and glad of it.
12.) Spain does not seem to have traffic laws instead it has traffic suggestions. Red lights, left turn lanes, no parking zones, speed limits etc. are all optional. Your best chance for on street parking is to try to double park at a no parking zone, but unless you arrive early all the double parking places will be taken.
13.) Watch out for the motor scooters. They don't even follow traffic suggestions.
14.) Don't expect to do anything before 10AM and between 2PM/4PM. Do expect any workman to be late and don't be surprised if Telefonica shows up at 8PM to put in your phone line (3 days after they promised to be there).
15.) Buy a cell phone immediately!!! They can be had for $50 and up. Also, the caller pays for the call not you.
16.) Join Rotary International, Masons etc. while still in the USA. Transferring a membership is a lot faster and easier that getting one in a strange land (sponsor, references, time at current address etc.). These clubs usually have a pretty good class of people and English is commonly spoken. You will enjoy being able to communicate with people.
17.) Get a copy of YOU AND THE LAW IN SPAIN BY DAVID SEARL, SANTANA BOOKS,ISBN:84-89954-16-X. Buy it now and start reading it.
18.) Buying a house/apartment. An amazing adventure that will cost you much more than you expected. Just because you are paying a "good lawyer" to handle all the the paper work do NOT assume all the paper work has been handled.
19.) They don't have breakfast here. Places that advertise "Fantastic Breakfast" means they 33 kinds of bread instead of the normal 13 types.
20.) Lunch is at 2PM. Best buys are Menu de Dia for 800 to 1200 pts. Dinner is at 9PM. Don't be put off by what you see from the street at any restaurant. It may only look like a bar but most of them have a very nice dining room upstairs or in the back. I would rate 95% of the places as "very good" to "outstanding." Can you imagine fresh roast suckling pig for lunch at a truck
stop?
21.) If you need a dish for TV try for SKY out of Britain. About 150,000 pts and you get CNN and Fox News 24/7.
22.) I have found Spanish police to be very friendly and helpful. Just like when you were a kid and Mom said "the policeman is your friend. My Spanish wife says "in the USA the police work for the government and in Spain they work for the people." If you really are a bad guy and act like a jerk, expect to get smacked in the mouth.
23.) Get your international drivers license just before you leave. It's good for 1 year. 24-50% of the cars in Spain are diesel.
25.) Prescription drugs are very inexpensive and don't usually require a prescription.
26.) Yes, we have no maple syrup, Lawry's Season Salt, Miracle Whip and sweet pickle relish.
Well, that's the tip of the iceberg. The people are great and I love it here.
