Living abroad tips and hints for money savers

donny-gal

DS

This might be useful for you to read re bank accounts.

http://www.nationwide.co.uk/current_account/bcob.htm

DG

droopsnout

Thanks, d-g.

"Our FlexAccount is only available if you are aged 16 or over and live in the UK"

LesD

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

Sorry i haven't replied before, we've only arrived back in Spain last night.

I don't know which road is the A92! Is it the one that goes through Jaen province near Granada airport?

Yep. That's the one. The airport is right alongside it.

I've done some Googling and it seems there may be an Eroski just off that road at Albolote before the airport. If so, I guess there'll be a restaurant in there. Do you know it?

I'm looking for somewhere for lunch near Granada as it's halfway to Seville.

arroli

Nice restaurant on A92, 2nd slip road past airport one..take Fuente Vaqueros, and immediately keep going straight ahead...Restaurant La Cruz on right hand side...
or further along A92, poss another 20km or so, service station Restaurant past Heuter Tajar slip road
or even further along, 30km or so..larger service station Restaurant/ Hotel (coaches use this one) past Loja slip road (orange sign La M.... cant recall name) but one on each side of motorway
or even further...50km or so, Restaurants at Riofrio...need to come off slip road and go underneath as on left hand side...specialities Fish Restaurants, very popular, also do menu del dia.

seven-day-weekend

LesD wrote: »

Yep. That's the one. The airport is right alongside it.

I've done some Googling and it seems there may be an Eroski just off that road at Albolote before the airport. If so, I guess there'll be a restaurant in there. Do you know it?

I'm looking for somewhere for lunch near Granada as it's halfway to Seville.

I'm sorry, we have only been along that road a couple of times, it is not near us at all (other side of the mountains) - but I'm sure there will be plenty of eating places along it as it is a major route.

There is a restaurant right next to the airport, just remembered!

Good luck and enjoy!

ceebeeby

Hi All,

I'm sorry to be weak and not search through all 116 pages, i've tried doing a general search, but this seems to be the best post for all things relating to living in Spain.

My parents stay in a small resort on the Mar Menor (close to Cartagena / Murcia), and are desperately seeking a reliable own home internet provider who is "cheap" having had their income dramatically slashed because of the poor E/£ exchange.

At one stage they were with BrightSky who have now gone bust, then they moved to Telefonica that worked out at E90 per month which was mad ....

What's your experience and recommendations?

Thanks so much for your advice

Ceebsx

donny-gal

Ok I am on the Orihuela Costa, but only from time to time. I have Telefonica, which you have to pay your monthly line rental regardless. I then use Europa for calls to the UK, it is about 1c to 1.5c per minute, and you just get a email invoice and direct debit for what you use, and if you don't then they don't charge (the months I am not here) They also give you a 0843 number from the UK so that anyone who cannot handle the options on here for calling abroad from the UK have an easy number - only works for BT lines, Used this for about 3 years now no problem, and if they have friends using it calls between them are free. I was using their 24-7 hours dial up for 14.96€ per month, but they have cut that to 30 hours only now. Telefonica do a 24-7 dial up for 22€ a month which you can switch on and off, however, I have just gone on ADSL with Telefonica 6mb for 20€ a month for 8 months (with free Spanish landline cals), with no contract so I can close it whenever I want but when I want to reconnect then have to look at what offers are on then. Do not use TelefonicainEnglish web site they add on for the priviledge. When you dial Telefonica 1004 wait for the message and then pres 1 to talk to someone in English. You will have to keep swopping and changing if they want ADSL cutting it off when the offer runs out going back to dial-up and then taking out another offer. It is dear when the deals run out, but you have to play them at their own games. I will leave my ADSL on while I am home for the next two months, and close it down when I leave next time mid-March.

Everyone offers you everything - loads of offers in the free papers, but you have to read the small print carefully. Unless they really need ADSL, I would suggest the 24-7 dial up with Telefonica.

Feel free to ask if you have any more questions, If they do decide to go with Europa, I wouldn't mind the recommendation fee. DG

seven-day-weekend

We have the Telefonica 22E a month 24-7 dial up with UK calls supplied by Spantel (we get about fourteen hour's worth for something like 11 euros a month).

We jsut paid for it when we were in the UK for five months; not very MSE I know, but thought it would be a hassle having it cut off and then put on again. (Also we did not originally intend to stay for five months!).

LesD

arroli wrote: »

Nice restaurant on A92, 2nd slip road past airport one..take Fuente Vaqueros, and immediately keep going straight ahead...Restaurant La Cruz on right hand side...
or further along A92, poss another 20km or so, service station Restaurant past Heuter Tajar slip road
or even further along, 30km or so..larger service station Restaurant/ Hotel (coaches use this one) past Loja slip road (orange sign La M.... cant recall name) but one on each side of motorway
or even further...50km or so, Restaurants at Riofrio...need to come off slip road and go underneath as on left hand side...specialities Fish Restaurants, very popular, also do menu del dia.

Should be able to get lunch from one of those!!! Many thanks.

EDIT: Have just checked Google and the Loja services looks the place - Manzanil.

gfplux

Just back from our London shopping trip.
Wow so exhausting.
While the ladies were busy I had a great time (for free) at the Victoria & Albert and the Natural History museums. I also had some time in the National Gallery. I also visited for the first time the cabinet War Rooms and Winston Churchill museum. This was fantastic and great value couple of hours for around £10.
We can also recommend Billy Elliot. This was a great show but a sign of the time it was not sold out.

Anyway to money matters.
I said I would report my attempt to open a Bank account with a foreign address.
I visited Barclay's 132 Kensington High Street. After a 10 minute wait I met with a customer adviser. I said I wanted to open a (free) current account purely to take advantage of their monthly saver deal (4.25%). I had with me my Passport, last months statement from my NatWest account. After going through a rather lengthy "financial analysis" and security questions I walked out with two accounts opened as I wanted. I had to pay in £5 at the counter to activate my current account and I would be setting up my standing order for the regular saver when I got home. The whole thing had taken about 1 hour 20 minutes. Every member of staff I met were extremely pleasant and the gentleman arranging appointments was so cheerful I found myself looking for camera's.
As I said I arrived home this weekend to find the post had already delivered my connect card, separate pin numbers for the card and to sign up to internet banking. I am now signed up and can see my £5 sitting in the account.