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Knowing Siges A City For Expat Relocation

Sun, 26 Apr 2020 19:15:51 GMT

Sitges, a city about 35 kilometres south- west of Barcelona, is a very popular tourist destination. It is known worldwide for its beaches, nightspots and historical sites, as well as its annual Film Festival and Carnival. Many expatriate families live in Sitges’ residential districts of Vallpineda, La Levantina, Quint Mar and Rocamar.

"Sitges" brand

"Who doesn't know Sitges? Its Punta, the sweet Sirena, its beaches? Its visitors will not be indifferent to the values that this town exports; it must be that it has its own personality." Sitges has a tourist brand positioned in the European market that makes it known as a destination throughout the year, which is why it will not be uncommon to find a permanent floating population of visitors during all months.

Congress villa

The segment of visitors who find in Sitges spaces and resources for the organization of conferences, business meetings and all kinds of celebrations is quite significant and many of the hotels offer large rooms and fully equipped auditoriums.

Culture and beach tourism

Sitges is synonymous with culture and is synonymous with sun and beach. The cultural movements of the last century have left a magnificent architectural, pictorial, etc. legacy. which is one of the goals of visitors. Walking along Carrer d'en Bosc guessing the old walls of Sitges Castle and then going up to Racó de la Calma to end up visiting what had been the house-workshop of the universal painter Santiago Rusiñol, is surely one of the most valuable short itineraries of the cultural offer.

At the same time, the Sitges coastline offers a few kilometers of beaches and coves that are the delight of many visitors in the summer months. From Les Botigues or Garraf beach to Cala de l'Home mort, from north to south, we have a wide range of beaches with the most diverse locations and panoramic views.

Hotels and restaurants

Spending Sitges nights in any of the hotels or restaurants in front of the Passeig de la Ribera will be one of the luxuries to remember, but it will be in almost all the establishments in the town where we can get a good impression and a good meal!

Special mention given the large and varied offer of nightclubs, including terraces, bars and nightclubs, some of them atmospheric. You will almost have to go down Carrer del Pecat to get an idea of the "move".

The shops

The commercial offer has its own personality with an abundance of family businesses and establishments of small firms, many dedicated to fashion, and which form a central pedestrian axis that crosses much of the town.

Sports and leisure in Barcelona for Expat Relocation

Wed, 22 Apr 2020 01:20:26 GMT

Public sports and fitness centres

Several Barcelona districts have their own public sports and fitness centres (centre esportiu). They are well maintained and equipped with indoor and/or outdoor swimming pools, fitness and exercise equipment and facilities for a variety of sports. They also offer a wide range of activities for adults and children at very competitive prices.

Private sports and fitness clubs

A number of private sports and fitness clubs are also available in Barcelona. They range from small clubs to large interna- tional franchises and offer various sport, exercise and spa facilities and fitness programmes.

Football

Football is by far the most important sport in Spain. The football season starts in September and ends in May, and during this period hundreds of thousands of Span- iards flock to stadiums to watch Spanish football league games, with millions more watching them on television and listening to commentaries on the radio.

Spain became football world champions for the first time in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and are also the current European champions, having won again in 2012 the title they first won in 2008.

The country also boasts some of the best football clubs in Europe, one of them being Barcelona’s own Fútbol Club Barcelona, known familiarly to fans as “el Barça”.

FC Barcelona holds a long-standing rivalry with Real Madrid and matches between the two teams are much-anticipated events.

Any triumph of FC Barcelona is cause for citywide celebration, complete with fireworks, honking cars and rowdy street parties.

Barcelona’s other first-division club is RCD Espanyol, the sixth most successful football team in Spain. The team currently plays in the Cornella-El Prat Stadium, which was inaugurated in 2009.

Other sports

Golf

Barcelona has several good golf courses located near the city, near Sant Cugat and Castelldefels and in the countryside of the Costa Brava.

Skiing

The Pyrenees offer ski enthusiasts plenty of snow and blue skies many days of the year. Barcelona skiers head to ski resorts in the Spanish Pyrenees, many of which are connected to Barcelona by RENFE and FGC train links. Andorra is also a popular ski destination among locals. A two-hour drive will take you to the nearest French ski resort.

Sailing and water sports

The beaches of Barcelona and its sur- rounding areas are home to several nautical and yacht clubs offering boat rentals, sailing lessons and a variety of water sports.

Corridas de toros

In a landmark vote, the Catalan Parliament passed a law banning bullfighting in Catalonia which came into force on 1 January 2012.

The vote was brought to the agenda by a petition (Popular Legislative Initiative) signed by 180,000 people. The deci sion sparked controversy throughout the country and a debate between animal rights activists and bullfight supporters.

Social interaction and business networking for Expats in Barcelona

Wed, 22 Apr 2020 01:11:54 GMT

Barcelona is a diverse and multicultural city with a large and active expatriate community of 150 different nationalities.

Around 18% of the city’s population is composed of its thriving foreign commu- nity. Barcelona’s openness and hospitality attract people from all over the world, many of whom decide to stay. This is thanks to the city’s cosmopolitan atmosphere and the exceptional quality of life and outstanding career opportunities it offers.

One way to get involved in the international community is to join one of the many expatriate clubs and organisations that have been formed in Barcelona. These associations regularly organize a wide variety of events for both social interaction and business networking. These events and activities can connect you with fellow expatriates who can give you information and tips about life in your new home.

Chambers of commerce organise seminars and conferences and provide busi- ness people with networking opportunities.

Social groups, networking sites and forums are widely available on the Internet. They offer help and information in English and other languages, as well as opportunities to meet new people.

Practical information about Barcelona for Expat Relocation

Wed, 22 Apr 2020 01:05:27 GMT

Addresses format

The standard address format begins with the street name and number, followed by the floor number and the flat or unit number. For example, the address Carrer d’Aragó 137, 2N 3r corresponds to flat number 3 on the second floor of building 137 on Aragó street.

In Spain, the ground floor is either marked 0 or PB (planta baja in Spanish and planta baixa in Catalan). Ground-floor flats are usually called bajos in Spanish and baixos in Catalan, often abbreviated bjos/bxs. Some buildings also have a mezzanine (entresuelo or entresòl, entl), which is one floor up from the ground floor. One floor above this is the principal (pral). Successive floors are then marked 1, 2, etc. Negative numbers are used

for floors below ground. The topmost floor is commonly called an ático in Spanish and àtic in Catalan.

Local time

Local time in the Spanish peninsula is one hour ahead of GMT, six hours ahead of US Eastern Standard Time and nine hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time. When it is 6:00 p.m. in Barcelona, it is 5:00 p.m. in London and noon in New York.

Spain, like the rest of Europe, observes Summer Time. Clocks go forward one hour on the last Sunday in March and go back- ward one hour on the last one in October. This time change takes place simultane- ously in all EU member states.

Mealtimes

Spaniards tend to eat later than other Europeans.

They usually have a light breakfast of fruit juice, coffee and a pastry or sandwich between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m.

Lunch is between 2:00 and 3:00 pm.

Dinner starts between 9:00 and 10:00 p.m.

Opening times and working hours

Most establishments are open from Monday to Saturday and are closed on Sundays. They open between 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. and close between 1:00 and 2:00 p.m. They then reopen between 4:30 and 5:00 p.m. and close between 8:00 and 9:00 p.m.

Markets open earlier, between 7:00 and 8:00 a.m.

Smaller shops close by 2:00 or 3:00 p.m.

Some shops do not open on Saturday afternoons.

Major shopping centres and a growing number of shops open all day, from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. from Monday to Satur- day. A few shops and shopping centres are open on Sundays and holidays, mostly around Christmas.

In summer, many restaurants and shops close for all or part of August. Many busi- nesses adopt a different work schedule from June to September, usually from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The typical work day starts between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m. Workers usually go on break at 1:30 or 2:00 p.m. Work starts again between 3:00 and 4:00 p.m. and finishes between 6:00 and 7:30 p.m. Many workers also enjoy a shortened work schedule from June to September.

Postal services

Correos (Sociedad Estatal de Correos y Telégrafos) is the national postal service of Spain. Through Correos, you can send letters, documents, telegrams, faxes and parcels. You can even send money by postal order or through Western Union. Correos also offers national and international ex- press delivery services and an online track- ing system.

The main post office in Barcelona is on Plaça d’Antoni López, at the end of Via Lai- etana near Barceloneta and Port Vell. Here you can buy stamps, send letters and par- cels, and ask for a post office box. It is open from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. from Monday to Friday and from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturdays. It is closed on Sundays.

There are numerous post offices through- out Barcelona, all with a distinctive yellow sign. Be aware that not all post offices have the same opening times, so be sure to check the Correos website for this information.

You can also buy stamps at tobacconists (see the Tobacconists section) and drop your mail in one of the yellow post boxes found all around the city.

Tipping

Restaurants are required by law to include service charges in their menu prices. There is no expected rate for tips. Most people leave small change if they are satisfied with service.

It is also customary to tip hotel porters and washroom attendants. Five percent is the usual tip for taxi drivers, more for longer journeys and if the driver helped with your luggage.

Tobacconists

Tobacconist shops (estanc) are identified by a brown and yellow sign with the words Tabacos or Tabacs. Considered a Spanish institution, tobacconists not only sell to- bacco, cigarettes and smoking articles but also postage stamps and many official gov- ernment forms for minor bureaucratic pro- cedures. They also sell sweets, postcards, public transport cards and phone cards.

Holidays in Barcelona

Wed, 22 Apr 2020 00:47:10 GMT

Spain has both public and religious holidays. Some are celebrated nationwide while others are celebrated only in Catalonia or in Barcelona.

1 January — Any Nou* / New Year’s Day
6 January — Dia de Reis* / Epiphany
March-April (movable) — Divendres Sant* / Good Friday
March-April (movable) — Dilluns de Pasqua**/ Easter Monday
1 May — Dia del Treball* / Labour Day
May (movable) — Pasqua Granada*** / Pentecost Monday
24 June — Sant Joan** / Feast Day of St. John
15 August — L’Assumpció* / The Assumption
11 September — Diada Nacional de Catalunya**/ Catalan National Day
24 September — Festa de la Mercè*** / La Mercè Festival
12 October — Dia de la Hispanitat* / Span- ish National Day
1 November — Tots Sants* / All Saints’ Day
6 December — Dia de la Constitució* / Constitution Day
8 December — La Immaculada* / Immacu- late Conception
25 December — Nadal* / Christmas Day
26 December — Sant Esteve** / Feast Day of St. Stephen

* National holiday

** Regional holiday (Catalonia only)

*** Local holiday (Barcelona only)

Dia dels Reis

On the night of 5 January, Spanish towns and cities hold a Three Kings Procession. In Barcelona, the Three Kings, Melchior, Gaspar

and Balthazar, arrive by boat and are formally welcomed by the mayor. They parade in the streets of Barcelona in a magnificent, five- kilometre procession called the Cavalcada. The Three Kings distribute sweets and pre- sents to both young and old, accompanied by costumed characters and dancers with their elaborate floats and carriages.

Diada de Sant Jordi

St. George, locally known as Sant Jordi, is the patron saint of Catalonia. Catalans celebrate his feast day on 23 April by exchanging books and roses. On this day, Barcelona’s main shopping streets are filled with book and flower stalls decorated with the Catalan colours of red and yellow.

Despite the importance of this day all over Catalonia, it is not a public holiday.

Revetlla de Sant Joan

On 23 June, the eve of the Feast Day of St. John, Catalans celebrate the summer solstice with bonfires, fireworks and a tra- ditional pastry called coca de Sant Joan.

La Diada

This holiday commemorates the fall of Barcelona to the Bourbon troops during the War of the Spanish Succession on 11 September 1714 after a siege lasting 14 months. The Catalan Parliament declared 11 September to be a Catalan national holiday and on that day events are organised in the streets and the Catalans display flags on their balconies.

La Mercè Festival

Locals celebrate the feast day of Barcelona’s patroness on 24 September with a large street party. Highlights include the Correfoc or Fire Run, featuring costumed devils and fire-breathing dragons, and the fireworks display near the Montjuïc fountain.

New year’s Eve

Spaniards usually celebrate New Year’s Eve or Cap d’any by going out and party- ing. At midnight, they wait for the twelve strokes that mark the beginning of the New Year. They eat one grape at each stroke to bring luck for every month of the year. Since 2013 Barcelona has celebrated New Year’s Eve with a show featuring L’Ésser del Mil•lenni (The Millennium Soul) devised by the Fura dels Baus and which combines music, water and fire.

Waste management

Wed, 22 Apr 2020 00:33:02 GMT

Bins sited throughout the city enable easy and accessible separate waste collection. There are bins for organic waste (brown), glass (green), packaging, plastic and cans (yellow), cardboard and paper (blue) and other waste (grey). Waste separation is rounded off with a number of green point recycling centres (perma- nent facilities in each district and mobile ones). Other types of waste require specific handling: furniture and junk

are collected from the street one day a week, depending on the street, while the city also has special bins for used cloth- ing and collection systems for debris and asbestos cement.

Barcelona currently has three different types of waste collection:

- Bin system, the most widespread in the city’s various neighbourhoods

- Pneumatic system, cleaner and used in Gràcia, Vila Olímpica and Diagonal Mar

- Door to door system, especially in the historic centre as their streets are too narrow for bins and rubbish collection vehicles.

Best metropolitan area, surrounding towns and cities for Expat Relocation

Wed, 22 Apr 2020 00:09:27 GMT

Castelldefels

The history of Castelldefels can be traced back to the year 911. Its castle was built in the Middle Ages, as well as the towers of the original city wall, which can be found today in the city centre.

Castelldefels is 20 minutes away from the city centre and 10 minutes from the airport, taking either the C-246 or the A-16 motorways. The public transporta tion system is excellent, with both buses and trains to Barcelona leaving every 20 minutes from several locations throughout the area.

Bordered by a mile-long sandy beach to the east and hills to the west, Castelldefels has a mild climate. A favourite spot for tourists, it has many restaurants serving a variety of cuisines and a number of good hotels.

Castelldefels is attractive to people who like living near the sea and to families whose children go to the British school and french Bon Soleil, which are located in the area.

Gavá

The town of Gavà boasts four kilometres of coastline frequented by beach lovers and the mountains of Garraf Natural Park. It is one of the biggest municipalities in the Baix Llobregat area. It is located 15 kilometres from Barcelona and 10 kilome- tres from the international airport, and can be reached by bus, train and car. It is connected to Barcelona by the C-32 and C-246 motorways.

Sitges

Congress villa:

Culture and beach tourism

Hotels and restaurants

The shops

Sant Just Desvern - Esplugues De Llobregat

They are municipalities in the Baix Llobregat region of the Barcelona metropolitan area. They are located south of Barcelona, just 15 minutes by car to the city centre.

Sant Just and Esplugues are quiet residential areas with vast green spaces and great views of the sea and the city of Barcelona. Many of the properties here are recently constructed apartments and houses with swimming pools. It is also possible to find detached, single-family homes in this area. It has all the essential commercial and public services.

Esplugues is home to the American and German schools and is thus very popular with German and American residents.

Sant Cugat - Vallés Occidental

Sant Cugat is a town in the Vallès Oc- cidental area, just 12 kilometres away from Barcelona. Its strategic location and excellent transport links to the city allows many of its residents to live in Sant Cugat and work in Barcelona. Although it has grown in size and population, Sant Cugat has managed to preserve the essence of a quiet town, and its residents enjoy a high quality of life.

Sant Cugat offers new condominiums with common areas, swimming pools and gardens. Here it is also possible to find detached, single-family homes. This and the town’s quiet, family-oriented atmosphere appeal to many expatriate families.

Sant Cugat has different residential areas, all well connected to each other and the city centre by buses and FGC stations. Larger flats and houses can be found in the Eixample area, an older residential part of town, and in Golf-Can Trabal, a residential zone of the town’s Golf Club.

Parc Central-Turó de Can Mates and Coll Favà-Volpelleres are Sant Cugat’s newest residential areas. Parc Central and Coll Favà are the closest to the city centre. In all these zones you can find flats with communal areas and to a lesser extent terraced houses.

Other residential areas include Valldoreix and Mirasol, which were originally sum- mer vacation destinations of Barcelona residents.

Other municipalities in Vallès Occidental also offer attractive housing options. Bellaterra, in the municipality of Cerdanyola del Vallès, is home to the campus of the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB).

El Maresme

El Maresme is a county (comarca) located along the coast, between the Mediterra- nean Sea and Catalonia’s coastal hills and bordering Vallès Oriental to the west. It has over 400,000 residents, 100,000 of which live in the capital and largest city, Mataró.

El Maresme is well connected to Barce- lona by the old Royal Way (Camí Ral), now the N-II main road, and by the Barcelona- Mataró railway, which was the first ever on the Iberian Peninsula when it was finished in 1848. More recent constructions are the Barcelona-Mataró section of the C-32, the first motorway in Spain, and its subsequent enlargement, the Mataró-Palafolls section.

El Maresme features long sandy beaches and beautiful hills. Its main sources of income are its vineyards, its textile and fishing industries, and tourism. Its tourist spots and residential areas are well equipped with hotels, restaurants, camping and leisure areas and sports facilities.

Best neighborhoods for Expat Relocation in Barcelona

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 23:38:09 GMT

Barcelona is divided into ten administrative districts, each one with its own district coun- cil. These districts are Ciutat Vella, Eixample, Gracia, Horta-Guinardo, Les Corts, Nou Bar- ris, Sant Andreu, Sant Marti, Sants-Montjuic and Sarria-Sant Gervasi. These districts are subdivided into neighbourhoods or barris.

The following is a brief overview of the most popular neighbourhoods of Barcelona.

Barri Gotic - El Born

Ciutat Vella, meaning Old City, is the historic centre of Barcelona. This district, with its Roman, Medieval and Gothic architecture, narrow, winding streets and intriguing mix of old and new, is a magnet for tourists and locals alike. El Born and the Barri Gòtic or Gothic Quarter stand out as the most interesting neighbour- hoods in the district.

The Gothic Quarter holds the remnants of Barcelona’s Roman past. Its main attractions are the magnificent Barcelona Ca thedral, Plaça Sant Jaume and its beautiful government buildings, the buzzing nightlife in and around Carrer de Ferran and Plaça Reial, and the interesting shops in the com- mercial area of Portal de l’Àngel. The area also features two of the best food markets of the city, Boqueria and Santa Caterina.

Nearby is La Rambla, at the top of which is Plaça Catalunya. The neighbourhood is a short walk from Barcelona’s other attrac- tions and has excellent public transport links to other parts of the city.

El Born, once a medieval trading venue, is now one of the most fashionable areas of Barcelona. It is known for its vibrant nightlife and excellent shopping. It is also home to the famous Santa Maria del Mar Cathedral and the Picasso Museum. El

Born is located between Via Laietana and Barceloneta and is served by the Metro stops Barceloneta and Jaume I on Line 4. It is a ten-minute walk from La Rambla and from the beach. Parc de Ciutadella and the Barcelona Zoo are also nearby.

Ciutat Vella is a trendy district that draws a hip, youthful crowd. Many of the build- ings in this area have been renovated and turned into rental apartments, which have become popular among young local pro- fessionals, expatriates and tourists.

Eixample

The Eixample neighbourhood is by far the largest in Barcelona. It stretches from Plaça Espanya to Plaça de les Glories

Catalanes and from Ciutat Vella to Gràcia. The whole area is set out in a grid, with each block having an inner courtyard. This grid design, a masterpiece of 19th-century Catalan urban planner Ildefons Cerda, makes it very easy to find one’s way in the neighbourhood.

The Eixample contains the largest con- centration of modernist architecture in Europe. It is also the economic and

commercial hub of Barcelona and a high- class residential neighbourhood. Passeig de Gràcia, home to most of Barcelona’s exclusive designer shops and restaurants, is at the heart of the Eixample, and di- vides it into two: Left Eixample (Eixample Esquerra) and Right Eixample (Eixample Dreta). Also on this boulevard are two of Antoni Gaudí’s most iconic buildings: Casa Batlló and Casa Milà.

In the Eixample, one can find spacious apartments with high ceilings, inside elegant Catalan Modernist buildings with long corridors and elaborate facades. The inner courtyards in each block give most buildings a natural source of light both in front and behind.

This neighbourhood is very central and has excellent transport links to the rest of the city. It appeals to residents of all age groups.

Gracia for Expats

Gràcia is just off the upper end of Passeig de Gràcia, but when entering one feels like leaving Barcelona and going into a whole dif- ferent world. Gràcia was in fact an independ- ent village that was absorbed by Barcelona in 1897.

Gràcia has a network of narrow streets and charming bench-lined squares. It is home to sidewalk cafes and bistros, low-key night- spots, alternative theatres and quirky shops that draw a youthful clientele. Yet behind its trendy, bohemian character lies a traditional neighbourhood of proud, elderly locals.

A Metro line runs through the heart of the neighbourhood.

Poblenou

Poblenou was a traditional industrial area of Barcelona that is now rapidly being transformed through the 22@ project into the new Barcelona’s technological and innovation district.

22@ is creating a diverse and balanced environment in which the most innovative companies exist alongside research and technology-transfer centres, together with housing and green areas.

Its closeness to the beach makes it attrac tive for new housing complexes, and it is now starting to attract local and interna- tional businesses. It may be hard to find parking in this area during the day when it is buzzing with business activity, but at night some streets are not so busy.

Many of Poblenou’s old warehouse build- ings have been converted into trendy lofts and studios.

The Rambla del Poblenou adds a unique, local character to this neighbourhood, retaining a village appeal with a great selection of shops, markets, bars and restaurants.

Diagonal Mar for expats

This newly developed area by the sea is part of the construction boom of the previ- ous decade and of a strategic regeneration of the city’s seafront. The wide streets and avenues are lined with numerous high-rise, condominium-style apartment buildings, as well as lower walk-up complexes with com- munity areas and swimming pools.

Diagonal Mar has a large shopping centre and several 4-star hotels. Many of the apart-ments in this zone are rented out to the employees of the multinational companies that have set up offices in the nearby area.

Vila Olimpica for Expats

This was the site of the Olympic Village of the 1992 Games held in Barcelona and is very close the Port Olímpic and beaches. After the Olympics, the area’s buildings were transformed into apartments, and the whole area was renovated to accom modate gardens, terraces and community areas. New buildings were constructed in the surrounding areas along Avinguda d’Icària and Carrer de la Marina.

Vila Olímpica is well connected to the rest of the city by metro, tram and bus services. It is also within walking distance of Parc de la Ciutadella, the Barcelona Zoo and the Poblenou neighbourhood. It has a modern shopping centre with a supermarket and movie theatres playing movies in their original version.

Pedralbes

Pedralbes is a quiet, exclusive residential area with luxury buildings and wide green spaces. Some developments have private gardens and swimming pools. This neighbourhood also houses many of the city’s international and private schools and the ESADE and IESE business schools.

The area has easy access to motorways and the airport and is fairly well served by buses going to the city centre.

Sant Gervasi for Expats

Sant Gervasi, at the foot of Tibidabo hill, is another quiet, upmarket residential area. It has a distinguished history, being the site of the Bellesguard, built by King Martin I at the beginning of the 15th century and completely refurbished by Antoni Gaudí in the early 20TH century. Spacious second homes and Catalan Modernist houses remain, as well as many convents and religious schools. Gaudí’s Les Teresianes convent is particularly remarkable. The neighbourhood also boasts the beauti- ful hilltop parks of Monterols and El Putxet, which command good views over Barcelona.

The neighbourhood has a great community atmosphere and is very popular with Barce- lona families. It also offers a good selection of shops and restaurants.

Sant Gervasi is 10-15 minutes by car from the city centre. It is also connected to the centre by Line 7 of the Ferrocarril de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) railway.

Les Corts for Expats

Les Corts is a neighbourhood with a very heterogeneous urban fabric, as it combines buildings from 1800 and 1900 with more modern constructions.

It corresponds to the oldest and most central area of the old municipality of Les Corts which was incorporated into Barcelona in 1897.

In the highest part, situated above Avinguda Diagonal, Neolithic and Iberian remains were found as well as a Roman necropolis.

Turó Parc

This area features properties that overlook Turó Parc, one of Barcelona’s most beautiful green spaces.

Excellent shops and restaurants are close by in the commercial areas of Pau Casals, Plaça Francesc Macià and Avinguda Diagonal.

Sarriá

Sarrià, a charming old neighbourhood at the foot of the Collserola hills, has an historic quarter that has preserved most of its original personality. Sarrià, like Gràcia, was once an independent town, hence its unique village appeal.

The neighbourhood’s two FGC (Catalan railway) stations, Reina Elisenda and Sarrià, make getting to the city centre quite easy.

Short term accommodation for Expat Relocation

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 22:49:15 GMT

Newcomers who wish to book short-term accommodation in Barcelona to allow themselves time to search for a more permanent home will find a wealth of options in the city. However, Barcelona’s popularity as a destination for short breaks and the many international events regularly hosted by the city give it a hotel occupancy rate of 75-85%, one of the highest in Europe. It is therefore advisable that you arrange your short-term accommodation at least two to three months before your arrival, so you can have more choices and get cheaper rates.

Hotels for expat short term accommodation

The robust growth in demand experienced by Barcelona’s hotel sector has been met by numerous new hotel developments. The city now offers a wide range of hotels to suit all tastes and budgets, from five-star luxury properties to midrange accommo- dation.

The local market is mainly dominated by domestic hotel chains and independent hotels, although there is some presence from international operators. You can choose from large, full-service, globally branded hotels right through to smaller, cosier, individually-owned boutique hotels. There is a broad selection of hotels in the lively city centre and beachside areas, as well as in quieter residential zones.

Budget hotels and guesthouses for Expats

This type of accommodation is called a pensió or hostal in Catalan. A hostal should not be confused with a hostel, which is a kind of communal accommo- dation offered mostly to young people, referred to as an alberg juvenil in Catalan. A hostal is very similar to a hotel, but is smaller and more informal. Hostals tend to be family-run businesses. They are not categorized by the 5-star hotel rating but instead have their own 3-star rating system. They provide quality accommodation at a much lower price, although they offer fewer facilities and services and generally lack Internet reservations or booking sites.

Serviced and self catered apartments for Expats

These are fully furnished and equipped apartments available for short-term or long-term stays. They usually provide cooking facilities and all the modern conveniences of home. Serviced apartments come with daily or weekly cleaning services, while in self-catered apartments such services are optional and are charged separately.

They range in size from one-room studios to 2-3 bedroom apartments. This type of accommodation is ideal for families and large groups. The main advantages of staying in an apartment are privacy, more space and the cost savings associated with cooking one’s own meals.

Aparthotels for Expats

Aparthotels combine the flexibility of apartment living with hotel comforts. Like serviced and self-catered apart- ments, aparthotel suites feature en-suite bathrooms, fully fitted kitchens and living areas. But in addition to these internal facilities, they also offer typical hotel services such as restaurants and bars, concierge assistance, in-house maintenance and laundry services.

Catalan culture for Expat Relocation in Barcelona

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 22:34:27 GMT

Catalan society has a long tradition of autonomy and cultural uniqueness. In Spain, the Catalan people are known for their motivation and commitment to work, values rooted in a strong mercantile tradition. They can also be perceived as serious and reserved, but this should never be interpreted as unfriendliness but rather a clearer division between professional and personal relationships. Catalans, serious as they are in business affairs, are at their most extroverted and lively when sur- rounded by family and friends. Catalans are Spanish in their vitality and zest for life, and for all the importance they place on hard work, they always put social and family life first. With just the right amount of respect and amiability, you will have no trouble at all finding pleasant colleagues, good neighbours and even lifelong friends among Barcelona’s locals.

Barcelona is a multilingual city with two official languages. Here as in the rest of Catalonia, Spanish shares co-official status with Catalan, the language of Catalonia. The Catalan language is a cherished, indispensable part of Catalan identity and culture, and it will surely play an important role in your everyday life in Barcelona.

Most locals, especially those living in urban areas such as Barcelona, can be consid- ered balanced bilinguals. This means that they can switch between Catalan and Spanish with little to no effort. In fact, many Catalans instinctively speak to foreigners in Spanish. In addition, a part of Barcelona’s population is composed of immigrants or descendants of immigrants from other parts of Spain who consider Spanish their mother tongue and home language. Spanish is widely used in Barce- lona, in the home, in the street and in the media, and if you speak the language you can communicate with the locals as soon as you arrive.

The importance of the Catalan language in all areas of Catalan life is undeniable. A large number of Catalan families exclusively speak Catalan in the home and consider it their language of identity. Catalan is the language of instruction in schools in Catalonia, where Spanish and a foreign language, usually English, are also taught. In the region’s universities, although teach- ing is conducted in both Spanish and Catalan, the latter is adopted as institutional language and is thus used in administrative affairs. Local government bodies and institutions also conduct business in Catalan. In Barcelona and the rest of Catalonia, commercial signage is mostly in Catalan, and street, town and city names are always in this language. For anyone planning to live in Barcelona, learning at least a little Catalan is highly recommended.

The good news is that Catalan, like Spanish, is a Romance language. Given the close proximity between these related lan- guages, if you speak Spanish (or French or Italian or any other language in the family) you are already one step ahead in learning Catalan. Apart from this, the Catalan gov- ernment and many of its universities and institutions offer free introductory courses as well as Internet learning resources. When you get to Barcelona or even before you arrive, there are a number of ways for you to learn Catalan.

The presence of a regional language is just another feature that makes the cultural tapestry of Barcelona richer and more colourful. Knowledge of Catalan, though by no means required, will make your inte- gration into Catalan society easier. It can also open new doors in your professional, business, social and personal life, enrich your living experience in Barcelona, and enable you to enjoy a rich, diverse cultural and leisure offering that reflects the city’s two-thousand-year old history.

Introduction to Barcelona for Expat Relocation

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 22:22:14 GMT

Esto es un subtítulo para su nueva entrada

Barcelona is the economic, cultural and administrative capital of Catalonia and one of Spain’s 17 regions. Catalonia is located in the north-east of the Iberian Peninsula and is home to seven and a half million people, of whom nearly two thirds live in the met- ropolitan area of Barcelona.

Barcelona is on the shores of the Mediter- ranean Sea and a couple of hours drive from France. It is also well connected to major Spanish and European cities through excellent air, rail and road links.

It is a very lively and densely populated city, where roughly 1.6 million people inhabit its 100 square kilometres of land. However, the real Barcelona is a much larger metropolitan area composed of nearly 200 municipalities with five million residents. The Barcelona metropolitan area is characterised by its demographical- ly diverse and socially cohesive population and the continuity of its urban landscape: one can leave Barcelona and enter a dif- ferent municipality without even noticing it just by crossing a street.

Its residents say that it is a dynamic, cos- mopolitan city of contrasts, a city bounded by the sea and the mountains where wide avenues and modern skyscrapers coexist with narrow medieval streets and contemporary urban life is enriched by its fascinating history.

Other hallmarks of the city are its strong entrepreneurial culture based on rigour, future vision, ambition, capacity for innovation and openness to the world. It has an economy with a long commercial and industrial tradition which is attractive for business development, with research at the forefront and creativity that crosses frontiers.

The Mediterranean way of life, bustling streets and pleasant weather of Barcelona attract skilled professionals, entrepreneurs, researchers and students from around the world.