How to compare US food prices to prices in Barcelona?
Fresh fruit
Soft and hard cheeses
Baked goods
Bottled water

How does the US consumer know that they aren't paying too much?

Hello everyone,

I’m thinking of buying a BMW X3 in Spain and wanted to ask if anyone knew approximately how much basic car insurance is for a car like this or similar. I know it depends on age and years of driving and more but I wanted to have an estimate. I’m 28 years old. Could people with car insurance share what they are paying and what car you drive?

Hola a todos,

Estoy pensando en comprar un BMW X3 en España y quería preguntar si alguien sabe, aproximadamente, cuánto cuesta un seguro básico para un coche de este tipo o similar. Sé que el precio depende de la edad, los años conduciendo y otros factores, pero me gustaría tener una estimación. Tengo 28 años. ¿Podrían compartir cuánto pagan ustedes por su seguro de coche y que carro tienen

With the recent uprisings and riots in France and Italy, is it safe for myself and my family to travel to Spain from the US for the Valencia marathon in December? We are landing in Madrid and taking the train to Valencia and ending the trip in Barcelona. I’m genuinely worried at this point. 😕

Hi everyone, I’m a cybersecurity bachelor’s student in Morocco, expected to graduate in 2027. I’m planning to apply for a master’s in cybersecurity in Spain, but I want to avoid losing a year after finishing my bachelor’s. I saw that some Spanish universities may conditionally admit students who only have their final degree project and up to 9 ECTS remaining, but I’m not sure whether this applies to students with a foreign/Moroccan degree. Has anyone applied to a Spanish master’s while still finishing their bachelor’s abroad? Is it realistic to start the master’s immediately after graduation, or would I need to wait until my degree is fully issued and recognized? Any advice on universities, documents, or timelines would be really helpful. Thanks!

I'm trying to choose between Barcelona, Seville, Madrid, Malaga, Granada, and Cordoba. I will have about 11-13 days, so I figure I can fit probably 3-4.

I intend to take the train between the cities we choose.

I'm interested in food, hiking, walking around, large parks, nature, and some sight-seeing and museums, especially beautiful churches.

Any things to consider for each of these?

Trip will be in the middle of January.

I appreciate any feedback!

Mi novia y yo somos estudiantes universitarios mexicanos en su último año del Grado: ambos del área económico-administrativo.

Recientemente, he estado considerando ir a hacer un Máster a la Universidad de Alicante. La situación en nuestro país a nivel seguridad e ingresos se ha deteriorado (probablemente hayan escuchado de la tragedia que le sucedió a una estudiante de la Universidad de Granada aquí en Cuautla, Morelos: lamentablemente, situaciones así suceden a diario y son completamente ignoradas por el gobierno).

El punto es que queremos poder mudarnos a un lugar en donde encontrar c*erpos en barriles no sea una ocurrencia diaria: ambas somos estudiantes de alto rendimiento y tenemos tanto premios, como experiencia laboral, experiencia académica y habilidades tanto blandas como duras valoradas en el mercado.

Mi pregunta es: si quisieramos quedarnos a vivir en España, ¿sería una opción viable mudarnos hacia allá empezando por hacer un Máster universitario y buscando complementar nuestro perfil mediante prácticas profesionales, empleos de medio tiempo y buscando empleo al graduarnos? ¿Recomendarían que tomaramos un financiamiento para hacer el Máster universitario (en total nos saldría en 11 a 15 euros - pagables a un plazo de 10 años (pagos mensuales de 100 a 200 euros)?

¡Muchas gracias por su atención, les deseamos un muy buen día!

Spent a lot of time with this one, so here's the short version for anyone with a US bachelor's or master's.

Homologación (and declaración de equivalencia, the lighter version) both go to the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, and you file only online through its sede electrónica. A PhD goes to a Spanish university instead.

The part people get wrong: Spain's NARIC office has a one-page sheet on US documents, and it says a notary certifying a "true copy" of your diploma is not valid. Neither is you signing as the custodian of your own diploma in front of a notary. What works is your university registrar (or another school official) signing the copy, a notary notarizing that official's signature, then the state apostilling it. Same for the transcript.

Other things worth knowing before you pay anything:

• Fee is €166.50 per procedure. File both procedures on one degree and you pay twice.
• The ministry has six months to decide, and no answer in that time counts as a refusal.
• Homologación also asks for Spanish at B2 level.
• The translation has to come from a traductor jurado (or an official translator elsewhere in the EU) and it has to include the apostille pages. Translate after the apostille, not before, or you pay for it twice.

Disclosure: I run Massachusetts Apostille Services, so I see Massachusetts degrees mostly. We do the apostille part and ship the set to you or your translator. We're not traductores jurados ourselves. Longer write-up with the steps and the master's case: https://massachusettsapostilleservices.com/spain-degree-homologation-apostille-massachusetts/

Happy to answer questions here.

Hi everyone!

I’m flying from the UK to Palma tomorrow (Monday 19th October), landing at around 3pm, and then travelling to Cala d’Or with my family.

I’ve just seen the red weather warnings for heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and potential flash flooding, and I’m honestly getting quite worried.

I’ve seen some pretty frightening videos of flash flooding recently, so hearing about the warnings has made me quite anxious, especially about the journey from the airport to Cala d’Or.

I was wondering if anyone currently in Mallorca could give me an idea of how bad the situation actually is? Are roads flooding or being closed? Is it likely to affect airport transfers or flights?

I know the weather is expected to improve later in the week, but I’m particularly concerned about arriving tomorrow.

I’d really appreciate any advice or updates from people who are actually there. Thank you! :)

I'm planning to visit Madrid the week of Semana Santa with my husband and our kids, 9 and 13. I'd love thoughts on which neighborhood would be best - we love great food, walkability, shopping local. We'd love to stay outside the busiest tourist zones, but also value convenience or an accessible metro station. I'm considering an Aparthotel in Atocha (just off C. de Atocha and C. del Marques de Toca) vs one facing Plaza Tirso de Molina. Would one location be more favorable? And any recommendations for Semana Santa festivities or parades that the kids can take part in? Or a resource on what's happening for holy week? Thanks!

Willing for some help 🙏

Hello all! Im flying from Barcelona-El prat tomorrow and will arrive at the airport at around 10am, i have a big ass J i would love to share with anyone who is down for it! Feel free to send a message

Cómo se conoce gente de allí? 😭

Alguien a escuchado hablar de esta beca? O a aplicado o sido seleccionado a la Beca Atracción del talento Universidad de Jaen? Quiero saber que tal la experiencia o que han escuchado...

Hello, me and my friend are looking to go to Spain in December from roughly 18 Dec to 30?Dec (not confirmed yet) to escape the cold and go for our final hikes before we go back to our home country, do you guys have any recommendations?

We love difficult hikes, the ones where we have to lock in or die, but also not too intense where we actually die. We also love nature, like nature parks, nature reserves, anything with nice views, animals etc.

We have our eyes on Malaga, which has Calminito del ray and El torcal de antequera for now. We plan to rent a car so accessibility is less of a problem.

If any other parts of spain is better for these kind of activites we wiould apperciate the recommendation, or what to avoid. Thanks in advance!

edit: I have checked out Canary islands but it seems too touristy and crowded, so any other options would be nice if possible

Hi everyone!
I’m applying for my Spanish visa through BLS London on a South African passport and will be staying with a host in Spain rather than in a hotel.

My checklist says I need a Carta de Invitación issued by the Spanish National Police. However, my host has provided me with the following documents:
-A regular invitation letter signed by my host
-A copy of my host’s ID
-Proof of my host’s address
- A Certificado de Empadronamiento Individual

I’m wondering if anyone who has recently applied for a Spanish visa through BLS London and stayed with a friend or host has had a similar experience.

Did you have to provide the official Carta de Invitación issued by the Spanish police, or were the signed invitation letter and supporting documents sufficient?
I’m worried that my application might be rejected or that I could be asked to provide additional documents because I don’t have the official police-issued invitation letter.
I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has gone through this process recently, particularly through BLS London.

Thank you in advance for your help!

For people who moved to Spain with income from overseas clients rather than a Spanish employer: what actually helped you get a long-term rental?

Were foreign bank statements, tax returns and a service contract enough, or did rental-insurance checks keep blocking applications? Was dealing directly with landlords noticeably easier than using agencies?

Also, how long did you need in temporary accommodation before finding somewhere suitable? Looking for practical experiences rather than the standard “show proof of income” advice.

I'm Mexican and planning a family holiday in Spain, with round-trip tickets. I'd submit my UGE teleworker residence application during that visit, return to Mexico, and - if approved - fly back on a one-way ticket to settle and attend my first TIE appointment.

Has anyone followed this route? How did you explain the combined holiday/application purpose on the first visit? For the second trip, before receiving your TIE, what did the airline and Spanish border police actually accept: passport and UGE approval, or another document? Recent experiences from visa-exempt nationals would be especially helpful.

i will be traveling to Spain from 18 dec to 5 jan. can y’all please suggest me some good spots to visit in Barcelona, Valencia, and Madrid

If you are or know any Spanish accountant who is based in the country, text me, need to ask some questions regarding the real rules about the tax for digital nomads.

Family of 3. Myself Galician, Japanese wife and a 1 year old. Late (very) 30s. Living in London for over 10 years and roughly £5.7k left monthly (joint income) after mortgage is paid. Ok life, not too stressful jobs, nothing fancy but not struggling, can save an small amount, etc. Always had a love/hate relationship with London. Since the baby was born, a bit more inclined to move to Spain for the long run, being closer to family, etc.

Job offer where I could choose either Madrid or Barcelona. About €2300. Wife is below conversational level and accountancy background. Maybe employable in a year or so unless a job where she doesn't need Spanish.

We are lucky enough to have a good amount of equity in our London property. Selling, we should be able to buy something outright in the region of €450k. I have seen places around Clot in Barcelona that I would be happy with and like that area. Don't know Madrid that much, but have also seen places that don't seem too bad in that price range (Ventas, Latina?)

Quite like Barcelona, but obviously only as a tourist and honestly don't know Madrid that much. The attractiveness of the latter is that it would be easier to go to Galicia every now and again. Unsure where it would be easier for my partner to find work.

Does it seem like a risk to leave our somehow stable life given our circumstances? If so, does Madrid or Barcelona seem a better choice?

Thanks in advance!

Hello everyone! 👋

I'm travelling to Barcelona with a friend for the first time, from 17–20 December. We're flying into Barcelona–El Prat Airport and staying in the Sarrià–Sant Gervasi area.

Since it's our first time visiting Spain, I'd really appreciate some advice from locals or people who have visited before!

1. Weather: What is the weather usually like in Barcelona in mid-December? What kind of clothes would you recommend bringing?

2. Safety: I've heard that pickpocketing can be a problem in Barcelona. What are the best ways to avoid it, and are there any particular areas or situations where we should be extra careful?

3. Things to do: What would you recommend visiting in and around Sarrià–Sant Gervasi? We're also happy to travel to other parts of Barcelona to see interesting places, hidden gems or beautiful spots.

4. Food and drink: What local Catalan or Spanish dishes should we try? Are there any local beers or traditional places to eat that you'd recommend?

5. Budget: Roughly how much spending money would you recommend bringing for three days, excluding flights and accommodation? We'd like to enjoy the food, visit attractions and explore the city without spending too much.

Any other tips for first-time visitors would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance! 😊

Weather is bad right now and its hard to make it to Park Guell. Im on their website and they dont mention a weather policy but their own website has an alert. I emailed the Park but no response and I have a morning timeslot. Will they refund or very least change the ticket times for us? They have not responded yet.

Hi everyone,
We live in a country where winter cold has settled in again, and my wife and I are at our wits' end. Right now, our daughter is dealing with a nasty cold, and it feels like a never-ending cycle.
Where we live, from mid-October (like right now) all the way through mid-February, the temperatures drop significantly. During these 4 months, it feels like every single child at kindergarten and primary school is constantly sick. One virus passes, and another one immediately takes its place.

My wife and I were talking the other day, and a thought crossed our minds: what if we relocated to a warmer region during the winter months while our daughter is still in kindergarten? For example, somewhere like Spain or another mild climate area in southern Europe.

Our reasoning is that milder temperatures and more time outdoors might reduce the heavy viral load that spikes here every winter, giving her immune system a chance to strengthen without being constantly overloaded.

For parents who live in milder/warmer climates (like Spain, Portugal, Southern Italy, etc.) or parents who have tried seasonal living/moving: How are winter colds and kindergarten/school viruses in your area? Do kids still catch everything back-to-back, or is it genuinely easier?

For those who moved or spent winters in warmer climates: Did you notice a real difference in your kids' health and overall well-being during the winter?

Any advice or reality checks? Is this a smart idea while she's still young, or are standard kindergarten viruses simply unavoidable no matter where you go in the world?
Would love to hear your experiences and honest thoughts!

What is your advice for us?

Donde se encuentran estas personas en internet? Me gustaría tener novia y casarnos, que sea americana y casarnos en España

Hi everyone!

I'm from Brazil and planning to move to Spain. Between the cities we've searched for, is Valencia. How is Valencia nowadays? Is that a good choice for a family whith two girls, 5 e 9 years?

Thank you very much!