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Guide for Expats in Spain Learning the Language in Spain
Guide for traveling in Spain Health Care for Tourists in Spain
See also: Madrid Restaurant Menus |
Finding a place to stay while you look for a place to call home in Spain Be prepared to spend at least a week or two looking for a flat or apartment in Spain. In big cities like Madrid, you can often find a room in a shared flat quite easily if you aren't very picky. But it's worth taking the time to find a place that meets your standards and is in a location that's convenient for where you work or where you plan to socialize (or at least well-connected with public transportation). For information on apartment searches in Spain, go here.
During your search for a place to live in Spain, your main choices for short-term accommodation are a hostel, hostal, or pensión. (Unless you're coming to Spain with a corporate credit card, you probably won't be staying in a hotel while you search for somewhere to live...)
Note: Many places list themselves as both hostels and hostales. I consider a hostel to be a place where you rent a bed in a room with strangers. A hostal is a place where you rent an entire room. Below is more information on finding a place to stay during your apartment search in Spain.
Hostels A hostel consists of rooms with several bunk beds and shared bathrooms. They tend to be cheap (around 15 euros/night for a bed in a shared room) and are also a good way to meet people. Hostels are a great option for your first week or until you find a place to call your own. Some people even cut deals with a hostel and stay for several months at a reduced rate. The downside is that you can expect to have no privacy, and your things may not be very secure.
Hostales and pensiones Hostales and pensiones are like small budget hotels or guest houses. They are often family-run business with very basic rooms. Some rooms have their own small bathrooms but many have only a sink, and the shared shower and toilet are down the hall. Quality varies greatly, but you can often get a sense of the modernity and amenities by visiting their Web sites and comparing prices – there does seem to be a good correlation between price and quality. You can often negotiate a lower rate if you plan to stay for more than 3, 5, or 7 days (depending on the place). In fact, I knew a guy who spent his first three years in Madrid living in a pension. He was able to broker a good rate that included breakfast and dinner; although it was more expensive than renting a room in a flat, he liked not having to prepare his own meals. Note that many of these budget hotels are run by elderly Spaniards with limited English language skills, so you may find it difficult to negotiate if you don’t speak Spanish.
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