My son and his GF may be moving to Spain for a 2-year work assignment. The location is somewhat flexible, between Madrid, Bilbao and Barcelona.

What do you know about these 3 cities? Is either better/worse for people just learning Spanish? Good/bad neighborhoods? If you were a mid-20s couple, where would you want to be?

I've never been to Spain (cue 3 Dog Night), and shockingly, neither has Mr. Nina. I kind of like the music, and I hear the ladies are insane.

OK, this is actually a serious question. I'd be grateful for any info you may have.

Also for those of you who've done international work assignments (looking at you, Dan and Jon), what are the 1-2 things you absolutely should negotiate with your employer to receive?

Thanks!

I don’t know anything about Spain, but I will tell you that one of Zimmer's kids and his wife sold their house Pittsburgh and moved to Prague. Neither of them had ever been to Prague before, neither had jobs lined up. Neither spoke Czech.

And they couldn’t be happier.

You should message Elena. She lived in Madrid for a while.

quote:

and I hear the ladies are insane.

Been to Salamanca as a student in the early 90s. Oh boy, my liver still hurts when I think of these two months. And my feet. And my lungs. The spaniards were wasted like everybody else at 6 o´clock in the morning. But while we language-students were barely alive at 10 for the first lesson, this lot was up and ready to go to university at 9.

And I was told that Madrid´s nightlive was much more...active.

Of course, that´s nearly 30 years ago.

People in Barcelona speak Catalan, which sounds nothing like Spanish. My Spanish-speaking family struggled in Barcelona (but we always got through somehow, so it's not the end of the world).

Madrid is like NYC.

Chance of a lifetime.

I just got an offer to work in Singapore, which doesn’t appeal, and a few months ago Norway. Northern Norway. MFR nixxed that one.

Just spent 6 weeks in Valencia, learning Spanish. It's a nice city, but not on the list of choices for you.

Barcelona is far and away one of top 2 or 3 cities we've every visited.

Never been to Madrid or Bilbao.

From a "learn Spanish" standpoint, Barcelona is not a good place for that, because they speak Catalan. However, since they don't know Spanish, you could just change the "learn Spanish" requirement to "learn Catalan". If that's an option, then Barcelona would be my choice.

If "learn Spanish" can't be changed, I vote for Bilbao because it's smaller than Madrid, on the coast so it will have a climate moderated by the ocean, near to France so you can "get the hell outta Dodge Spain easily.

That's just me though. YMMV.

Well, I feel stupid. I didn't know Barcelona-zians (Barcelonistas?) spoke Catalan. Do most also speak Spanish/English?

My son's GF said they were advised to go to Barcelona because it's a really cool city and the challenges of not speaking Spanish would be less. I assumed they meant it's easier to speak English and be understood. Little did I know they meant not speaking Spanish isn't as bit of a problem because they don't speak Spanish.

Hahahaha

Or jajajaja, keeping with the theme.

I don't know whether you can speak English in Barcelona outside of the tourist areas. In the tourist, English is common.

One of my dearest friends is Catalan, although she was born in Panama and lived there until she moved here at fifteen. Her father and sister and many relatives live in and around Barcelona and she visits often. I'll ask her for her thoughts on it as a home for native English speakers.

I LOVE Spain and while there three years ago it had me thinking that it would be great to have an apartment in Madrid so I could be a snow bird.

Most young people in Spain speak English, especially in the big cities, some better than others. But in business, most are bilingual as they teach English from young elementary grades.

There are lots of opportunities to learn Spanish while there as well apart from just taking it all in. Spain has a royal, official language institute that publishes a dictionary of "real Spanish" every few years. https://www.rae.es/

And before they go they can get started learning. This is, by far,my fav learning site. The couple live in Madrid, he is a Brit. So they point out the idioms and odd phrasing. They start of in both languages and gradually go to all Spanish with reviews at the end of each lesson. Notes in Spanish

I am so jealous. Though, our next hiking adventure has been voted, and next year we old broads will be most likely hiking the Pyrenees, starting in Barcelona. It will be my turn to translate.

quote:

Originally posted by Dan:
Just spent 6 weeks in Valencia, learning Spanish. It's a nice city, but not on the list of choices for you.

Barcelona is far and away one of top 2 or 3 cities we've every visited.

Never been to Madrid or Bilbao.

From a "learn Spanish" standpoint, Barcelona is not a good place for that, because they speak Catalan. However, since they don't know Spanish, you could just change the "learn Spanish" requirement to "learn Catalan". If that's an option, then Barcelona would be my choice.

If "learn Spanish" can't be changed, I vote for Bilbao because it's smaller than Madrid, on the coast so it will have a climate moderated by the ocean, near to France so you can "get the hell outta Dodge Spain easily.

That's just me though. YMMV.

Dan’s old don’t listen to him. Madrid is the answer.

Exciting place. Enough English spoken for them to do ok. They will learn the proper language. Fun as hell.

Honestly Bilbao is interesting with a rugged coast and more temperate weather. Barcelona is beautiful but touristy and then there’s the Catalan thing. Everyone understands castellano bu they just won’t absorb it living there like they will in Madrid


Madrid is the answer.

FWIW I got to know all three cities in my 20s

Re negotiations of packages if they have housing, per diem, language lessons, and a couple flybacks per year covered they’ll be in a perfect spot. Those deals are probably less common than in my expat days, and I would jump on the opportunity regardless if I were in my 20s.


Of course income tax prep and other administrative help but i’m sure they would do that.

quote:

Originally posted by Mikhailoh:
Chance of a lifetime.

I just got an offer to work in Singapore, which doesn’t appeal, and a few months ago Norway. Northern Norway. MFR nixxed that one.

Singapore is a cool place. For a foodie like you.