Escape To Espana - The Expat Directory Alicante

04/06/2020

In case you missed our newsletter...

With PROMOTIONAL DISCOUNTS from 4 of our local business owners 😍

Thank you for subscribing to your Local Expat Directory. We hope to send you some great member only promotions and tips from these local companies, to help you on your expat journey. This is a free service run by our founder Martine Mikhail your fellow expat from London.

21/05/2020

If you're looking for products and services in Alicante with English speaking staff. I have put together a website especially for you.

You'll never know at some point you might need a plumber, someone to clean your pool or do some decorating... or maybe you need a massage or hairdresser. All of these companies listed have been recommended by our fellow expats. So it's a handy website to share with your friends.

Do sign up to our website to get a FREE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER with promotions from these expat companies for our readers only.

If you're a business you can also list for FREE.

Find a local business, service or product with English speaking owners at a touch of a button.

08/05/2020

This is my story on becoming Autonomo in Spain. Feel free to ask me any questions.

Follow me through my self employment (autonomo) journey... As you know from previous posts I came to Spain with a dream of opening a fitness retreat. All I had to do is buy one of the 50 houses I listed from searching over a year online... With all of my trainings and experiences from working in fit...

07/05/2020

Expats we are now going to be adding Vacancies on our Website. And you can also request work. 😎

Do SIGN-UP so you don't miss the notifications.

List Your vacancy here or if you are a Jobseeker ask if anyone knows about local vacancies.

07/05/2020

We've had some great blogs recently to help our fellow expats with tips during the pandemic.

If you're a parent? This is my favourite blog so far... such great ideas for things to do with the children!

Jennie is such a great mummy!

You can read this post and other posts here... Tomorrow I will be blogging about 'Starting a Business in Alicante'. So stay tuned!

Hello folks! My name is Jennie AKA Mama, Maman, Mummy (you get it :-)) i have a son who is 6 years old and a 2 year old daughter and to them I’m the most imperfectly perfect mama! This is the first time I’ve ever put pen to paper…or should i say text to laptop and written a blog! Since moving ...

06/05/2020

Today we release our New EXPAT DIRECTORY Website linked to this page.

https://www.escapetoespana.com/

This website will evolve over time, to be a useful tool for all Expats or Tourists in Alicante, to get some firsthand advice and information about life in Spain. We will be listing properties for rent and collaborating with other companies to bring you some exciting events. Post Lockdown of course!

If you don't know me yet... I'm sure you will get to know me pretty quickly. I moved to Alicante just 1 year and 3 months ago to follow my dream of running a fitness retreat. I've made over 700 new friends and connections which is why I set up this directory to help us all! However, things aren't as easy as it always seems by watching THE PLACE IN THE SUN... We planned to come here and have a better work life balance, but to be honest at 43 years of age that was probably wishful thinking... ha ha... running your own business in Spain is a lot harder than you can imagine. I'll be writing my next blog about this on Friday as its probably going to be quite lengthy.

Anyway, I hope that you do enjoy our daily, weekly posts and monthly newsletters. We hope this will help you to make a more informed decision about moving to Spain.

It's doable yes but don't think its going to be easy unless you have a bit of money behind you from the start or you are retired... because that's where all of us want to be right. But obviously their story will be much more different than someone who comes here with a dream to find work or set up a business.

I leave you with a video of my lovely new home town of Busot. Its just 10 mins away from the beautiful coastal town of El Campello where I work and run a couple of businesses.

Do make sure you sign-up to our website as we don't want you to miss out!

https://www.escapetoespana.com/

26/03/2020

So finally, we move to the house of my dreams in Busot, just one day before lockdown, phew!

Unfortunately, no work at the mo, but every cloud has a silver lining... I get to spend some time getting used to this view ❤

02/10/2019

Working hard to make the dream work... things don't always go to plan... So 9 months later... I officially have my own Licensed Outdoor Fitness Classes in El Campello. It's been a fantastic way to make friends and I have also set up and Expat Lady Social Group in El Campello to help ladies and thier families to integrate into Spain. We have over 220 members so far. Which is funny since when I arrived here I only knew just one person. Now I think I've truelly settled in!

If you live near by and you would like to join our Expat Group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/446018676201710/

16/07/2019

So incase you don't know who I am... My name is Martine, I came to Alicante last December with my husband Tim to follow my dream of owning a Fitness Retreat in Alicante. It hasn't happened yet but everything I do is moving us closer to our goal! I believe everything happens for a reason... and if you already live in Spain you will realise everything happens it just takes longer than you think!
Well I'm still keeping positive and enjoying the sun shine, making friends & keeping fit in the meantime!
I have set up a local social group we have over 110 members and 2 or 3 social events a month... if you'd like to join us at FB:
EXPAT LADIES OF EL CAMPELLO & NEIGHBOURING TOWNS.

04/07/2019

Taken a week back in the UK this week and it only confirmed to me that moving to Alicante permanently was the right choice... I don't miss the hustle and bustle of London... having to work hard just to survive! 🙏
Yes, I missed my friends I loved seeing them and my family whilst being here, but I know I can be myself in Alicante and that I can be successful here with my Fitness Business my true ❤... instead of working my 9-5pm in the office.
I've been fortunate that my fitness trainings have been very useful to me making expat friends over here, but I realised that making friends isn't easy for everyone... so a few weeks ago I decided to open an expat ladies social group where we have over 100 members already. It's been a valuable group to help ladies and mothers find connections and advice. Next event is on the 13th July a Coffee Morning in El Campello at 10.30am, if you an Expat lady in our area do join our group on facebook: EXPAT LADIES OF EL CAMPELLO & NEIGHBOURING TOWNS.

03/06/2019

What a busy couple of months... I have alot to update on.

Firstly my residencia, well that was very good I was kinda sneaky I selected the Polizia - Certificado Residencia o no Residencia Appointment all the way in Alcoy but you know what it worked! Where theres a will theres a way, all my paperwork was in order I paid for the private medical insurance with Mapfre which was about 1200 for 9 months as the Year is always Jan - Dec in Spain. So I'm thankful that I received my residencia there and then! As there are still no appointments available for UK citizens at the moment.
Secondly, my fitness classes are getting more popular through recommendation it's been such a fantastic tool to meet other Expats and also to help others make friends. I'm enjoying seeing so many ladies lose weight and get fitter and stronger by attending my classes I couldn't ask for a better group of ladies to workout with! So I've just recently set up a group to help with the social aspect of settling into a new country and help "Expat ladies of El Campello & Neighbouring Towns" to meet up with other like minded ladies.
Thirdly, even though it's so cheap to rent a car from the airport every 20 days it was getting bit of a pain having to drive up and down to change the car. So we finally bought a second hand even though they are like double price of a one in UK. We used the gestor to sort the paperwork for us nice and easy. Insurance wasnt too bad either just 500 euros and we got a pre quote so on the day of collection we just rang up to reconfirm payment.
Fourth, I've seen 45 houses now and everytime we think this is the one something stops us in our tracks! .
House search tips: Always asked to see the Nota Simple to see if the house advertised actually says the same on this deed paper. Get the address and take a look on the CATASTRO for the house to see the situation. For instance so many times I've been told a house and plot is Urbano. But sometimes the house can be Urbano and the plot rustic. So don't get caught out especially if you are looking to get a touristic license and build further. Theres so many houses with items missing off the deeds. More info PM me.

03/06/2019

What a busy couple of months... I have alot to update on.
Firstly my residencia, well that was very good I was kinda sneaky I selected the Polizia - Certificado Residencia o no Residencia Appointment all the way in Alcoy but you know what it worked! Where theres a will theres a way, all my paperwork was in order I paid for the private medical insurance with Mapfre which was about 1200 for 9 months as the Year is always Jan - Dec in Spain. So I'm thankful that I received my residencia there and then! As there are still no appointments available for UK citizens at the moment.
Secondly, my fitness classes are getting more popular through recommendation it's been such a fantastic tool to meet other Expats and also to help others make friends. I'm enjoying seeing so many ladies lose weight and get fitter and stronger by attending my classes I couldn't ask for a better group of ladies to workout with! So I've just recently set up a group to help with the social aspect of settling into a new country and help "Expat ladies of El Campello & Neighbouring Towns" to meet up with other like minded ladies.
Thirdly, even though it's so cheap to rent a car from the airport every 20 days it was getting bit of a pain having to drive up and down to change the car. So we finally bought a second hand even though they are like double price of a one in UK. We used the gestor to sort the paperwork for us nice and easy. Insurance wasnt too bad either just 500 euros and we got a pre quote so on the day of collection we just rang up to reconfirm payment.
Fourth, I've seen 45 houses now and everytime we think this is the one something stops us in our tracks!
House search tips: Always asked to see the Nota Simple to see if the house advertised actually says the same on this deed paper. Get the address and take a look on the CATASTRO for the house to see the situation. For instance so many times I've been told a house and plot is Urbano. But sometimes the house can be Urbano and the plot rustic. So don't get caught out especially if you are looking to get a touristic license and build further. Theres so many houses with items missing off the deeds. More info PM me.