Spanish life and culture is surprisingly different from that in other first world European countries and it does take a certain amount of effort and time to adapt to the changes. The daily timetable is different and general attitudes can take you by surprise, not to mention the language barrier. However, fear not for here are a few tips to help make your transition quicker and more comfortable.

Language

Many people are put off moving abroad because of the language barrier that may exist. Does this need to be a problem in Valencia?

Castellano is Spain´s main language and the principle tongue in Valencia. It is advisable to learn what you can before you arrive as, although more Valencians speak English than English people speak Spanish, few have enough English to hold a proper conversation and you certainly cannot rely on them to get you by. The locals will appreciate you making that little extra effort and having a grasp of the language will help you to integrate into society. There are various language schools in Valencia offering comprehensive classes for everyone from beginners right through to proficient speakers and the fees are fairly reasonable. Once you have learnt the basics you should have little difficulty in picking up the rest through simple day to day living.

Valencia also has its own language, Valencià, a dialect of the Catalan spoken in Catalunya. There is no need to learn this one before you arrive or even when you are here as there are very few Valencià speakers who are unable to speak Castellano although it is interesting to see the similarities between Valencià, Castillian and French. It will be useful (and interesting) to be able to recognise words on signs and in shops, just to make life a little easier for you.

One of the words you will see everywhere is Carrer. This is the Valencian word for road and is used on every street in the city. Its Castilian equivalent is Calle, but is used less often. Both words will prove particularly useful in navigating around Valencia and its surrounding area, especially as the street maps that exist are sometimes quite out of date or inaccurate.

Culture and way of life

Spanish way of life and culture differs enormously from that in the UK. There are various character and attitude traits that can seem a little blunt and even offensive to people from other cultures, particularly the British. However, it is absolutely essential to remember that this is who and how they are, they are not offending each other with their touching, barging and lack of queueing, so in moving to their country the best thing you can do is to adapt yourself to work with them.

The first thing to strike me was the difference in the daily ´timetable´. Everything happens a lot later than at home and this can have a short term effect on how you feel. With the typical working day starting at 10am, lunch and a siesta between 2 and 4 and many people not leaving the office until 8 in the evening, you do not tend to get to bed until very late. After a full working week or three you can find yourself suffering from what I have dubbed ´longterm jetlag´. Try to go to bed as early as you can, at least for the first few weeks while your body adjusts to the differences. Also, if at all possible, get into the habit of taking a short siesta. This is a strange concept to get used to but will certainly help you to adapt to the Valencian lifestyle. If you arrive in summer you will also find the heat tiring which will inevitable add to the lethargic feeling. These feelings do only last a few weeks so don´t let the idea deter you from coming to this fantastic city.

Secondly, do not expect to find anything but cafés and restaurants open during your lunch hour (or 3). The post office´s hours are 10-2, banks open between 8.30 and 9am and close at 2pm sharp and very few supermarkets stay open during the siesta break either. So, if working full-time, the weekly shop needs to be done in the evening or on Saturday, you will need time out of work to get stamps to send correspondance to foreign countries as they are not available in the papelerías (news agents) and bank visita are inevitably made early in the morning. A routine that is certainly different from what we are used to, but easy to get used to after just a short while. The upside to all of this is that most employers tend to be quite leniant with start and finish times to accommodate your needs. With all this and the lack of reliable bus timetables the boss tends not to complain if you arrive 15 minutes late (not that you should quote me and use this as an excuse!).

A warning to all and any women looking to move to Spain - the machist attitude is omnipresent amongst the young and the old throughout the country. Whether the man is 18 or 80 years old, it makes not an ounce of a difference. If you choose to wear less clothes when the weather heats up, expect comments, stares, wolf whistles and even barking as you walk the city streets. Most of this is harmless testosterone fuelled banter but it can get rather waring at times. The best advice is to ignore them, do not look at them or smile and especially don´t retalliate. This kind of behaviour does seem to be appreciated and encouraged by Spanish women so the men are not entirely to blame. It does not have to pose a real problem, you just need to be aware and learn how to deal with it. Like anywhere in the world these days, it is ill advised to walk the streets alone after dark. Every city has its darker corners and Valencia is no exception. Be sensible and have your wits about you, take one of the remarkably cheap taxis that run around the city 24/7 but don´t let it stop you enjoying the many delights the city has to offer.

Transport

With a relatively small and compact centre and wide boulevards connecting the the outer areas of the city Valencia is easy to get around, boasting an efficient and effective transport system to boot.

Coming and going:

Valencia airport is currently under construction and is continually welcoming flights from more and more airlines, flying both internally and to the rest of Europe. The cheapest way to get from the UK to Valencia and vice versa is with Ryanair or Easyjet. Also look at Spanish airlines for returning home for holidays: Spanair and Iberia are two of the biggest and most reliable companies.

Getting to and from the airport:

There are currently 2 ways of getting to and from Valencia airport. The first is the Aerobus, which leaves from outside the departures floor every 15 minutes, takes you to the main train station in the city centre via Avenida del Cid and Gran Via Àngel Guimerá and costs just 2 euros 50. The second is by taxi, which again is reasonably priced and very much more practical for those not staying or living in the city centre. It will cost between 10 and 25 euros depending on distance covered, time of day and how much baggage you have. The airport is currently undergoing some major reconstruction and expansion work, part of the plan being to create a métro line between it and the beach and port areas in time for the America´s Cup competition in summer 2007.

Within the city:

Numerous bus lines cover the vast majority of the city itself. The buses are red and a journey costs 1,10 euros. Be sure to hold on tight as the conductors drive at a fair speed, but the ride is generally comfortable and further enhanced with television screens displaying local and world information covering events, news, health and fitness, culture, the weather...There is no fear of getting lost either as an announcement is made at every stop and the drivers are particularly friendly and helpful to anyone with any difficulty, as long as you can ask in Spanish. For lines and routes go to www.emtvalencia.com

Valencia´s metro system is under constant expansion. There currently exist 5 lines including a tramline that runs along the north of the city from Féria Valencia in the Benimamet region right the way out to the beach. Serving north, south, east and west, all the métro lines bypass the city centre itself but stop very nearby; with some of the most convenient being at Àngel Guimerá, Xátiva, Colón, Alameda, Pont de Fuste and Túria. A journey costs 1,20 euros but there are monthly (around 30 euros) and 10 journey (between 5 and 7 euros) travel cards available with discounts for students and pensioners. Acquiring a monthly travel pass is a fairly lengthy procedure as you must visit the main office in Xátiva station to register for your photo card before buying your pass at one of the ticket booths in any station. However, once you have your ticket, travelling is quicker and cheaper and you can start the pass conveniently at any point during the month. These cards can also cover the city´s buses, including the metro bus that operates outside the city itself. Try www.metrovalencia.com for more info.

Taxis are in abundance in Valencia and cost very little in comparison to other large European centres. A ten to fifteen minute journey from the city centre to the beach will cost somewhere between 5 and 8 euros depending on the time of day. Do try to speak as much Spanish to the driver as possible and make out that you know exactly where you are going as they have been known to rip foreigners, and especially English visitors off somewhat, but the drivers are more often than not very friendly and agreeable people.

Banks

There is a myriad of good banks in Valencia providing an aray of different services and offers to suit the varying clientèle. All of these banks operate under the Bank of Spain (Banco de España). Two of the largest and most accessible companies in Valencia are BBVA (Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria) and Bancaixa. With a branch on what seems like every corner and low cost, low maintenance current accounts you cannot really go wrong. The only issue you may have is the language barrier. Although my personal banker had a good enough level of English to help me with certain details that I didn´t understand, I would have found it difficult if I had no Spanish at all when setting up my account. Therefore, if you are a beginner it is advisable to take a native Spanish speaker or somebody with a good grasp of the language along with you to negotiate with the bank´s personel, just to make sure you get exactly what you want and need. All Spanish banks have their own websites providing lots of information so you can start off by having a pressure free browse at home, taking your time to study what is on offer before setting foot in the bank itself. Some of these websites are also available in English including: Banco Popular Español (also includes a section for foreign residents), Sol Bank and La Caixa.

Mobile phones

There are 3 major mobile phone companies in Spain: Vodafone, Movistar and Amena. Movistar currently holds the leading market position but Vodafone has been building its services and clientèle since buying out the campany, Airtel, in 2002. European phones and SIM cards will probably work in Spain, although if you are staying for any length of time buying a Spanish SIM will prove more economically beneficial. You can pay between 10 and 25 euros for a pay as you go system with as much credit as you paid in the first place (eg, if you pay 20 euros for the SIM you will get 20 euros worth of credit when you register the phone). You can get your old phone unlocked for less than a tenner in the markets and even at some of the official phone shops in Valencia, though the latter do tend to be slightly more expensive than the independent retailers. If you are coming from America or Asia you will need to buy yourself a phone when you arrive as mobiles in Europe operate on the GSM system and not the CDMA. Prices are very reasonable here compared to both the UK and the US. Most people still operate on a pay as you go basis but there are contracts available. Call in to one of the companies´ outlets for more details.

Protect yourself!

It is absolutely imperative that you take notice of the strength of the sun here in Valencia. Once spring sets in, generally after the fallas celebrations, it is strongly advisable to use cream, even on a cloudy day. Make it part of your morning routine to cover yourself in factor 15 at the least and reapply every time you are looking to spend any amount of time outside. (If not, apart from the obvious health threats involved, your bright pink skin spotted a mile off and somewhat inhibiting the intergration process!).

Internet

There are internet cafés throughout the city of Valencia offering broadband facilities, headsets and webcams. Internet access costs about 1 euro per hour and supplementary printing, faxing and intenational calling services are often available.

As for having the internet installed at home, there is a range of companies ready to take care of it for you. There are packages available like those in the UK that include cable TV and a fixed phoneline but prices here tend to be a bit higher. (I pay 56,90 euros for a mid-range TV package, phoneline and broadband connection - not bad when house sharing but fairly expensive still nonetheless). Again, like in the UK, cheaper packages do exist but the broadband connection is very slow and the extra channels are hardly worth having. You will, however, appreciate having the facility to watch English language TV after a long day at the office etc (it is possible to watch any programme filmed in English in its original version). The benefit of these packages is that overseas calls tend to be cheap. A 30 minute call to a UK vodafone mobile this month cost me in the region of just 6 euros (that´s just 4 pouds 13 pence!).

Companies providing packages: Telefonica, ONO, Wanadoo España, TELE2.

Written by Suzanne Bailey for Ibericity.com, June 2006