Before you investigate how to drive in Spain, I would like to implore you to pursue a car-free lifestyle first. There are multiple reasons to consider going car-free:
- It is impossible to budget the NALCAP stipend if you include the costs of driving. Unless you plan on coming to Spain with a lot of savings, forget about driving.
- Public transit is much better in Spain than it is an America, and you will likely find great options to get around. Moreover, you are more likely to find pedestrian friendly infrastructure. Life isn’t based around the car in Spain.
- Parking, car storage, and driving itself are much more difficult in Spain. There are narrow roads, aggressive drivers, busy streets, and different rules and signs.
For temporary purposes, you are allowed to get an international permit which, alongside your American driver’s license, provides you with 6 months to legally drive in Spain.
Getting an International Driver’s Permit
Even though this permit grants you the right to drive on the road, it doesn’t mean you understand how to drive in Spain. They use different signage, lane markers, and have a different approach to driving altogether.
If you want to get actual training or if your international driver’s permit expires, you will have to go through driver’s training to get a Spanish driver’s license. After including all the lessons and exams required, getting a license would typically cost between 500 and 1,000 euros. The blog below describes the process in great detail. For those of you considering going through this process, I highly recommend you give it a thorough read.
Navigating the Challenges of Getting My Spanish Driver’s License in Galicia – by Felix Wong
Personally speaking, I am yet to get a driver’s license in Spain. Even after 5 years of living here, I haven’t found the need. My Spanish partner, however, has encouraged me to pursue it so we can take more spontaneous trips to the beach. For now at least, I can’t afford the time or money to go through the process of getting a license.
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A Podcast?
I’d like to share the podcast I have just started with my audience. it’s called Immigrant, not Expat. My goal is to share stories about immigration to hopefully remove the negative connotation surrounding the word “immigrant”. I am deliberately avoiding the word “expat” because I don’t want to reinforce a caste system for immigration. I
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Culture Shock!
People who talk about moving to another country may emphasize how different the culture will be and how to deal with culture shock. Spain is a modernized, western country that isn’t too different from the U.S, so in my experience, “shock” isn’t a great way to describe it. There are some differences, though. Most of
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250k Views – Day in the Life
The last time we celebrated a view benchmark, I made a post about myself and what led me to create a life in Spain. Now that we’ve hit 250,000 views, I’m posting feet on main! (Open the full image if you are a sicko). Well, the idea of this post is to share a typical
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Santiago de Compostela
On an extended weekend, thanks to a public holiday, my partner and I went to Santiago de Compostela. It’s a beautiful city in the northwestern region of Galicia, which is known for its rainy climate and delicious food. Santiago is an interesting city with a unique history. It is the destination of multiple pilgrimage routes
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Extra Income – Teaching Online
There are countless ways of saving money while in Spain, but if you want to be able to travel more and enjoy more experiences, increasing your income is a great way to do that. As native speakers of English with experience teaching English as a foreign language in Spain, your teaching services will be in
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Saving Money and Being Environmentally Friendly
You don’t need your own terrace garden like me, but you can easily save money and be better for the environment when living in Spain. One of the joys of moving to Europe is that it becomes possible to be environmentally friendly without sacrificing your lifestyle or money. When I lived in Indiana, I remember
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Celebrating 75,000 Views – My Journey to Spain
When I first started writing this blog, I never expected getting this type of interest. I just wanted to create something to help others find their lives in Spain and avoid the uncertainties and anxieties that plague bureaucratic processes here. It’s still only a hobby instead of being my actual job, but a lot of
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Spanish and U.S. Library Cards
Getting a U.S. library card before leaving for Spain and a Spanish library card while there can provide wonderful (free) services. Libraries have modernized. They provide a wide range of services that can be accessed from anywhere in the world: eBooks, audiobooks, as well as online magazines and newspapers. Individuals travelling to or living in
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How I Accidentally Became an Actor in Spain
“Quiet on set, roll cameras, and action!” I desperately choke for breath while grasping at my wounds. With a WW2-era revolver aimed at the entryway of an abandoned farm shed, I am slowly bleeding out while waiting for my enemies to finish me off. Suddenly, I hear noises just outside. It sounds like footsteps, and
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NALCAP Webinar 2022 – Highlights
July 28, 2022 Will new regulations affect auxiliares who receive supplemental income in Spain? What should I do before leaving for Spain? How do I find an apartment? What steps should I take first when I arrive in Spain? The 2022 NALCAP webinar covers topics that can help new auxiliaries and returning auxiliaries. Find out
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Fun Trips around Madrid
Cercedilla Cercedilla is a mountainside municipality Northwest of Madrid. It is about an hour train ride away with the cercanía trains from Atocha (the main train station). The mountainside is filled with nature, flowers, and there is a small ranch with a herd of cows living their best lives grazing on the mountainside. The cows
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Budgeting in Spain
The cost of living is much cheaper in Spain, but the salaries are also much lower. How do I budget? What should I expect to spend and save? Just like the U.S, some places in Spain are more expensive than others. Madrid is one of the most expensive cities in Spain, so if you live
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The debate of the century: with or without onion.
Spanish tortilla is a traditional dish in Spain similar to an omelette. It has eggs, potatoes, and sometimes diced onions. In Spain people are passionate about food, especially traditional food, and there is a fierce debate in Spain about which type of tortilla is better: with or without onions. Traditionalists will claim that putting onions
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So, you want to move to Spain?
There are many reasons to want to live in Spain. The climate is warm and pleasant. The natural landscapes are breathtaking, and with a guaranteed 22 vacation days a year, you have the time to enjoy them. Culturally, Spanish people are kind, welcoming, and outgoing. This generosity also includes the public services offered. Spain has
Spanish Bureaucracy Guides 