3-month winter rental, Spain or Portugal

[LindaSmithfanclub]

I'm one of a group of friends who has decided that we're going to spend next winter abroad in order to get some sun and avoid the incessant British rain. We're all n a position to work remotely if we have to work at all.

Obviously Brexit may complicate matters, but leaving the bureacracy aside, has anyone done this? Any advice? Is a city a better bet than a coastal resort? A number of the houses we've looked at seem a bit spartan for a longer stay. Is it worth spending a lot more for a proper, comfortable home?

I’ve done similar and I loved it!

But not Spain or Portugal so I can’t advise you on that.

I think spending (a little more) for a more comfortable place is worthwhile. But don’t blow the budget, especially if, like me, you are in a good location and spend a lot of time out of the holiday home.

Have fun!

May I ask where you went? We immediately thought of Spain and Portugal but haven't ruled out elsewhere. Although we all love Portugal for a week or two, we're drawn to Spain as offering more cultural and historical interest and better rail connections. We are looking at Seville and Malaga at the moment but I'd really like to hear from others who've done this. What was it that made or ruined your experience? What do you need when you're away for a month or two in the winter that you don't need when you're away for a fortnight?

I was living overseas at the time so I actually wanted to escape the heat in summer so chose Northern Europe. But having spent many years in the UK as well, I can understand escaping the rain in winter. Personally, February was always the worst month for me.

Participation in local life was key for me. Otherwise you are doing the same thing in a more exotic location.

I joined a local activity group (hiking) and met expats and locals there. I also joined dinner club which was more local and a lot of fun. Great for my language skills after a couple of glasses of wine.

I went to loads of museums and galleries etc but I didn’t have to rush to fit everything in which was great.

I would suggest doing a Spanish cookery class or language lessons or something similar to give some structure to your time there. Always good to upskill!

I got quite a lot accomplished while I was there In terms of work so looking back, I must have been incredibly busy. But it was a fabulous time for me and I was on a high for a good six months afterwards. I’d love to it again but have geographic ties at the moment.

Tips - make sure you rent a place with a washing machine. I don’t like laundrettes where the machines look unfamiliar and I don’t understand what is going on and feel awkward about asking! 😂

If I did it again, I would be more minimalist in packing. I think I packed for every eventuality but really didn’t need 75% of it.

Don’t pack kitchen stuff Even if it does look spartan - buying what need over there to fill in the gaps in a basic holiday kitchen is fun and makes for good souvenirs.

Find a local restaurant and make it local. It is lovely to be recognised.

Last tip - stop talking about it. Just do it! Book now. Those memories are some of the happiest of my life.

Incidentally, I was supposed to do it with a friend who backed out about a month before due to her complicated love life. In retrospect, that was probably a good thing because it forced me to interact with locals more. But the point is, don’t let anything put you off or prevent you from go8ng. You will love it.

Tenerife or another of the other Canary Islands would be my first choice. They are the warmest and they are really cheap when it comes to cost of living.
Or South of Spain. Portugal is a lot cooler than Spain temperature and rainfall wise

Thank you: it's something I am definitely going to do. I find January and February difficult not just because of the weather and the lack of sunlight but because both my parents and my closest friend died at that time of year – admittedly some years ago now, but for me January and February are associated with loss and I'm inclined to feel low.

I'm not sure about somewhere like Tenerife, though I'm sure it's great for a holiday. All three of us are interested in culture and history and we like the idea of being able to potter off on trains or buses to a variety of towns and cities. Not so much variety on an island.

I like the idea of joining groups and doing courses and finding 'our' restuarant: thank you for the suggestions.

The three of us have agreed to a weekend away at the end of the month to plan and book it. Just the thought of it is lifting me out of the winter gloom. I must start brushing up my Spanish with Duolingo.

We have a property in Spain and it can be very cold there in 'winter'. Houses aren't insulated like in UK.
Barcelona is a great place to visit and very accessible by public transport.
Good luck!

I live in Portugal and the winters can be very, very wet and cold (OK, it's going to be 28c here today but we're still lighting a fire at night). The Algarve is milder but for true winter sun you'd be better off in the Canary Islands.

It snowed in Greece last time I was there!

The med can be surprisingly cold in winter....but it is still usually warmer and drier than the UK.

My in laws did a 3 month house swap with a family in Seville. Worked let really well, everyone enjoyed it and they have remained friends years later.

I stayed in a holiday house near Barcelona in January when visiting family. It was lovely during the day but bloody cold at night, and like a pp said holiday houses are often not insulated.

I'd still recommend the area as a base and we did get a lot of winter sun, but spend more and get a house that's intended for living in all year round.

Thanks, yes, I'm aware of this. I have friends who live in rural Spain and having been snowed up with them one Easter I realise that Spanish houses are built for the heat, not the cold! I think we'd probably be looking, for that reason, for somewhere that's not just a holiday home and with a proper source of heating. I'm not expecting sun and 20+ degrees every day, but I live in the western part of the UK and the winters are getting wetter and wetter and the sky seems perpetually grey. Three sunny days a week would be a huge improvement. I know it's possible because I have friends in the Malaga area this week and they've posted pix of themselves in t-shirts.

Cyprus is a bit warmer if that’s an option?

We do this every year - except our forthcoming trip is pretty much off due to CV. We have done both Spain and Portugal and both are great. We tend to pick the run up to Xmas and then April - June. We had fab weather in Portugal this winter and planning on returning but much more experience of Spain.

My advice would be pick something really comfortable with nice furniture, rugs, great wi fi, preferably South facing and definitely with some form of heating be it a working fireplace or better still central heating. I lived in southern Spain for 8 years and it can get very cold, especially at night and if it rains for a day or two it will quickly feel damp without heating. Weather on the coast is always warmer but be aware that some places are pretty dead during winter whilst others remain lively, albeit with a different clientele. We always pick close to coast as we love beach walking and having a coffee or drink by the sea. In many coastal areas a big town or city for more cultural/retail excursions are usually relatively close.

Thank you –you've confirmed what we were thinking, which was a lively coastal town so that we are able to get out every day for beach walks etc but with easy travel links to larger cities. We're finding the Malaga area rather expensive for what we had in mind so are now looking a bit further west towards Cadiz.