Anybody in Madrid?

[Mamateur]

We're thinking of moving there to live for 3 years and would like advice on flats, schools and everything!

Would love to hear from you..

Hi I'm not in Madrid but these websites might be useful for finding flats

www.idealista.com and www.fotocasa.es

HTH

This website is not so active for the Madrid section, but you'll find useful info about activities, ... There is a forum, so you can try posting there

sorry, the website:

www.mumabroad.com/madrid

you could also try mums in spain

Thanks for your posts, I'll check those sites out

Hello!

Yep, we're here and have been for 2 and a half years, although we are moving back to Bristol at the end of the month. Our DD was born here and we've both worked here.

Flat prices seem to be comparable to Bristol (in the UK) - certainly much, much cheaper than London. We pay ?700/month for a 2 bedroom flat with lift in a quietish neighbourhood 40 minutes from the center by bus, but with lots of local facilities. Obviously the price will depend on your barrio - so Salamanca would be much more expensive, while Simancas even cheaper. Some of the newer barrios are very soul-less with few local shops - avoid.

Nobody here has much good to say about local schools - according to expat friends who have been here longer than us and work in education they are very didactic and quite behind the times in terms of teaching technique. But I guess it depends on which barrio you end up in. There are private schools, including ones where the language of instruction is English or French, if you can afford it. Otherwise Madrid is very good for kids - loads of parks and play areas, plus plenty of child-centred attractions - though I imagine being a parent of teenagers here would be quite unnerving, as youth clubs don't really exist, so they all hang out in parks and square after dark doing what teenagers do.

If you've got any more specific questions feel free to message me or post here and I'll try to answer them.

PS: meant to say, check out these blogs (one of which is mine and my wife's) for more info on general Madrid stuff:
www.moving-to-madrid.blogspot.com
www.movingtomadrid.blogspot.com