Chinchón – somewhere southeast of Madrid

Chinchón sounds not really like a Spanish city name more like a chinese expresion and many Spanish have never heard of it even though it is only one hour by bus from Madrid. So if you plan your trip to this pretty Spanish town in the south of Madrid you might encounter people asking you: What, where are you going? or Chinchón?

Nevertheless I did not loose my motivation even though it didn’t seem an extremly popular destination at that time. We took the bus 337 from Conde de Casal to Chinchón.

Guest Post: Living in Spain – 10 Travel Tips That Have Ensured My Survival by Will Peach

Today there is a guest blogger writing about his adventures here at Madrilicious.com. Will Peach, from MySpanishAdventure.com, came  to Spain in September 2011 to learn Spanish, meet new people, live like a local and escape the 9 to 5 routine. On his blog you can find many interesting stories about his experiences in Spain and also many interviews with other expats who decided to live in Spain.

I hope you enjoy his guest post, I think the tips really help. So let’s start:

Will Peach is part of the editorial team at the gap year travel site GapDaemon.com and gives some good advice on what to see in Spain over on his site MySpanishAdventure.com.

Last September I gave up everything to follow my dreams and move to Spain. Taking the risk was a big one. At 25 years of age, with very little money and next to no idea over how I was going to survive, I plunged headfirst into an environment where I knew neither a single soul nor a single thing about the place I wound up in.

Needless to say the experience taught me a shed load. Among those painful nights of solitude and wondering what on earth I had done, I was actually growing into a hardened traveller, picking up life-affirming lessons that were to forever alter my outlook.

Looking back now, my experiences living in Spain have been richer than any of travels I’ve made previously. What are the top ten takeaways that have helped ensure my survival? Read on and find out.

1. Learn the Basics Beforehand

Yes it’s a pretty obvious one but it’s also something hardly any travellers bother with due to the assumption that the whole world speaks English. Learning the basics of Spanish before arriving in the dry, barren lands of Extremadura, helped me out no end. If you’re planning on spending any long period of time in Spain make sure you do the same, you’ll be surprised by how few Spaniards speak it well.

2. Pack as Light as Possible

Chances are you’re going to want to travel around a bit or even hop around Europe when you wind up in this part of the world. Budget flights work out best when you have next to no baggage. Pack as light as possible and you’ll be handsomely rewarded.

3. Couch Surf Instead of Hostel Stays

Many a traveller will turn their nose up at the thought of arriving in a place like Spain and crashing on someone’s couch. Doing this however has always worked out great for me as it gives you a solid base to start with in a new place and some new contacts to boot.

4. Lose Yourself as Soon as Possible

Getting lost in a new city or town and finding your way back is the best way to get over any intimidation travels in a new place may bring. Make sure you have a good map and pick out some major landmarks and you’ll find it very difficult to get lost in the first place but much better for it afterward.

5. Introduce Yourself to Locals

Living in Spain – 10 Travel Tips That Have Ensured My Survival

Today there is a guest blogger writing about his adventures on Living in Spain here at Madrilicious.com. Will Peach, from MySpanishAdventure.com, came  to Spain in September 2011 to learn Spanish, meet new people, live like a local and escape the 9 to 5 routine. On his blog you can find many interesting stories about his experiences in Spain and also many interviews with other expats who decided on Living in Spain.

I hope you enjoy his Living in Spain guest post, I think the tips really help. So let’s start:

Will Peach is part of the editorial team at the gap year travel site GapDaemon.com and gives some good advice on what to see in Spain over on his site MySpanishAdventure.com.

Last September I gave up everything to follow my dreams and move to Spain. Taking the risk was a big one. At 25 years of age, with very little money and next to no idea over how I was going to survive, I plunged headfirst into an environment where I knew neither a single soul nor a single thing about the place I wound up in.

Needless to say the experience taught me a shed load. Among those painful nights of solitude and wondering what on earth I had done, I was actually growing into a hardened traveller, picking up life-affirming lessons that were to forever alter my outlook.

Looking back now, my experiences living in Spain have been richer than any of travels I’ve made previously. What are the top ten takeaways that have helped ensure my survival? Read on and find out.

1. Learn the Basics Beforehand

Yes it’s a pretty obvious one but it’s also something hardly any travellers bother with due to the assumption that the whole world speaks English. Learning the basics of Spanish before arriving in the dry, barren lands of Extremadura, helped me out no end. If you’re planning on spending any long period of time in Spain make sure you do the same, you’ll be surprised by how few Spaniards speak it well.

2. Pack as Light as Possible

Chances are you’re going to want to travel around a bit or even hop around Europe when you wind up in this part of the world. Budget flights work out best when you have next to no baggage. Pack as light as possible and you’ll be handsomely rewarded.

3. Couch Surf Instead of Hostel Stays

Many a traveller will turn their nose up at the thought of arriving in a place like Spain and crashing on someone’s couch. Doing this however has always worked out great for me as it gives you a solid base to start with in a new place and some new contacts to boot.

4. Lose Yourself as Soon as Possible

Getting lost in a new city or town and finding your way back is the best way to get over any intimidation travels in a new place may bring. Make sure you have a good map and pick out some major landmarks and you’ll find it very difficult to get lost in the first place but much better for it afterward.

5. Introduce Yourself to Locals