Get away for winter

We have been renting in Spain for 3 months from Jan to end of March for 5 years. I am sitting on the balcony in sunny Almunecar as I am replying. We carefully researched the driest warmest places and the Costa Tropical ticked all the boxes.We originally rented an old stone house in town even on a warm day it was freezing and we left after 15 days and nearly came home.. an expensive mistake! We managed to find a lovely apartment with a sunny balcony but it was 3 miles out of town but we did use it twice a year till this year. This year we are renting a smaller property in town with sea views which I found through friends who live in Spain. The important thing is make sure any accommodation is south facing and gets sun during the day and has heating. It is really cold when that sun goes down. We drive, take ferry Portsmouth to Santander so we do take some home comforts. It's a great life and we have made many friends and it's an affordable way to live in Spain but still live in England. We never stay over the 90 days as you have to register with the town hall and prove you have the funds to support yourself. Rentals vary but we pay around €600 monthly which is normal for off season rentals, but in October, (the best weather still hot and able to swim) we rent a bigger place €900 as you will find out how popular you are for family to visit. Almunecar is just over 1 hour to Malaga and 1 hour from Granada with plenty of cheap flights. Hope this helps and recommend to give it a try!

I have questions about insurance.

Travel insurance. Which company do you find to insure you for more than 30 days and how much does it cost extra?

The same question for home insurance. How much extra do you have to pay to have your home covered for an absence of 3 months and which companies allow this?

We have always limited our trips to 30 days because our insurances only cover us for that time.

GardenofEngland it sounds absolutely idyllic what you are doing and it’s exactly what my DH and myself have been wanting to do for years. I’m sitting here in wet and windy Devon and realising that life is too short not to do this next winter. Thank you for the information you have provided, I’m going to show my DH what you’ve said and start arranging next winter now. Could I just ask one question please, I have a small dog, do you happen to know whether I can take him on the ferry from Portsmouth? Enjoy the rest of your winter.

Aviva for Travel. Saga for car. The flat gets checked daily by our lovely neighbour and my daughter uses it as a weekend getaway so technically it's not empty.

Yes but I would advise to book a dog friendly cabin and book early as they go very quickly. There are kennels and an exercise area but most dog owners I have spoken to prefer their own cabin especially with a small dog.

I wouldn't look at a typical Brit resort. Were we stay is a working Spanish seaside town with very few Brit bars but enough English speakers to not miss home. Almunecar has a population of about 30000 in winter but treble that in July and August when the Spanish descend! Most of the rentals are owned by Spanish from inland Spain escaping the 40c and over heat, who spend 2 months at the coast then rent them out for the winter. All shops chemists etc. are open and most restaurants except a few on the beach stay open for the very lucrative winter trade.

We are slightly different. This is our second year renting in the South of France, Marseillan Village this year and we have been here since October. We rent a small house with 3 bedrooms if possible so that our family can visit. I am not keen on very hot weather so this suits us perfectly. Also I couldn't bear it in the height of summer to hot and too many people. There are lovely restaurants here, and amazing places to visit. The wine is good and we are a few yards from the local Cave. Our outlook is the Etang and boats galore. We drive from Scotland take a few days to get here and visit some of our favourite places on route. We drive a lot here and try to see as much of the region as possible and I understand this is not suitable for everyone. Sadly we go home next week and will dust of the caravan and tootle round Scotland during the summer months, assuming we have any.

I saw the apartment when on trip last year then found it on the internet and am dealing direct with the owner.
Lots to do,dog passport,insurance for house and me and dog,travel plans(probably car and ferry) but it's so exciting having an adventure to look forward to at 69.I also have to show income and proof of address in England.
I'm meeting the owner and staying in the apartment in March so will find out about any extras e.g. wifi,British t.v., heating.
I'll post when I get back.

My ex husband rents a small apartment on mainland Spain for 500 euros a month from November to March. Saves lots on heating bill and has less aches and pains as weather is so much more milder. He’s met lots of British people out there that do the same every winter.

We didn't want to go to a 'little England ' town but there is a lot of Belgians ( French is the most spoken language here ..after Spanish) and a massive Scandinavian population. But we still like it.

Thanks everyone for responses it's made interesting reading. We too dont want little England, my OH would prefer inland but I want somewhere within 30 mins walking distance to a beach. We dont really know southern Spain that well although when we were young did visit tourist resorts along the coast which are not us now.

My major concern is the journey down. We've only ever driven twice abroad (camping in northern France and hire car in Majorca) and both times we got lost or drove on wrong side of road and said never again. Our large elderly dog has to come with us so it's a big issue.

I'll start by emailing estate agents and take it from there. Very open to suggestions about areas to look at, good and bad. Also good local transport links are a must as we do like to explore.

kissngate regarding the journey, which we have done many times, these would be my tips. Try to make sure two of your travelling days are Saturday and Sunday. We always try to do the Spanish part on a Sunday as there are hardly any trucks on the road in Spain then and it makes a massive difference.

There are several routes through France but we avoid going the central route in winter. We also have a disc on the car window which allows us to just drive through the tolls and then our bank account is directly debited. Much easier.

Allow plenty of time to find your hotel for the night the sat navs are not always totally accurate.

The roads down through France and Spain are excellent. They are nearly all dual carriageway and a lot of them are empty.

After looking at having a friend drive me and the dog to Spain and then him driving back I have decided to send the dog by pet transporter and fly down with my friend.
Either way it's going to be around £1000 to get us there! That doesn't include the cost of a pet passport.
Good thing I adore my mutt and couldn't contemplate going without him.

My DH and I always winter away to Southern Spain (Alicante area, Orihuela Coast. Like others have said you need to book well in advance. Loads of sites that advertise properties abroad, when you get the property you think you want, write a quick note to the owners and ask if there is a discount for long term renters. We have very rarely been disappointed with properties chosen. We also go to the Canary Islands, for winter sun. We usually go for anything from 1 month to 3 months.

Hi, I'm new on Gransnet - only joined today!! This conversation is of particular interest to me. 18 months ago, I started a small business trying to do long winter rentals in Cyprus for the over 55's. We have a place in Cyprus (I work in a rental related business in the UK, plus I was in the holiday business before). I was doing really well, got some great properties on, then mum became ill and I just couldn't pursue it - now I am going to be a Nanny in June for the first time, I still can't pursue it like I wanted to, plus through all the dramas of the past year or so, I have lost my mojo and confidence . . . . Ah well! But I am more than happy to help advise anyone thinking of taking this sort of step for the winter, wherever you want to go (basic principles apply) . . . . it is a brilliant idea, but without a doubt there are some draw backs, I've looked into everything! Also Cyprus is another lovely place in the Winter to consider! Why not try and live the dream! All you can say is, "we tried it, but it wasn't for us", but at least you tried it!