Armishaws are a leading removals companies in the UK who regularly move worldwide to most locations, including Spain, so have given their top ten tips and facts about moving to Madrid:

1) British families who move to Spain with school-age or pre-school children should register at their town hall, who will advise about schools.

2) Spanish families place high priority on giving their children a good education; consequently places at private schools are filled well in advance, and there are waiting lists.

3) Upon successfully completion of four years of secondary education they are awarded their ESO (certificate of secondary education, Educación Secundaria Obligatoria). This may take more than four years since failure to make satisfactory progress can mean repeating the year.

4) Some fiestas are location-specific, based on a local legend or a real historical event. A good example of this is San Sebastian, in the Basque country, which holds a festival each January to celebrate their liberation from French rule by Lord Wellington in 1812.

5) Many aspects of the Spanish lifestyle are extremely easy to get used to: the sunshine, the wine and the sangria, the paella, the tortilla and the tapas, and the uplifting rhythms of the bossa nova and the flamenco as the sun goes down and nightlife begins.

6) Spectacular fireworks are a popular feature at fiestas, and probably the most spectacular of all are the ones that light up the skies at the Summer Solstice, when bonfires are lit to celebrate the longest day. This tradition is especially strong in the south of Spain

7) The Spanish healthcare system works well, and it is often even possible to find English speaking medical staff. However, before moving to Spain you need to be sure that the costs of future medical treatment will be covered.

Spanish healthcare is not free, but individuals who are covered by the State system pay only a small contribution towards the cost, depending on their personal circumstances.

9) For those looking to embrace a traditional Spanish lifestyle, inland Spain has plenty of attractive villages where life is not seasonal, property prices are lower, and you will be able to join in local community life.

10) A common pattern is for people to move from the UK initially to their Spanish holiday home, and to relocate to a different part of Spain a few years later after exploring the country in greater depth. There is probably a richer variation in regional cultures in Spain than in any other European country. Each region has its own history and its own traditions, and regions such as Galicia, the Basque country and Catalunya still retain their own languages alongside Spanish.

If you live in Madrid and are a foodie then take note now…there is a gastro festival that will consume the city from 25th January to 5th February.

There are hundreds of restaurants taking part, with menu’s of 25 euros, 40 euros, and dinners with star chefs at 75 euros. And I want to try the Degustatapas offered by numerous restaurants!

The festival also looks at how food is integrated into, and influenced by culture with various events at libraries, theaters, films and more.

They say: The III Edition Gastrofestival 2012 program reaches beyond the borders of traditional restaurant cuisine and takes place in a variety of spaces. Gastronomy is conceived as culture, and one can enjoy major museums and art galleries, kitchenware, gourmet and luxury shops and the National Film Archive with a cuisine-related film series in the theater.

Full details can be found at: www.esmadrid.com/gastrofestival and for a round up of last year’s festival, check out this New York Times article

The Guiri Guide team have gone back to their various homes and families for Christmas and our new years holidays, we’ll be back in January with more tips, tricks and stories to help make life smoother and more fun  in Madrid.

If you are heading down to Puerta del Sol,  keep your valuables locked up (pick pockets are out in force) and have a fantastic time ringing in the new year with the Madrilenos. And don’t forget to eat your twelve grapes on the 12 chimes of the clock at midnight for good luck in 2012!

We wish you Feliz Navidad and Feliz Año Nuevo,

The Guiri Guide team

Madrid’s metro system is one of the largest and best metropolitan rail systems in the world. Built in 1919, the Madrid metro was born out of the necessity to connect its citizens in a rapidly-growing urban environment. The construction of new lines and expanding platforms caused the Chamberí station to close in the 1960s, leaving it mostly abandoned until 2008, when the station was reopened as a museum called Andén Cero, or Platform Zero.

Situated in the Chamberí neighborhood, the museum at Andén Cero offers a short video that outlines the history of Madrid’s underground railway system. After watching the video, visitors can then see the fully-restored lobby and platforms, designed by architect Antonio Palacios, who also designed some of Madrid’s most beautiful attractions, such as the Palacio de Comunicaciones and the Círculo de Bellas Artes.

A quick trip to Chamberí is a journey back in time. With advertisements and metro system maps restored back to their original states, walking through the station feels like a trip to the 1940s. Palacios’ designs are still intact, down to every last detail, with bright tilework adorning every inch of the space. A large plexiglass barrier separates visitors from the train tracks, so you can safely stand on the platform and watch the occasional line 1 train go by.

Andén Cero is free to visit every Tuesday to Friday from 11am to 7pm, and on weekends from 11am to 3pm. Be sure to take metro line 1 from Bilbao to Iglesia so you can see Chamberí station from the train, and then walk down C/ Santa Engracia until you reach the museum entrance in the Plaza de Chamberí.

Shana came to Madrid in 2009 for a brief summer study program and couldn’t stay away for long. Immediately after finishing university, she came back in September 2010 and has since been spending her time navigating the English language with primary school children and constantly rediscovering all of the charms that captured her for the first time.

Shana came to Madrid in 2009 for a brief summer study program and couldn’t stay away for long. Immediately after finishing university, she came back in September 2010 and has since been spending her time navigating the English language with primary school children and constantly rediscovering all of the charms that captured her for the first time.

While I am of the firm belief that Madrid is a fantastic and beautiful place in all seasons, all bets are off once the crisp autumn air rolls into the city. The leaves change, the oppressive summer heat subsides, and the siesta begins yielding to an afternoon stroll through the always enchanting Parque Retiro. However, to fully enjoy this season, you must first equip yourself correctly. Everybody–guiri or otherwise–wears scarves here, both for form and for function in the colder months. Long or square, thick or thin, solid or patterned? They are the perfect accessory when the wind begins to blow, not to mention they might make you look a little bit more Madrileño! Don’t have any scarves? Don’t worry. Head over to El Rastro next Sunday morning and you will find scarves of all patterns and colors, starting as cheap as 2€ each.

A Madrid autumn also comes with plenty to do. Every year in late October/early November, Madrid’s Jazz festival begins and brings world-famous names and acts to the capital city. Individual tickets begin around 10€, with shows held in the Auditorio Conde Duque (Metro: Noviciado), Teatro Fernán Gomez (Metro: Colón), and Teatro Circo Price (Metro: Atocha). This year, the festival runs from the 2nd of November to the 4th of December and is sure to entertain.

A great place to see the fall colors is Aranjuez, just south of the city. A quick cercanías train ride from Atocha, Aranjuez is a charming town with good food, a grand palace, and incredible gardens. While this town is often visited in the summer via its famous Strawberry Train, the gardens are best viewed after the summer heat disappears and the orange leaves begin scattering themselves along the walkways. Be sure to bring your camera with a fully-charged battery, because maxing out your memory card on this journey is a given.

If you’re more of a summer person, don’t fret–the warm weather will be back before you know it. Until then, bundle up with one of your newly-purchased scarves and return to enjoying sangria’s cold-weather cousin, the ever-reliable vino tinto.