Maybe the last mall you describe is Plaza Mar 2 and the huge store is Alcampo, it's like a carrefour, a nice way to move in Alicante is the bus line 23, the blue one, he takes you from Muxamel to Oscar Espla last stop where the bus station and the train station are close to each other just in opposite directions. Usually traveling in bus to Benidorm for example by bus is really fast, much more than the Tram, you have a bus every hour so is very flexible. If any of you have questions I'm a local so you can ask me anything.
Thank you Diana for the information. This is really helpful and is so much appreciated. I will pin this at the top of our comments so others can see it. Thank you for contributing to our channel!!! Cheers!! 🍻
I am also an American so I was intrigued at your video. After numerous vacations to the Alicante area, I fell in love with the region, the people, and the culture and bought a home and am now a full time resident. While the beach and downtown Alicante are amazing spots to hang out, I deliberately chose not to live very close to the coast for the reason you stated that it might be too big. Size is not the issue. Crowding during the height of the tourist season is. Parking is a nightmare. Alicante is a tourist destination and you will find lots of mixtures of language and culture, a real positive for some people that don't want to learn the language and immerse themselves, but a bit of a negative for those that want to truly feel at home here. I wanted a home in a more traditional area with some space around it and found it near the town of Tibi which is about a 20 minute easy drive to Alicante and the coast. It is up a bit in the mountains so a bit milder in the summer. My villa, which was immensely affordable, is nestled into an urbanization among the pines. My neighbors are mostly Spanish but there are also British, Dutch, and German expats. I am taking free Spanish classes in the nearby town of Castalla. The main attraction to me is the amazing people here. I hope you find your dream somewhere in the world. Spain is a wonderful possibility.
It sounds like you have an amazing place Art. Fully submerging yourself into the culture is a wonderful thing. Something that is difficult to do when you move as much as we do. Thank you for sharing your story and for watching our channel. Cheers!!🍻
I enjoyed watching your Alicante Pros and Cons as I grew up in Alicante. In answer to one of your questions : summer time is different as many locals go live at their summer home in the Playa San Juan or other beaches. The cruises, as in any city that hosts them, bring in thousands upon thousands of tourists, but they tend to congregate in the old part of town, las ramblas and so forth. By your description, it seems like you guys were staying around the casco viejo (I could be wrong) but at night time, that is the trendy bar area. I've always said that I see more people out at night than I do during the day. EVERYONE is out, young ones, parents with their kids and their grandparents - it's truly a family centered culture. If you stayed in the same spot in the summer, you would notice the quiet difference. I loved your pro on the central market - it's one of my favs too. I no longer live in Alicante, but I do miss it for it's easy way of life and all the outdoor outings in the surrounding areas. The province of Alicante has lovely smaller quaint towns that might be closer to the size you are looking for - that are also on the water AND have a marina. Good luck on your search around Spain 🇪🇸
Alicante is a beautiful city. Friendly locals, easy to get around, great cafe's and spotlessly clean. Looking forward to returning when things return to normal. Highly recommend.
Thank you both, Brian and Carrie, for an excellent video. We are retired educators planning on visiting southern Spain in the fall to look for our next home. Although our search has been virtual so far, it seems that the southern coastal area of Spain fits our needs and wants better than other countries. This area looks beautiful. We love a walkable and accessible city, and Valencia, Alicante, Torrevieja, and the towns along the coast. Gracias! Dean & Cindy
Hi, Dean and Cindy! We loved our time in Alicante not only for the city itself but the ease of traveling around the region. We hope to get back someday soon but there are so many places we have yet to explore. Thank you for watching!! Cheers!!🍻
Just returned from my First trip to Spain and Alicante was where I spent most of my time as my daughter has lived there for four years. I miss it so much I love that town we had such a good time and everything you said is so true I can’t wait to get back there again just found you guys and subscribe so looking forward to all your travels ciao
Thank you, Kathy! We loved Alicante! We enjoyed taking the tram up the coast, being able to explore Calpe, Altea, and the rest of Costa Blanca was something we haven't found in some of the other areas we have been to. We have just arrived in Cabana, Portugal so we will see how it compares. Thanks again!! Cheers!!!🍻
Hi guys, thank you both for the wonderful video. I'm Canadian who's been living in Germany for over 22 years, but I'm kinda fed up with the northern German weather and maybe also with people, who tend to be pretty stiff and humorless, so I've been thinking of moving to Alicante in a couple of years. I checked home prices and rent, and found out that I can really afford to live there, much cheaper than Barcelona and Valencia. adiós
Thanks for sharing Steven! We finally got fed up with the climate in the Seattle region. Alicante is a great place to consider and on our list!! Good luck to you!! Cheers!!!
My husband and I are planning to retire in Spain as well. He has family in Zaragoza but it gets really cold in winter. I was all sold on Malaga but you guys have made me rethink about maybe heading to Alicante. We plan to rent Airbnb in cities we are researching for at least two weeks and go from there. Thanks for all the great information you share.
Hi Mariela! That's a great idea, renting in places that you think you are interested in. We have never been to Malaga but we really loved Alicante! Good luck with your search and safe travels. Cheers!!!🍻
The Costa Blanca is a stunning coast. So varied, so pretty, such variety of things to do and places to visit. The weather is easily as sunny as the south coast because of the mountains that create a microclimate. Stunning cities- Alicante, Benidorm, Valencia. (Benidorm being my favourite, staying in the Old Town.) ( worth visiting Guadalest it is just beautiful.)
Another well done video - Thank you for sharing your thoughts on Alicante. The pros you describe certainly outweigh the cons, for us. Now we are looking forward to our spring 2022 trip to Alicante with even more excitement! Best of luck with wherever you are planning to go next.
Thank you Ernest. You have a lot to look forward to! We'll have our "first impressions" video out later this week on our new home for the next month. Cheers 🍻
Hi : You guys are great, thank you for being so nice and sharing all these experiences with us I am constantly watching different videos of travelling since that is our plan too in the near future. I really like that your videos are precise, go to the point, great tips, and not excessively long like others I have watched. Thank you and keep enjoying life!
Go to Colonia Requena, Juan XIII, Virgen del Remedio, Montoto, Cementerio as a blond tourist and you will be robbed in 5 seconds in these neighborhoods in Alicante...Not killing!
Hi Brian and Carrie. I just returned from a short break to Alicante. It was our first time and it was great to recognize all the places you showed in the video. My family and I stayed at the San Juan beach and went a few times to the centre of Alicante. Public transport is easy and connection is very good and cheap indeed.
That's great to hear Dutch! We try to give as much information as possible in our videos so it's nice to get a comment like this!! Thank you for watching and supporting our channel! Cheers!!!🍻
I live just down the coast from Alicante. A fantastic place to live! I really like the Spanish people and lifestyle. Cons? I have had some problems with administration, which can be slow and difficult. The tram system is great, but can get really packed peak season. The Alicante / Benidorm tram in particular. Line 3 from El Campello to Alicante has much longer double trams. It is slower as it makes every stop, but you are more likely to get a seat than line 1.
Great video. Loved Alicante when we went, twice. Also, like you, really loved Altea. We loved La Crispeta restaurant just off the Alicante old town hall square. Also D'TABLAS... fun tapas bar where they come round every few minutes with big platters of tapas on little blocks of wood and if you like the look of it, you take one. At the end, they count up your blocks and bill you. Enjoy!
Hi Glen! Thank you! We actually did make it to D'tablas. Really cool place! We ment to get back in to include it in our video just never made it back. Thanks for your suggestions. Cheers 🍻
Another great video guys, Alicante is one of the many many places on our travel list so we'll definitely come back and watch your recommendations again before we get there.
Alicante is still at the top of the places we love the most. With the weather, beach, marina, markets, and the tram system, Alicante checks a lot of boxes for us. We hope that you enjoy your stay as much as we did. Thank you for the comments and for supporting us. Safe travels. Cheers!!🍻
Am based in corporate Tokyo but have been thinking to retire in a warm area somewhere in the world. You guys have motivated me to make the move to Alicante . Thanks soooo much.
You both do an excellent job presenting relevant topics and information in your videos. It’s nice to see you both equally engaged. My wife and I are looking forward to starting our slow travels in a couple years.
We loved our time in Alicante and will hopefully return one day. We just passed through Benidorm on the train, it sure looked like a bit more modern beach town. Thanks for watching 😊
I do love Alicante! Favorite city and beach Playa San Juan!!! Hoping to retire southern Costa Blanca around Torrevieja which is not too far from Alicante
Very nice Phillip! When we go back to Spain we are going to explore the Southern Costa Blanca before heading north to San Sebastian. We love Spain!! Cheers!!!🍻
@@BrianandCarrie post some new videos about the North, keen on visiting Basque Country someday. The culinary scene is phenomenal there. Our family tends to vacation in relaxing Torrevieja since we have a place there. Safe travels!!!
Phillip, we will be in Eastern Europe for most of 2022 and South East Asia for the first half of 2023. That's the plan for now anyway. Basque Country is on our list for sure. So many places we want to go to!!! Cheers!!!🍻
Hi Brian and Carrie. We first watched this video many months ago, and are now spending a week in Alicante. Overall great weather this past week. We live in Oregon, but are retired and just might make this area our new home someday - it checks all our boxes! Thanks for the great video.
Hi Brian and Carrie. I stumbled upon your video when looking for things to do in Alicante. We have just come back from there (4 day break). Walking around we also stumbled across the Red Corner sports bar so we did stop for a drink. I quickly showed them your video and that brought some amusement from the bar staff. Anyway, we thought their beers were expensive. Near enough 10euros for 2 pints of lager. I know you're not there anymore but our favorite place was 100 Montaditos which was right next to the beach. Great for people watching and beers (400ml) at 1.5euro. They also sold super fresh finger sandwiches at 1 euro a piece. I think that 100 Mondaditos is a Spanish chain. OMG it was a good spot and became our regular on all 4 days. Anyway on the back of the Alicante video, I have seen quite a few of your posts. They are all quite entertaining. Hope you are both well and we wish you the very best.
Thank you, Jack! 10euros!?! We were paying 6.00 for 2 pints. The Red Corner did tag us a thank you on Instagram a few months back so they are aware of us. 😆 We did stop at the 100 Montaditos a number of times for the 1.50euro beers and some finger snacks. Close to the beach, you can't go wrong. On your next 4 day break, you should check out, if you haven't already, the Algarve here in Portugal. We are really enjoying it as well. Thanks so much for watching and supporting us! To cheap beer!! Cheers!!!🍻
Great video!!! I was born in Alicante but I live in Elche near there. Alicante is a fantastic city althouhg Elche is smoller than Alicante is, Elche has beautiful places too. I love both.
Hi José, I hope you don't mind the question but I am deciding on where to move in the Valencian community. I am an English teacher and really love a peaceful, laid back vibe with lots of nature and friendly people. Do you think Alicante is a good fit for me? One thing I noticed is there don't seem to be a lot of trees...or shade....or nature? Is this true? Also, I love sailing and surfing and snorkeling. Is it possible to do these activities in or near Alicante or can you suggest another place in the Valencian Community? Thank you so much for any advice you can give!
I have lived in Gran Alicant, about 20 minutes south of the city, for a year now. Gran Alicant is peaceful and rather dull, but it is a 50-minute bus ride to town. I love exploring the city, and it really is very safe and affordable!
Great video! So informative. We are looking to retire next year, and Alicante is on our list to scout. I can’t wait to visit! Who knows, we may wind up living there!
Congratulations, Mark! Alicante is one of our favorite places. We love how the tram system gets you up the coast to explore for the day. Thanks for watching and safe travels!! Cheers!!!🍻
Hello, As my husband, Tom, mentioned in a previous comment to you, it was because of your utub and comments about Alicante and other factors that changed our decision to move to Alicante instead of Valencia. We fly out of the USA on March 21st and after spending some time at our already booked Airbnb in Valencia, we will be heading to Valencia with 14 pieces of luggage for our permanent way of Life. I just watched the utube about your Airbnb near the Alicante Mercado. Looks like a great location. Could you share what Airbnb it was, though with 14 pieces of luggage, it may be too small but maybe in that same area we can find something larger. The price for the month was desirable, but I guess that depends on the time of year. Keep up the good work, we watch all your utubes and appreciate your personalities and honest opinions. We are in our early 70's and look forward to thus adventure. Safe Travels, Diane and Tom
Hi Diane and Tom! The location of our Airbnb in Alicante was certainly ideal. But to be honest, after a month and with only 2 pieces of luggage, we were ready to have more space around us. So, I would imagine with the amount of luggage you will be storing, that location may not be a very good fit. I do know there were other Airbnb's (I believe larger) in the same building. It appeared the owner did manage all the units in the building, and he was great to work with. Here is the link for you to check out: www.airbnb.com/rooms/24647955?guests=1&adults=1&s=67&unique_share_id=66fb77f8-9261-460c-9027-e5ac66816fc5 Prior to booking our Airbnb, we did find some other places that looked great in the area of El Carrer Dels Bolets (which is the street with all the mushrooms). This area is just a few blocks to the south of where we stayed and a bit closer to the marina. It was very flat, walkable, and around many nice (quieter) cafes and restaurants (ours was near a few nightclubs that could get very loud on the weekends). Unfortunately, they ended up being booked before we were able to reserve them. After being in Alicante for a while and walking that area, we realized that location would have been a really great fit for us long term. It sounds like you have such an exciting adventure ahead of you!! Safe travels 🙂 Cheers 🍻
@BrianandCarrie can you please tell me what you mean about after sometime you wanted "more space around you?" Do you mean the accommodations felt small? Or the city felt crowded?
Thanks for another great video . Me and my wife are getting ready to do a long trip through Spain early next year . Much like the both of you we are planning a different home base each month . So far we have Marbella for one month and Valencia for another month . In regards to Valencia , did you prefer Alicante over Valencia ? Thanks again for your insight .
We do prefer Alicante over Valencia. Alicante was smaller and all the main attractions are closer. Old Town, the beach, the marina, the central market, all within a mile. Valencia is fantastic just bigger. Old town is bigger with more history. Very easy to walk around and public transit is really good. The beach is a bit far from everything else but again, public transit is really good. Hopefully you can enjoy both locations. Each have something to offer. Enjoy your trip! Have fun, life is good. Cheers 🍻
I have lived in Alicante for 8 years, I am from Madrid but brought up in New York, London and Germany, Many places in Alicante, try Javea, I lived there 3 years, now I live in Denmark on the farms, Danish is very hard for me, enjoy it there, nice weather and plenty of police of not too many, busy roads there and lots of people, now here is a very quiet place we enjoy it here, I lived in Albufereta, Edifico Rocafel, about 3 kms up the road from you, its all on the beach there
Wow! You have been all over the place. We would like to get to Germany and Denmark in the next 2 years. We really enjoyed Alicante, Costa Blanca, and the rest of Spain we got to explore. Thank you for the support and for watching our channel. Cheers!!! 🍻
thanks for this video about alicante.i'm italian and i've been to spain several times. Barcelona, Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca. spain is wonderful. all clean, order, civility, happiness, fun, safety, organization, etc. I plan to move as soon as possible to Alicante or Valencia. my only problem is learn the english language well which is essential to find a job there. Spanish is much easier. english is ina very beautiful language but very difficult for me. I hope to learn well and then I move. Thank you
Great video. My son just moved to Cartagena and we plan to visit Alicante for 4 days. We also plan to perhaps live in Spain as well. Especially if my son stays
B&C, enjoyed this vlog the 2nd TIME. We have decided to move from NC to Spain. Up until this morning we were set to look in Valencia to rent. We think we will like Alicante more. We will retire in Spain and, like you guys, be on a budget. Looks absolutely spectacular and slightly more affordable that Valencia. Love to hear what you both think if you were choosing. Thanks and hope you end up moving their yourselves.
Hi Tom, we definitely prefer Alicante. We just felt like we had more options of things to do and go see. If nothing else, we just head down to the beach or jump on the tram and head up the coast. That wasn't as easy in Valencia. The beach was a bus ride away and getting out of town was a bit more difficult as well. Safe travels and congratulations!! Cheers!!!
@@BrianandCarrie great! It's funny, we spent months getting all worked up over Valencia and then we watched your vlog (and Traveling Nomads) and suddenly realized how bitchin Alicante is.
@@tomsorensen5578 I am Algerian originally, I used to go to Spain a lot when I was a kid, I would buy stuff from Alicante and then sell them in Algeria. I moved to the US in 2001 and currently living in NC and I am planning to retire between Algeria and Alicante. You can find a long term rental in a good neighborhood in Alicante, like 2 or 3 bedrooms for 600 dollars a month in a safe neighborhood in Alicante, plus food is a lot cheaper than the US. I would say at least 30% cheaper than NC. Good luck
My husband and I are planning to retire in Spain as well. He has family in Zaragoza but it gets really cold in winter. I was all sold on Malaga but you guys have made me rethink about maybe heading to Alicante. We plan to rent Airbnb in cities we are researching for at least two weeks and go from there.
Hi! I'm trying to solve the Valencia vs Alicante debate and am wondering what factors, besides cost, played into your decision. Thanks so much for any insights you can offer! It's quite the conundrum!
Great video. Going to Alicante this week to look for an apartments. Any tips for finding an apartment? What’s your best coffee spot and restaurant to hang out.
Hi Joel! We would recommend using Idealista to find an apartment. As far as hang outs, we really liked the Red Corner Sports Bar but there are many to choose from! Thank you for watching!! CHEERS!!!
This seems to be a very charming place, I hope I can visit sometime in the future. Seeing and sharing places like this is why I love traveling and make videos so much! And please keep up the great job! Subscribed!!
Thank you so much!!! We loved Alicante! We will make sure we check out your channel to get new ideas on a future destination!! Thank you for watching!! Cheers!!!🍻
My sister and BIL moved there 5 years ago, have leased the same apartment the whole time, and love it there. They feels they're part of their local neighborhood community.
Not sure if you've been to the Canaries in winter. It's a good bit warmer than mainland Spain or Portugal in winter and are cooler in summer. Madeira (part of Portugal) offers similar climate advantages I believe. Low-cost airlines go to these locations.
We have not yet been to the Canaries or Madeira. We spent May and June in The Algarve region of Portugal and absolutely loved it! We do plan on getting out to the islands someday soon. Thank you for watching!! Cheers!!!🍻
Liking your videos and your attitude to the places you experience. I very happily moved to the Alicante area from London(U.K.) 18 years ago and can honestly say that I have not regretted a single day here. My one gripe however is with visitors/new residents who never stop complaining that, things may be done differently here compared to wherever they may be from. They need to remember that they chose to move to Spain for whatever reason and need to adapt to local customs and attitudes. The same applies, I would suggest, to anyone in a foreign country whether short or long term...
Thank you for this advice, Peter. We say all the time that we are guests here so deal with it!! 😊 for example, we have been in many places where smoking indoors is allowed. We just grin and bear it. 😁 We are their guests in their country!
I've really enjoyed the time I spent in Alicante and as you say the transport links up the coast towards Denia are excellent on the train/tram - and not expensive. Even though Alicante is a large city the centre is very walkable and there are lots of good tapas bars. We too used el Mercado for food and sometimes ate and drank there. Our budget hotel was just around the back and there was a friendly coffee shop I visited every morning. There is a lot to do in the city and transport links are good - we travelled on to Granada and the cost was very reasonable by coach/bus. Hoping to return to ESP this autumn as I've been learning the language and want to see more areas - Denia seems like a must and we haven't been to Valencia yet. Great vids - keep up the great work. Buenas Suerte 🍀
Thank you, Simon! We really enjoyed Alicante. We have traveled to several places since we were there and it is still near the top of our favorite places! Thanks for watching and safe travels. Cheers!!!🍻
Hi Elsa, we love Alicante! We only have one more day :( we are excited for our next destination and love Spain so we should have a great time. good luck in your move. You are very lucky!! CHEERS!!
Playa San Juan/ Muchavista are one of the best beaches!!! Postiguet gets quick crazy in the summer. Always love coming back to Alicante annually. We're actually in Torrevieja.
You may want to have a week off sometimes in Spain - I've done volunteer English-speaking with VaughanTown and Estacion Inglesa - variety of locations, usually 4 star hotels, all meals (wine with all meals)
Thanks for sharing your experience, we’re planning to visit Alicante in the spring, 2022 and it is very helpful. The area that you described where you stayed sounded ideal for us being near the beach and the marina, would appreciate it if you could post the link to there you stayed.
I was in alecante in July and it was HOT! I mean really hot. It was 114+F in the morning. And not a lot of AC available. BUT!! I’ll move back in a NY minute. It’s beautiful, the food is great, and the region is a little run down but extremely safe.
Love El Corte Ingles. You guys are so blessed to be able to visit all these fabulous places in good health. Thanks for sharing these videos. Nov 8 is my bday. Is this a sign :)
Great store. Has everything you can imagine but the prices are very high compared to other Spanish options. Carrefour is a wonderful choice. Of course being a man, I spend a great deal of time in the hardware stores Leroy Merlin's and Bricomart.
Hi Zack! That's awesome! We wish we had started learning Spanish at a young age. You won't regret it. Good luck with your studies, you will love Spain. Cheers 🍻
Hey, thanks y'all for the visa update. This is very important. Hubby & I were wondering about this. We're watching you & dreaming of our extended stay in Spain.
No real plan yet but would like to travel in 2022 when weather is warm. Definitely Valencia. Have been to Spain before but this time we want to stay as long as possible.
Have you been to Granada? Very beautiful city, with a lot of nature, you can ski ... The bad thing is very cold in winter and hot in summer, and the beach is half an hour away by car
Hi Pedro! We have not been to Grenada. We are quickly learning that we are going to have to come back to Spain before long. Thank you for the comment. We really appreciate it. Cheers 🍻
Thank you so much! Unfortunately our time in Spain is up. Our two days in Barcelona video was the last of our Spain adventure. We hope to be back someday soon. Cheers 🍻
Congrats, another fun to watch video. You earned a subscriber. Mediterranean Spain is heavily populated, with different populations sizes. Alicante's area have several populations loved by ex-pats, not only Calp and Altea, but Xabia, Denia and Alfas del Pi or Benidorm - perhaps too big for you too - have a lot of foreign retirees living there.
Hi guys! We are an American family of 5 applying for a non lucrative visa and we are planning to move to Valencia but so curious about Alicante. I wonder which city you guys prefer?
That sounds amazing! We really preferred Alicante. The beach was easy to get to and getting up the coast was really convenient on the tram. Valencia had the big city vibe and the beach was out of the way a bit. Thank you for watching and safe travels! Cheers 🍻
Got hooked on your Alicante and Spain Videos. By the way you were mentioning on staying in Spain or one of those places in Europe for an Year. How would you do it on a Schengen Visa that allows only 90 day stay in a 180 day period. Are there any ways around it? I have heard of others that do a 90 day in EU out of 180 and remaining 90 in on EU countries. If there are ways around it let us know. Also you guy are Young and obviously quit the work force in US. How do you manage for the health care insurance and how much does that cost? Any tips on those front will be helpful. By the way try to explore Roda Golf Resorts in Roda. Its a small town quaint setting and who knows you may like it. You can book there thru Air BnB.
Thank you so much for the support! We currently plan on being in the Schengen for 90 days at a time, then off to a new part of the world for 90 days. There really isn't anyway around it until you apply for a permanent residency visa in the country of your choice. That's a process a few years down the road for us. until then we will continue to explore. CHEERS!!
@@BrianandCarrie Yes, permanent residency is the only way a non-EU citizen to spend more than 90 days at a time in the country. If you're considering permanent residency, be aware that it is an immense task. Secure a Spanish lawyer for help before you take it on.
Nice idea guys and answered a lot of questions. I'm a huge fan of alicante. Are you guys looking at the nomad visa in Spain or working remotely for Spanish company?
If we were to do anything it would be some kind of retirement visa. Currently, we are just traveling to figure out what it is exactly we want. Alicante is fantastic for sure so we would need to get the proper visa if we were to stay longer than 90 days. Cheers!!!🍻
Hi, Susan. We use Airbnb and book a couple months ahead of schedule. We did a video on how we book our Airbnbs, what we look for and what our overall process is. Thank you for watching!! Cheers!!!🍻
Hi, Galen for pointing that out. We have added it to the video description!! I'll leave it for you here. Cheers!!🍻 www.airbnb.com/rooms/24647955?guests=1&adults=1&s=67&unique_share_id=6afb2b55-5046-4928-a168-9fc565991a17
Great video. I have been many times there and I am thinking in retiring either in Alicante or Benidorm or in between. Can you talk about expenses rent, food, utilities, etc. Give us a potential budget as for tear 2023 and what are the better areas to live. Thanks and good job
TH-cam put this old video in my recommended list. You guys are so young and naïve back then. Think of all the beers ahead of you at that point in time.
Hi there, I have been watching alot of your videos and wondered now that your have been traveling for 2 years since this Alicante visit do you still think it is a bit to big as a long term stay ? Compaired to other towns and citys where you may get bored ? Also what area of Alicante would you recommend staying in that is not to noisy ? thanks keep up the good work !! Amanda
We still very much love Alicante. It's not huge but has all you need and is well connected. I'd suggest staying in Alicante old town Santa Cruz, nice and quiet yet very central
I'd try any location north of Benidorm. Places like Calpe or Denia (Guadalest is a must-see village). Peñíscola in the province of Castellón has an absolutely lovely old town and nice beaches. Not a big city. The air near the city smells of orange tree flowers and olive trees. My parents have spent quite a few Summer holidays over there.
We took full advantage of the tram system and loved Calpe. We didn't make it all the way to Denia but should have! After traveling for almost 2 years now we do prefer the smaller towns over the large cities. Thank you for watching and commenting!! Cheers!!🍻
@@BrianandCarrie Absolutely agree on living/staying in smaller towns. I'll spend this year's holiday in Calpe again the first fortnight of September. Third time in six years.😄
What area did you rent in? We are researching which neighborhoods to live in. I do like to sleep at night but not be too far from the beach! I'm a personal stylist so I'm looking for shopping areas that are fun for women to visit!
Hi, Auretha. We stayed a half block from the central market and it was a bit noisy at night. The nice thing about Alicante is the tram is really easy to use so you won't be far from the shopping district or the beach! Our Airbnb was across the street from a tram station and we could easily walk down to the beach. Safe travels!! Cheers!!🍻
That helps!! Really enjoying your videos! Could you do a video on the process you go through to rent short term on idealista? We may be hopping every 90 days back and forth into Spain. I'm not sure how the process works with the deposit? Do you get it back? So far we're not seeing anything affordable on Airbnb at the rates you're paying? Is $1200 the lowest for Airbnb? Do you even try to rent in other ways? That would help so much! I love how methodical and organized you are. That fits my style! Thanks!! Nate & Auretha
Hi, Mark. We just spent 2 months down in the Algarve and loved it as well. Portugal is an amazing country!! Thank you for watching our channel! Cheers!!!🍻
Hi Carlo, we did not make it that far north although I believe the tram from Alicante takes you there. Have you been there? Is it worth visiting? Cheers 🍻
@@BrianandCarrie Yes, my daughter trained there at David Ferrer tennis academy back in 2017. She's actually in Alicante now until Christmas also for tennis training. I think you'll like Javea with its small-town family beach resort atmosphere. No big shopping malls like in Alicante.
Fun video! I love big beaches and had plenty when I lived in Wales. This city would be great, as I didn't like all the party scene when I was in Barcelona. The art was great though. Maybe Valencia...Regards
Alicante is deffenitliy a party town. Although the beach seemed to be family-friendly. The beach in Valencia is huge and really nice. Depending on where you are staying it can take time to actually get to it. That was a "CON" in our Valencia Pros and Cons video. Cheers!!!
Hi Nancy! The really large market that we mentioned that was located in the Plaza Mar 2 shopping mall was called Alcampo, if I remember correctly. It will for sure have everything you need and much more. Enjoy your time in Alicante - we absolutely loved it there! Cheers 🍻
Wife & I are enjoying your travels. We plan to travel next year to Spain. We have been there before but this time we want to stay for an extended period in different cities. What kind of visa do you have that is allowing you to stay over the 90 day period that the Spaniard Consulate website clearly states that you must leave Spain & wait an additional 90 days in order to apply for another 90 day visa. Please advise and/or talk about this in your next video cuz we would luv to stay more than 90 days & see more cities. Thanks. We're following you & are enjoying.😎
The only visa s that let you stay beyond the 90 days are a student visa or a resident visa or if your home country is in the EU. There might be one for business also, but for tourists, no. There are so many UK citizens who bought houses that are now selling because since Brexit they are not EU members and can't stay in their houses for as long as they always have. Maybe the Spanish government will change that but as of now 90 days is the tourist limit.
Thank you so much! Correct, we only have 90 days. We are at 59 currently so we have one more destination here in Spain before we have to leave. Not sure where our next place will be yet. Cheers 🍻
Great videos, Valencia is on the list for next year. You mentioned taking a couple of beer in your packsack to enjoy on the beach. Is this legal? Keep on enjoying.
Thank you! Great question, we weren't sure either so we looked for signs and Googled it. Couldn't find any information about it so decided it was ok. Eventually we noticed others doing the same. Cheers 🍻
Yes it is legal, also is legal to eat on the beach your own food (but cleaning it all), top less, for men and women, and skinny dipping, but day nudity usually it is done only in nudist areas.
We are leaving on 90 days. From what we understand is that it isn't a problem to do so. We have heard that you usually get a day or two over but we won't risk it. CHEERS!!
Red corner sports bar calle.Navas. My parents live in the second floor literally on top of red of red corner facing la plaza Nueva. Pinetel Bar next to red corner is awesome as well. All in all that area is incredibly friendly. I'll be there in November y
We really loved Alicante and that part of town. Funny, your Parents live there and my daughter lives in St. Pete. Small world. Thank you for watching and safe travels!! Have a couple beers for us at the Red Corner, Cheers!!
For sure. My parents live there permanently. So living and working here in Clearwater I consider myself privileged. My good friend (who's a St Pete Cop) went there and he did not want to leave. Soooooo many good places. Little Duke Sports bar, Scottsman Pub, jagger pub, Sento Bar, El epoca pub, and of course Red Corner. It goes on and on, please feel free to reach out of you make it back there
Maybe the last mall you describe is Plaza Mar 2 and the huge store is Alcampo, it's like a carrefour, a nice way to move in Alicante is the bus line 23, the blue one, he takes you from Muxamel to Oscar Espla last stop where the bus station and the train station are close to each other just in opposite directions.
Usually traveling in bus to Benidorm for example by bus is really fast, much more than the Tram, you have a bus every hour so is very flexible.
If any of you have questions I'm a local so you can ask me anything.
Thank you Diana for the information. This is really helpful and is so much appreciated. I will pin this at the top of our comments so others can see it. Thank you for contributing to our channel!!!
Cheers!! 🍻
@@BrianandCarrie thank you, I'll try to help 🥰
Diana Nicolás thank you😃👍
M moving to alicante in week so that has been helpful
Hola , is Las Palmeras club ,near alicante Airport still open
I am also an American so I was intrigued at your video. After numerous vacations to the Alicante area, I fell in love with the region, the people, and the culture and bought a home and am now a full time resident. While the beach and downtown Alicante are amazing spots to hang out, I deliberately chose not to live very close to the coast for the reason you stated that it might be too big. Size is not the issue. Crowding during the height of the tourist season is. Parking is a nightmare. Alicante is a tourist destination and you will find lots of mixtures of language and culture, a real positive for some people that don't want to learn the language and immerse themselves, but a bit of a negative for those that want to truly feel at home here. I wanted a home in a more traditional area with some space around it and found it near the town of Tibi which is about a 20 minute easy drive to Alicante and the coast. It is up a bit in the mountains so a bit milder in the summer. My villa, which was immensely affordable, is nestled into an urbanization among the pines. My neighbors are mostly Spanish but there are also British, Dutch, and German expats. I am taking free Spanish classes in the nearby town of Castalla. The main attraction to me is the amazing people here. I hope you find your dream somewhere in the world. Spain is a wonderful possibility.
It sounds like you have an amazing place Art. Fully submerging yourself into the culture is a wonderful thing. Something that is difficult to do when you move as much as we do. Thank you for sharing your story and for watching our channel.
Cheers!!🍻
I am moving in august.. I wish I could talk to you directly :( moving to San Juan area.
Fantastic comment. Great that you found your peace. I am still searching
Do you end up paying higher taxes in Spain compared to US?
No not at all and you actually get back tremendous public services for your taxes here besides a massive arms buildup.@@pathkris2984
I enjoyed watching your Alicante Pros and Cons as I grew up in Alicante. In answer to one of your questions : summer time is different as many locals go live at their summer home in the Playa San Juan or other beaches. The cruises, as in any city that hosts them, bring in thousands upon thousands of tourists, but they tend to congregate in the old part of town, las ramblas and so forth.
By your description, it seems like you guys were staying around the casco viejo (I could be wrong) but at night time, that is the trendy bar area. I've always said that I see more people out at night than I do during the day. EVERYONE is out, young ones, parents with their kids and their grandparents - it's truly a family centered culture. If you stayed in the same spot in the summer, you would notice the quiet difference.
I loved your pro on the central market - it's one of my favs too.
I no longer live in Alicante, but I do miss it for it's easy way of life and all the outdoor outings in the surrounding areas. The province of Alicante has lovely smaller quaint towns that might be closer to the size you are looking for - that are also on the water AND have a marina. Good luck on your search around Spain 🇪🇸
Can you suggest smaller quaint towns nearby, on the water with a marina, as you described???
@@roadtofreecollege6337don’t come to Alicante, please. We have to much toutist.
@@raulcapelo8091 I decided not to, since it’s too hot much of the year, and I read it’s noisy at night.
Alicante is a beautiful city. Friendly locals, easy to get around, great cafe's and spotlessly clean. Looking forward to returning when things return to normal. Highly recommend.
Couldn't agree more Allan!
Cheers!!!🍻
Love this city, and everything you said is so true, amazing place ❤
Thank you both, Brian and Carrie, for an excellent video. We are retired educators planning on visiting southern Spain in the fall to look for our next home. Although our search has been virtual so far, it seems that the southern coastal area of Spain fits our needs and wants better than other countries. This area looks beautiful. We love a walkable and accessible city, and Valencia, Alicante, Torrevieja, and the towns along the coast. Gracias! Dean & Cindy
Hi, Dean and Cindy! We loved our time in Alicante not only for the city itself but the ease of traveling around the region. We hope to get back someday soon but there are so many places we have yet to explore. Thank you for watching!!
Cheers!!🍻
Just returned from my First trip to Spain and Alicante was where I spent most of my time as my daughter has lived there for four years. I miss it so much I love that town we had such a good time and everything you said is so true I can’t wait to get back there again just found you guys and subscribe so looking forward to all your travels ciao
Thank you, Kathy! We loved Alicante! We enjoyed taking the tram up the coast, being able to explore Calpe, Altea, and the rest of Costa Blanca was something we haven't found in some of the other areas we have been to. We have just arrived in Cabana, Portugal so we will see how it compares. Thanks again!!
Cheers!!!🍻
Hi guys, thank you both for the wonderful video. I'm Canadian who's been living in Germany for over 22 years, but I'm kinda fed up with the northern German weather and maybe also with people, who tend to be pretty stiff and humorless, so I've been thinking of moving to Alicante in a couple of years. I checked home prices and rent, and found out that I can really afford to live there, much cheaper than Barcelona and Valencia. adiós
Thanks for sharing Steven! We finally got fed up with the climate in the Seattle region. Alicante is a great place to consider and on our list!! Good luck to you!!
Cheers!!!
People in my country are the same
You want to come here only for the weather? Please don’t come , we have too many tourists ! Better go home
Ich hau auch ab Mr. Maple.
People --- ( : blah
My husband and I are planning to retire in Spain as well. He has family in Zaragoza but it gets really cold in winter. I was all sold on Malaga but you guys have made me rethink about maybe heading to Alicante. We plan to rent Airbnb in cities we are researching for at least two weeks and go from there.
Thanks for all the great information you share.
Hi Mariela! That's a great idea, renting in places that you think you are interested in. We have never been to Malaga but we really loved Alicante! Good luck with your search and safe travels.
Cheers!!!🍻
The Costa Blanca is a stunning coast. So varied, so pretty, such variety of things to do and places to visit.
The weather is easily as sunny as the south coast because of the mountains that create a microclimate.
Stunning cities- Alicante, Benidorm, Valencia. (Benidorm being my favourite, staying in the Old Town.)
( worth visiting Guadalest it is just beautiful.)
Brian
Your voice and tone and ease of talking, is so relaxing and calming and easy to listen to. It’s not sporadic or rushed and anxious
Thank you
Thank you so much for the kind words!! ❤️
Another well done video - Thank you for sharing your thoughts on Alicante. The pros you describe certainly outweigh the cons, for us. Now we are looking forward to our spring 2022 trip to Alicante with even more excitement! Best of luck with wherever you are planning to go next.
Thank you Ernest. You have a lot to look forward to! We'll have our "first impressions" video out later this week on our new home for the next month.
Cheers 🍻
Hi : You guys are great, thank you for being so nice and sharing all these experiences with us
I am constantly watching different videos of travelling since that is our plan too in the near future. I really like that your videos are precise, go to the point, great tips, and not excessively long like others I have watched. Thank you and keep enjoying life!
Thanks for watching and for the kind words, Fabiola. Safe travels.
Cheers!!🍻
In my experience after living here for 6 years, I have never felt unsafe anywhere in Spain.
Hi Helen, completely agree. We have only been here for 2 months and have not felt un safe at any point.
Cheers 🍻
Not been burgled yet? You will.
@@michaelhay8712 ,7 years now!
Go to Colonia Requena, Juan XIII, Virgen del Remedio, Montoto, Cementerio as a blond tourist and you will be robbed in 5 seconds in these neighborhoods in Alicante...Not killing!
Hi Brian and Carrie. I just returned from a short break to Alicante. It was our first time and it was great to recognize all the places you showed in the video. My family and I stayed at the San Juan beach and went a few times to the centre of Alicante. Public transport is easy and connection is very good and cheap indeed.
That's great to hear Dutch! We try to give as much information as possible in our videos so it's nice to get a comment like this!! Thank you for watching and supporting our channel!
Cheers!!!🍻
I live just down the coast from Alicante. A fantastic place to live! I really like the Spanish people and lifestyle.
Cons? I have had some problems with administration, which can be slow and difficult. The tram system is great, but can get really packed peak season. The Alicante / Benidorm tram in particular. Line 3 from El Campello to Alicante has much longer double trams. It is slower as it makes every stop, but you are more likely to get a seat than line 1.
Great comments! Thank you for adding to the channel!!!
Cheers!!🍻
Great video. Loved Alicante when we went, twice. Also, like you, really loved Altea.
We loved La Crispeta restaurant just off the Alicante old town hall square. Also D'TABLAS... fun tapas bar where they come round every few minutes with big platters of tapas on little blocks of wood and if you like the look of it, you take one. At the end, they count up your blocks and bill you.
Enjoy!
Hi Glen! Thank you! We actually did make it to D'tablas. Really cool place! We ment to get back in to include it in our video just never made it back. Thanks for your suggestions.
Cheers 🍻
Another great video guys, Alicante is one of the many many places on our travel list so we'll definitely come back and watch your recommendations again before we get there.
Alicante is still at the top of the places we love the most. With the weather, beach, marina, markets, and the tram system, Alicante checks a lot of boxes for us. We hope that you enjoy your stay as much as we did. Thank you for the comments and for supporting us. Safe travels.
Cheers!!🍻
Am based in corporate Tokyo but have been thinking to retire in a warm area somewhere in the world. You guys have motivated me to make the move to Alicante . Thanks soooo much.
That's amazing, Patrick! We really love that area of Spain! Best of luck and safe travels.
Cheers!!!🍻
You both do an excellent job presenting relevant topics and information in your videos. It’s nice to see you both equally engaged. My wife and I are looking forward to starting our slow travels in a couple years.
Thank you, Mitch!!
Will be in alicante for the first time next month for three days. Been planning the trip for a long time. Cant wait. Nice vid
You will have a great time!! Still one of our favorites. Thank you for watching and safe travels.
Very informative, and now we're making plans to visit BOTH Valencia and Alicante soon. Thank you! 🙂
Thank you so much for watching, Wendy! ❤️
I only passed through years ago on my way to benidorm, watching your video has been great, alicante will be on my list , thank you x
We loved our time in Alicante and will hopefully return one day. We just passed through Benidorm on the train, it sure looked like a bit more modern beach town. Thanks for watching 😊
Have been visiting Alicante the last few days. Seeing your video beforehand was very helpful.
Thank you so much! We are so happy to hear you found it helpful. Enjoy Alicante ☺️
I do love Alicante! Favorite city and beach Playa San Juan!!! Hoping to retire southern Costa Blanca around Torrevieja which is not too far from Alicante
Very nice Phillip! When we go back to Spain we are going to explore the Southern Costa Blanca before heading north to San Sebastian. We love Spain!!
Cheers!!!🍻
@@BrianandCarrie post some new videos about the North, keen on visiting Basque Country someday. The culinary scene is phenomenal there. Our family tends to vacation in relaxing Torrevieja since we have a place there. Safe travels!!!
Phillip, we will be in Eastern Europe for most of 2022 and South East Asia for the first half of 2023. That's the plan for now anyway. Basque Country is on our list for sure. So many places we want to go to!!!
Cheers!!!🍻
Hi Brian and Carrie. We first watched this video many months ago, and are now spending a week in Alicante. Overall great weather this past week. We live in Oregon, but are retired and just might make this area our new home someday - it checks all our boxes! Thanks for the great video.
So happy you love it there as well - it is such a wonderful area, with so much to offer. Enjoy ☺
This is a great video to introduce me to Alicante. Totally gave me a different view to my idea of it
We really didn't know what to expect going in. We loved Alicante and the surrounding areas. We'll be back someday soon.
Cheers 🍻
Great videos! Bocairent , Guadalest, Vilafamest all in Valencia and historic small towns with castles 🏰
Thank you! Great information for anyone on their way in the coming months. Wish we had ventured out more while in there. Thanks again!
Cheers 🍻
Hi Brian and Carrie. I stumbled upon your video when looking for things to do in Alicante. We have just come back from there (4 day break). Walking around we also stumbled across the Red Corner sports bar so we did stop for a drink. I quickly showed them your video and that brought some amusement from the bar staff. Anyway, we thought their beers were expensive. Near enough 10euros for 2 pints of lager. I know you're not there anymore but our favorite place was 100 Montaditos which was right next to the beach. Great for people watching and beers (400ml) at 1.5euro. They also sold super fresh finger sandwiches at 1 euro a piece. I think that 100 Mondaditos is a Spanish chain. OMG it was a good spot and became our regular on all 4 days.
Anyway on the back of the Alicante video, I have seen quite a few of your posts. They are all quite entertaining. Hope you are both well and we wish you the very best.
Thank you, Jack! 10euros!?! We were paying 6.00 for 2 pints. The Red Corner did tag us a thank you on Instagram a few months back so they are aware of us. 😆 We did stop at the 100 Montaditos a number of times for the 1.50euro beers and some finger snacks. Close to the beach, you can't go wrong. On your next 4 day break, you should check out, if you haven't already, the Algarve here in Portugal. We are really enjoying it as well. Thanks so much for watching and supporting us! To cheap beer!!
Cheers!!!🍻
Awwwhhh! That little B & C logo at the beginning of the video is adorable! Good job!
Thank you! We are thinking maybe someday t-shirts and hats!
Cheers 🍻
Great video!!! I was born in Alicante but I live in Elche near there. Alicante is a fantastic city althouhg Elche is smoller than Alicante is, Elche has beautiful places too. I love both.
Thanks Jose! We plan on being back someday and will definitely check out Elche. Thanks for the tip!!
CHEERS!!!
How do you get to Elche from Alicante ?..
Hi José,
I hope you don't mind the question but I am deciding on where to move in the Valencian community. I am an English teacher and really love a peaceful, laid back vibe with lots of nature and friendly people. Do you think Alicante is a good fit for me? One thing I noticed is there don't seem to be a lot of trees...or shade....or nature? Is this true? Also, I love sailing and surfing and snorkeling. Is it possible to do these activities in or near Alicante or can you suggest another place in the Valencian Community? Thank you so much for any advice you can give!
Another city is Torrevieja just 30 miles from Alicante. Cheaper Properties and very beautiful city and very well situated on the sea.
Thanks for the recommendation, we'll be sure to check it out if we head back there. Cheers 🍻
I have lived in Gran Alicant, about 20 minutes south of the city, for a year now. Gran Alicant is peaceful and rather dull, but it is a 50-minute bus ride to town. I love exploring the city, and it really is very safe and affordable!
Great video! So informative. We are looking to retire next year, and Alicante is on our list to scout. I can’t wait to visit! Who knows, we may wind up living there!
Congratulations, Mark! Alicante is one of our favorite places. We love how the tram system gets you up the coast to explore for the day. Thanks for watching and safe travels!!
Cheers!!!🍻
Hello, As my husband, Tom, mentioned in a previous comment to you, it was because of your utub and comments about Alicante and other factors that changed our decision to move to Alicante instead of Valencia. We fly out of the USA on March 21st and after spending some time at our already booked Airbnb in Valencia, we will be heading to Valencia with 14 pieces of luggage for our permanent way of Life.
I just watched the utube about your Airbnb near the Alicante Mercado. Looks like a great location. Could you share what Airbnb it was, though with 14 pieces of luggage, it may be too small but maybe in that same area we can find something larger. The price for the month was desirable, but I guess that depends on the time of year.
Keep up the good work, we watch all your utubes and appreciate your personalities and honest opinions. We are in our early 70's and look forward to thus adventure.
Safe Travels, Diane and Tom
Hi Diane and Tom! The location of our Airbnb in Alicante was certainly ideal. But to be honest, after a month and with only 2 pieces of luggage, we were ready to have more space around us. So, I would imagine with the amount of luggage you will be storing, that location may not be a very good fit. I do know there were other Airbnb's (I believe larger) in the same building. It appeared the owner did manage all the units in the building, and he was great to work with. Here is the link for you to check out: www.airbnb.com/rooms/24647955?guests=1&adults=1&s=67&unique_share_id=66fb77f8-9261-460c-9027-e5ac66816fc5
Prior to booking our Airbnb, we did find some other places that looked great in the area of El Carrer Dels Bolets (which is the street with all the mushrooms). This area is just a few blocks to the south of where we stayed and a bit closer to the marina. It was very flat, walkable, and around many nice (quieter) cafes and restaurants (ours was near a few nightclubs that could get very loud on the weekends). Unfortunately, they ended up being booked before we were able to reserve them. After being in Alicante for a while and walking that area, we realized that location would have been a really great fit for us long term.
It sounds like you have such an exciting adventure ahead of you!! Safe travels 🙂
Cheers
🍻
Hope you are loving it! How's it going? I'm thinking of moving to Valencia, Alicante or Malaga as well. Any thoughts? Safe travels!
@BrianandCarrie can you please tell me what you mean about after sometime you wanted "more space around you?" Do you mean the accommodations felt small? Or the city felt crowded?
@bryanpeart did you move? What did you decide on? I'm trying to decide too!
Thanks for another great video . Me and my wife are getting ready to do a long trip through Spain early next year . Much like the both of you we are planning a different home base each month . So far we have Marbella for one month and Valencia for another month . In regards to Valencia , did you prefer Alicante over Valencia ? Thanks again for your insight .
We do prefer Alicante over Valencia. Alicante was smaller and all the main attractions are closer. Old Town, the beach, the marina, the central market, all within a mile. Valencia is fantastic just bigger. Old town is bigger with more history. Very easy to walk around and public transit is really good. The beach is a bit far from everything else but again, public transit is really good. Hopefully you can enjoy both locations. Each have something to offer. Enjoy your trip! Have fun, life is good.
Cheers 🍻
@@BrianandCarrie Ican't decide between Alicante & Malaga and maybe Valencia but above helps. Any word on Malaga v Alicante?
@@esbiermann62 You will Alicante I was there 3 days ago. Very clean city but someplace can be smelly.
I have lived in Alicante for 8 years, I am from Madrid but brought up in New York, London and Germany, Many places in Alicante, try Javea, I lived there 3 years, now I live in Denmark on the farms, Danish is very hard for me, enjoy it there, nice weather and plenty of police of not too many, busy roads there and lots of people, now here is a very quiet place we enjoy it here, I lived in Albufereta, Edifico Rocafel, about 3 kms up the road from you, its all on the beach there
Wow! You have been all over the place. We would like to get to Germany and Denmark in the next 2 years. We really enjoyed Alicante, Costa Blanca, and the rest of Spain we got to explore. Thank you for the support and for watching our channel.
Cheers!!! 🍻
@@BrianandCarrie My pleasure, nice watching where I lived for 8 years from there I went to Denmark, nice and quiet here, enjoy your stay
Thank you!!!!
thanks for this video about alicante.i'm italian and i've been to spain several times. Barcelona, Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca. spain is wonderful. all clean, order, civility, happiness, fun, safety, organization, etc. I plan to move as soon as possible to Alicante or Valencia. my only problem is learn the english language well which is essential to find a job there. Spanish is much easier. english is ina very beautiful language but very difficult for me. I hope to learn well and then I move. Thank you
It sounds like your English is coming along nicely! We wish we could speak Spanish!!😆 Thank you for watching and commenting!
Cheers!!🍻
Alicante is an amazing city the whole year! 😍
Great video. My son just moved to Cartagena and we plan to visit Alicante for 4 days. We also plan to perhaps live in Spain as well. Especially if my son stays
Great presentation. Heading there next week looking forward to having one of those pints in the RED CORNER Sports bar. Cheers.
Yes! Great choice Brendan! Have fun and safe travels!!
Cheers!!!🍻
B&C, enjoyed this vlog the 2nd TIME. We have decided to move from NC to Spain. Up until this morning we were set to look in Valencia to rent. We think we will like Alicante more. We will retire in Spain and, like you guys, be on a budget. Looks absolutely spectacular and slightly more affordable that Valencia. Love to hear what you both think if you were choosing. Thanks and hope you end up moving their yourselves.
Hi Tom, we definitely prefer Alicante. We just felt like we had more options of things to do and go see. If nothing else, we just head down to the beach or jump on the tram and head up the coast. That wasn't as easy in Valencia. The beach was a bus ride away and getting out of town was a bit more difficult as well. Safe travels and congratulations!!
Cheers!!!
@@BrianandCarrie great! It's funny, we spent months getting all worked up over Valencia and then we watched your vlog (and Traveling Nomads) and suddenly realized how bitchin Alicante is.
@@tomsorensen5578 I am Algerian originally, I used to go to Spain a lot when I was a kid, I would buy stuff from Alicante and then sell them in Algeria. I moved to the US in 2001 and currently living in NC and I am planning to retire between Algeria and Alicante. You can find a long term rental in a good neighborhood in Alicante, like 2 or 3 bedrooms for 600 dollars a month in a safe neighborhood in Alicante, plus food is a lot cheaper than the US. I would say at least 30% cheaper than NC. Good luck
My husband and I are planning to retire in Spain as well. He has family in Zaragoza but it gets really cold in winter. I was all sold on Malaga but you guys have made me rethink about maybe heading to Alicante. We plan to rent Airbnb in cities we are researching for at least two weeks and go from there.
Hi! I'm trying to solve the Valencia vs Alicante debate and am wondering what factors, besides cost, played into your decision. Thanks so much for any insights you can offer! It's quite the conundrum!
I truly appreciate your video. My partner and I are strongly considering Spain. Also coming from the US.
We loved Alicante ♥ truly a town that offered so much! We are so happy this video helped. Thanks so much for watching - Cheers 🍻
Just left Alicante this morning after 5 days. We had a lot of fun. Great city and they had their Christmas lights already on.
We love Alicante!! Thank you for watching!!
Cheers!!🍻
Hi Brian and Carrie!
New subscriber here.
Just found you two.
You are providing great information - it’s GREAT!
👍💚
Thank you, Elena! 😀
Great overview, guys. Really informative. Thanks for putting this together.
Thank you!! We really appreciate your comments and supporting the channel.
Cheers!!
Great video. Going to Alicante this week to look for an apartments. Any tips for finding an apartment? What’s your best coffee spot and restaurant to hang out.
Hi Joel! We would recommend using Idealista to find an apartment. As far as hang outs, we really liked the Red Corner Sports Bar but there are many to choose from! Thank you for watching!!
CHEERS!!!
This seems to be a very charming place, I hope I can visit sometime in the future. Seeing and sharing places like this is why I love traveling and make videos so much! And please keep up the great job! Subscribed!!
Thank you so much!!! We loved Alicante! We will make sure we check out your channel to get new ideas on a future destination!! Thank you for watching!!
Cheers!!!🍻
@@BrianandCarrie love Spain so l hope to see Alicante soon. Thanks for checking my channel.
Absolutely we will! Safe travels!!
My sister and BIL moved there 5 years ago, have leased the same apartment the whole time, and love it there. They feels they're
part of their local neighborhood community.
We love it there as well; we need to get back soon!! Thank you for watching, Elaine!! 😊
Not sure if you've been to the Canaries in winter. It's a good bit warmer than mainland Spain or Portugal in winter and are cooler in summer. Madeira (part of Portugal) offers similar climate advantages I believe. Low-cost airlines go to these locations.
We have not yet been to the Canaries or Madeira. We spent May and June in The Algarve region of Portugal and absolutely loved it! We do plan on getting out to the islands someday soon. Thank you for watching!!
Cheers!!!🍻
Liking your videos and your attitude to the places you experience. I very happily moved to the Alicante area from London(U.K.) 18 years ago and can honestly say that I have not regretted a single day here. My one gripe however is with visitors/new residents who never stop complaining
that, things may be done differently here compared to wherever they may be from. They need to remember that they chose to move to Spain for whatever reason and need to adapt to local customs and attitudes. The same applies, I would suggest, to anyone in a foreign country whether short or long term...
Thank you for this advice, Peter. We say all the time that we are guests here so deal with it!! 😊 for example, we have been in many places where smoking indoors is allowed. We just grin and bear it. 😁 We are their guests in their country!
I've really enjoyed the time I spent in Alicante and as you say the transport links up the coast towards Denia are excellent on the train/tram - and not expensive. Even though Alicante is a large city the centre is very walkable and there are lots of good tapas bars. We too used el Mercado for food and sometimes ate and drank there. Our budget hotel was just around the back and there was a friendly coffee shop I visited every morning. There is a lot to do in the city and transport links are good - we travelled on to Granada and the cost was very reasonable by coach/bus.
Hoping to return to ESP this autumn as I've been learning the language and want to see more areas - Denia seems like a must and we haven't been to Valencia yet.
Great vids - keep up the great work. Buenas Suerte 🍀
Thank you, Simon! We really enjoyed Alicante. We have traveled to several places since we were there and it is still near the top of our favorite places! Thanks for watching and safe travels.
Cheers!!!🍻
Thank you for sharing! We plan to move to Alicante un 4 months
Hi Elsa, we love Alicante! We only have one more day :(
we are excited for our next destination and love Spain so we should have a great time. good luck in your move. You are very lucky!!
CHEERS!!
BTW, how will you be able to move within Europe? You have an european passport?
We have to leave today 😪
Headed out of the EU for our next adventure!
Cheers 🍻
Playa San Juan/ Muchavista are one of the best beaches!!! Postiguet gets quick crazy in the summer. Always love coming back to Alicante annually. We're actually in Torrevieja.
Hi, Phillip! We loved Alicante so much. It is still one of the top places on our list to stay long-term. Thank you for watching.
Cheers!!! 🍻
You may want to have a week off sometimes in Spain - I've done volunteer English-speaking with VaughanTown and Estacion Inglesa - variety of locations, usually 4 star hotels, all meals (wine with all meals)
That sounds amazing! Spanish wine is the best!
Really loving your videos. Are you going to do a cost sheet for the month in Alicante? Thanks for the video.
Thank you! Yes, we will be. It will be out sometime next week. Not sure about what day yet so stay tuned.
Cheers 🍻
Thanks for sharing your experience, we’re planning to visit Alicante in the spring, 2022 and it is very helpful. The area that you described where you stayed sounded ideal for us being near the beach and the marina, would appreciate it if you could post the link to there you stayed.
Hi Chantal! Sorry for the delay in responding. Here is the link to our Airbnb in Alicante:
abnb.me/gRJN62bFYlb
Cheers 🍻
I was in alecante in July and it was HOT! I mean really hot. It was 114+F in the morning. And not a lot of AC available. BUT!! I’ll move back in a NY minute. It’s beautiful, the food is great, and the region is a little run down but extremely safe.
We can handle the heat, it's the humidity that gets to us!!
Love El Corte Ingles. You guys are so blessed to be able to visit all these fabulous places in good health. Thanks for sharing these videos. Nov 8 is my bday. Is this a sign :)
Thank you, Pattie, we feel very fortunate! We are sure that it is a sign!! 😀
Cheers!!!🍻
Great store. Has everything you can imagine but the prices are very high compared to other Spanish options. Carrefour is a wonderful choice. Of course being a man, I spend a great deal of time in the hardware stores Leroy Merlin's and Bricomart.
I’m almost finished with my application to study abroad there for the 2022-2023 academic year. I want to get fluent in Spanish
Hi Zack! That's awesome! We wish we had started learning Spanish at a young age. You won't regret it. Good luck with your studies, you will love Spain.
Cheers 🍻
Hey, thanks y'all for the visa update. This is very important. Hubby & I were wondering about this. We're watching you & dreaming of our extended stay in Spain.
Thank you for watching and supporting our channel. Do you have a plan on when you are coming and where you will be going?
CHEERS!!
No real plan yet but would like to travel in 2022 when weather is warm. Definitely Valencia. Have been to Spain before but this time we want to stay as long as possible.
You guys are so laid back. Love it.
Thank you, Patrick. Hard not to be in Alicante!! We loved Portugal as well. Thank you again for watching!
Cheers!!!🍻
Quiet and cheap: Torreveja, La Zenia, Campoamor, Las Colinas, Guardamar, Cabo Roig... in the south of Alicante province. You must see this area.
Very nice!! Thank you for the suggestions and for supporting our channel!!!
Live your dream, cheers!!!🍻
Have you been to Granada? Very beautiful city, with a lot of nature, you can ski ... The bad thing is very cold in winter and hot in summer, and the beach is half an hour away by car
Hi Pedro! We have not been to Grenada. We are quickly learning that we are going to have to come back to Spain before long. Thank you for the comment. We really appreciate it.
Cheers 🍻
I'm planning to move to this area...my question is how is the climate for people with asthma?
I didn't have any problems with mine. 😁
Your videos are great and very insightful!
Hope you can do one on Malaga soon as we’re thinking to take a long trip there.
Thank you so much! Unfortunately our time in Spain is up. Our two days in Barcelona video was the last of our Spain adventure. We hope to be back someday soon.
Cheers 🍻
Lovely couple 🙂
Good guide, thank you!
Thank you so much for watching 😊
Just back from Alicante, loved it…great city ❤
Congrats, another fun to watch video. You earned a subscriber. Mediterranean Spain is heavily populated, with different populations sizes. Alicante's area have several populations loved by ex-pats, not only Calp and Altea, but Xabia, Denia and Alfas del Pi or Benidorm - perhaps too big for you too - have a lot of foreign retirees living there.
Awesome, thank you Miguel! We love all you add to the channel!
CHEERS!!
Hi guys! We are an American family of 5 applying for a non lucrative visa and we are planning to move to Valencia but so curious about Alicante. I wonder which city you guys prefer?
That sounds amazing! We really preferred Alicante. The beach was easy to get to and getting up the coast was really convenient on the tram. Valencia had the big city vibe and the beach was out of the way a bit. Thank you for watching and safe travels!
Cheers 🍻
Valencia was about as unfriendly as Paris....also amazing architecture & streets Alicante is more friendly.
Got hooked on your Alicante and Spain Videos. By the way you were mentioning on staying in Spain or one of those places in Europe for an Year. How would you do it on a Schengen Visa that allows only 90 day stay in a 180 day period. Are there any ways around it? I have heard of others that do a 90 day in EU out of 180 and remaining 90 in on EU countries. If there are ways around it let us know. Also you guy are Young and obviously quit the work force in US. How do you manage for the health care insurance and how much does that cost? Any tips on those front will be helpful. By the way try to explore Roda Golf Resorts in Roda. Its a small town quaint setting and who knows you may like it. You can book there thru Air BnB.
Thank you so much for the support! We currently plan on being in the Schengen for 90 days at a time, then off to a new part of the world for 90 days. There really isn't anyway around it until you apply for a permanent residency visa in the country of your choice. That's a process a few years down the road for us. until then we will continue to explore.
CHEERS!!
@@BrianandCarrie Yes, permanent residency is the only way a non-EU citizen to spend more than 90 days at a time in the country. If you're considering permanent residency, be aware that it is an immense task. Secure a Spanish lawyer for help before you take it on.
Nice idea guys and answered a lot of questions. I'm a huge fan of alicante. Are you guys looking at the nomad visa in Spain or working remotely for Spanish company?
If we were to do anything it would be some kind of retirement visa. Currently, we are just traveling to figure out what it is exactly we want. Alicante is fantastic for sure so we would need to get the proper visa if we were to stay longer than 90 days.
Cheers!!!🍻
Wondering if you went to Altea?
Nadu, we did and had a great time. We did a video on it and Calpe. Thank you so much for watching!
CHEERS!!!
Is there wealth tax in Alicante?
And is the humidity in Alicante similar to NYC in July?
We haven't been there in July, and don't know about a wealth tax.
like your videos a lot! Thank you for sharing. where do you find rental online? I watched to many but forget which one you mention the rental website.
Hi, Susan. We use Airbnb and book a couple months ahead of schedule. We did a video on how we book our Airbnbs, what we look for and what our overall process is. Thank you for watching!!
Cheers!!!🍻
If you don’t mind please, would you kindly put a link / info of the place you stayed at in Alicante.
Much appreciated.
Hi, Galen for pointing that out. We have added it to the video description!! I'll leave it for you here.
Cheers!!🍻 www.airbnb.com/rooms/24647955?guests=1&adults=1&s=67&unique_share_id=6afb2b55-5046-4928-a168-9fc565991a17
We stayed recently for 3 nights in Alicante and really enjoyed and our favourite bar was the Red corner 😊
We love the Red Corner! Can't wait to get back!
Cheers!!🍻
@@BrianandCarrie really enjoying your adventures ,and we are recently retired so look out ! We have a place in Murcia Spain so that will be our base .
Great video. I have been many times there and I am thinking in retiring either in Alicante or Benidorm or in between. Can you talk about expenses rent, food, utilities, etc. Give us a potential budget as for tear 2023 and what are the better areas to live. Thanks and good job
We have a monthly cost video on Alicante. Go to our channel and take a look at our videos. Thank you for watching!
Cheers 🍻
TH-cam put this old video in my recommended list. You guys are so young and naïve back then. Think of all the beers ahead of you at that point in time.
Amazing how the TH-cam algorithm works. It is as equally amazing how much we have learned since then! 😆
Hi there, I have been watching alot of your videos and wondered now that your have been traveling for 2 years since this Alicante visit do you still think it is a bit to big as a long term stay ? Compaired to other towns and citys where you may get bored ? Also what area of Alicante would you recommend staying in that is not to noisy ? thanks keep up the good work !! Amanda
We still very much love Alicante. It's not huge but has all you need and is well connected. I'd suggest staying in Alicante old town Santa Cruz, nice and quiet yet very central
We're going to be opening an Airbnb in Oliva, part of the Costa Blanca.
Brian’s pub tip is the best - next TH-cam channel 😅
Great idea!!😂
I'd try any location north of Benidorm. Places like Calpe or Denia (Guadalest is a must-see village).
Peñíscola in the province of Castellón has an absolutely lovely old town and nice beaches. Not a big city. The air near the city smells of orange tree flowers and olive trees. My parents have spent quite a few Summer holidays over there.
We took full advantage of the tram system and loved Calpe. We didn't make it all the way to Denia but should have! After traveling for almost 2 years now we do prefer the smaller towns over the large cities. Thank you for watching and commenting!!
Cheers!!🍻
@@BrianandCarrie Absolutely agree on living/staying in smaller towns. I'll spend this year's holiday in Calpe again the first fortnight of September. Third time in six years.😄
What area did you rent in? We are researching which neighborhoods to live in. I do like to sleep at night but not be too far from the beach! I'm a personal stylist so I'm looking for shopping areas that are fun for women to visit!
Hi, Auretha. We stayed a half block from the central market and it was a bit noisy at night. The nice thing about Alicante is the tram is really easy to use so you won't be far from the shopping district or the beach! Our Airbnb was across the street from a tram station and we could easily walk down to the beach. Safe travels!!
Cheers!!🍻
That helps!! Really enjoying your videos! Could you do a video on the process you go through to rent short term on idealista? We may be hopping every 90 days back and forth into Spain. I'm not sure how the process works with the deposit? Do you get it back? So far we're not seeing anything affordable on Airbnb at the rates you're paying? Is $1200 the lowest for Airbnb?
Do you even try to rent in other ways?
That would help so much!
I love how methodical and organized you are. That fits my style! Thanks!! Nate & Auretha
Our first trip to Europe we went to Madrid, Malaga, Alicante and Barcelona. Alicante was my favorite. And now we live in Lisbon.
Hi, Mark. We just spent 2 months down in the Algarve and loved it as well. Portugal is an amazing country!! Thank you for watching our channel!
Cheers!!!🍻
Did you move to Spain and where did you settle? Did you visit Cartagena?
We travel full time. We loved our time while in Spain but we did not make it to Cartagena.
Hey thanks guys. I am heading to Alicante on 13th of December. Hopefully, all good. IA
Have fun and thank you for watching! 😊
Have you been to Javea? It’s farther north. It’s a lot smaller than Alicante.
Hi Carlo, we did not make it that far north although I believe the tram from Alicante takes you there. Have you been there? Is it worth visiting?
Cheers 🍻
@@BrianandCarrie Yes, my daughter trained there at David Ferrer tennis academy back in 2017. She's actually in Alicante now until Christmas also for tennis training. I think you'll like Javea with its small-town family beach resort atmosphere. No big shopping malls like in Alicante.
Fun video! I love big beaches and had plenty when I lived in Wales. This city would be great, as I didn't like all the party scene when I was in Barcelona. The art was great though. Maybe Valencia...Regards
Alicante is deffenitliy a party town. Although the beach seemed to be family-friendly. The beach in Valencia is huge and really nice. Depending on where you are staying it can take time to actually get to it. That was a "CON" in our Valencia Pros and Cons video.
Cheers!!!
Love your videos, will visit Alicante in May and June. Do you recall the name of the grocery store that is so large? Thanks!
Hi Nancy! The really large market that we mentioned that was located in the Plaza Mar 2 shopping mall was called Alcampo, if I remember correctly. It will for sure have everything you need and much more.
Enjoy your time in Alicante - we absolutely loved it there! Cheers 🍻
Where are you guys from. We are from Bartlett ILLINOIS and i just purchased 2 properties in gran Alacant
We are from a area North of Seattle, Washington.
Woow Redcorner 👍👍 I am from Santa Pola, many friends worked there, thank you
Wife & I are enjoying your travels. We plan to travel next year to Spain. We have been there before but this time we want to stay for an extended period in different cities. What kind of visa do you have that is allowing you to stay over the 90 day period that the Spaniard Consulate website clearly states that you must leave Spain & wait an additional 90 days in order to apply for another 90 day visa. Please advise and/or talk about this in your next video cuz we would luv to stay more than 90 days & see more cities. Thanks. We're following you & are enjoying.😎
The only visa s that let you stay beyond the 90 days are a student visa or a resident visa or if your home country is in the EU. There might be one for business also, but for tourists, no. There are so many UK citizens who bought houses that are now selling because since Brexit they are not EU members and can't stay in their houses for as long as they always have. Maybe the Spanish government will change that but as of now 90 days is the tourist limit.
Thank you so much! Correct, we only have 90 days. We are at 59 currently so we have one more destination here in Spain before we have to leave. Not sure where our next place will be yet.
Cheers 🍻
Thank you so much guys
Our pleasure! Thank you for watching!!
Cheers!!!🍻
It's very much on my list! The closest I got was Valencia , which is great, but the beach isn't that central (though great)
That was our biggest "con" about Valencia, the beach being too far away. We loved Alicante! Thank you for watching!!
Cheers!!!🍻
looks lovely there!
One of our favorite places!
Very useful information, thanks!
Thank you, we loved Alicante.
Cheers!!!🍻
Are there any software engineers in the comments, how's the market for developers in Alicante? I can't seem to find much.
Great videos, Valencia is on the list for next year. You mentioned taking a couple of beer in your packsack to enjoy on the beach. Is this legal? Keep on enjoying.
Thank you! Great question, we weren't sure either so we looked for signs and Googled it. Couldn't find any information about it so decided it was ok. Eventually we noticed others doing the same.
Cheers 🍻
Yes it is legal, also is legal to eat on the beach your own food (but cleaning it all), top less, for men and women, and skinny dipping, but day nudity usually it is done only in nudist areas.
Thank you for the info. Will you leave close to the 90 day mark or do you think that it's too risky? Plz advise.
We are leaving on 90 days. From what we understand is that it isn't a problem to do so. We have heard that you usually get a day or two over but we won't risk it.
CHEERS!!
Red corner sports bar calle.Navas. My parents live in the second floor literally on top of red of red corner facing la plaza Nueva. Pinetel Bar next to red corner is awesome as well. All in all that area is incredibly friendly. I'll be there in November y
From Clearwater Florida
We really loved Alicante and that part of town. Funny, your Parents live there and my daughter lives in St. Pete. Small world. Thank you for watching and safe travels!!
Have a couple beers for us at the Red Corner, Cheers!!
For sure. My parents live there permanently. So living and working here in Clearwater I consider myself privileged. My good friend (who's a St Pete Cop) went there and he did not want to leave. Soooooo many good places. Little Duke Sports bar, Scottsman Pub, jagger pub, Sento Bar, El epoca pub, and of course Red Corner. It goes on and on, please feel free to reach out of you make it back there
How did Alicante rate after a year compared to other places you were?
Alicante is still very high on our list. It has everything that we are looking for.
@@BrianandCarrie thanks for the reply. I've been to many places in spain. We will be visiting Alicante this summer ☀️
We will be back in Spain someday soon. We have a lot of Spain yet to see. Thank you for watching and safe travels!