living in spain

LIVING IN SPAIN
A HANDY GUIDE TO WORK AT
SPAIN (2016)
MAIN MENU
SPAIN FACTS
ACCOMODATION
TRANSPORT
CULTURE & FUN
EA
PHOTOBOOTH
INTRO
First of all, we would like to thank you for your interest in EA. Now that you have applied for a
job position in Spain you may have a lot of questions about our country, way of life, our
culture… Working in another country is always a challenge, a unique opportunity to get to know
a country and its people and to encounter a great number of new experiences. We would like to
provide you with this guide with useful information about our country and offices in order to
answer any question that you have about us.
SPAIN FACTS
Spain Facts
Monetary Unit: Euro
Metric System
Time: GTM +1 (Canary Islands: GTM
Politics: Parliamentary monarchy,
divided in:
Congress of Deputies + Senate
President: TBD. Currentl Mariano
Rajoy.
King: Felipe VI
Madrid facts
Capital City of Spain.
Largest City of Spain.
Third largest city in the EU, after
London & Berlin.
Major: Manuela Carmena.
Located on the Iberian Peninsula,
Soutwest of Europe.
Apart from the mainland, it includes The
Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea,
The Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean and
the
Cities of Ceuta and Melilla in the North of
Africa.
Located in the centre of Spain,
It’s a cosmopolitan city, business centre,
Home of the political institutions and it’s
also the most important city in the
financial and industrial sectors.
COST OF LIVING
We imagine that you are wondering if your income will be enough to get by in Madrid. The good news
is that Spain is relatively cheap from a cost of living point of view when compared to other western
European nations. Below you can find some examples of regular consumption products along with
their average prices in the city.
FINDING ACCOMMODATION
The most economic accommodations are shared apartments in which you rent a bedroom and share
the rest of the common space. In the Madrid metropolitan area room prices can vary between €250
and €450 or more per month (sometimes excluding expenses, which can range from €30 to €60 per
person per month). Studios usually start around €600 depending on the area.
Here you have the official Facebook group for newcomers and rehires from EA Madrid:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1445004149150567/?fref=ts
It’s highly recommended to start your “piso”-hunting on the Internet.. Something important to take
into account is that in many cases the people renting out the apartment/room won’t speak English.
We’d strongly recommend you to go for places where international students or, in general, young
people live since younger people are usually much more likely to speak English more or less fluently.
EA has a special agreement with www.spotahome.com (site specialized in short stays).
Use the code EADIS for a 20% discount when renting from their home page.
ACCOMMODATION PACK TO SPAIN OFFER
Pack to Spain offers a 10%discout to EA Employees, and includes all the items above.
For further Info, you can contact directly via email: [email protected] or check their
website www.packtospain.com
OTHER POPULAR HOUSE SHARING/FULL RENTING WEBSITES:
SIAHOME (CLOSE TO THE OFFICE)
http://www.siahome.eu
INNOVATE
http://innovate.es/
THINKSPAIN
http://bit.ly/12pnCj4
GO MADRID
http://bit.ly/10kiKhg
MAD4RENT
http://www.mad4rent.com/
APARTMENTSAPART
http://www.apartmentsapart.com/
PISO COMPARTIDO
http://www.pisocompartido.com/
FOTOCASA
http://www.fotocasa.es/
IDEALISTA
http://www.idealista.com/en/
CRAIGSLIST
http://madrid.en.craigslist.es/roo/
ENALQUILER (SPANISH)
http://www.enalquiler.com/
SEGUNDAMANO (SPANISH)
http://bit.ly/15hTrgs
EASYPISO
http://www.easypiso.com
OKROOMMATE
http://www.okroommate.com
MEETUP
http://roommate.meetup.com
MADRID BY DISTRICTS
1. CENTRO
Close to the Uni, it’s a safe
area filled with students
and with good nightlife.
It’s also a well
communicated and
commercial area.
3. MONCLOA/
ARAVACA
The Madrid hotspot, with a wide variety of places and
activities. Highlighted boroughs include Malasaña
, where the artsy and alternative (as well as
hipsters) collide and the place to be if you like being in
the middle of it all; Sol
, which like the Sun it’s
named after, is the heart of the center and the usual
meeting point for tourists and locals alike; Chueca
, famous for its gay population and filled with
trendy bars and coffees; Lavapiés , (pronounced
[lah’-vahpe-ay’s] and completely unrelated to ‘lava’ or
‘pies’) is the most multicultural borough in Madrid. It
used to have a bad reputation but it’s now considered a
relatively safe area. Great for ethnic food.
2. SALAMANCA
The posh area of Madrid,
and the place to go for
designer shops and trendy
restaurants. On average
more expensive than the
other boroughs.
4. LATINA
5. RETIRO
average
Defined by the
massive park in the
middle of it. It’s also
a very safe and posh
neigh-bourhood.
Prices are higher
than in other areas.
cheaper
more expensive
Getting trendier, one of
the most traditional
boroughs in Madrid. Here
you’ll find a fine balance
between neighbour-hood
life and nighlife and... the
best tapas in town!
RENT PRICES
6. CHAMBERÍ
This area strikes a good
balance between quietness
and location, as the center
can be easily reached on
foot. Not that you’ll need to
get there to get some decent
nightlife.
4
14
3
15
8
6
1
16
17
20
7
2
5
19
11
12
9
21
13
10
18
7. CHAMARTÍN
Home to the Bernabéu
Stadium and the main
railway station of
Madrid, where you can
get high speed train
connections to some of
the main cities in the
country.
9. HORTALEZA
Aka “where EA is
located”. Quiet area
with nearby
commodities. The
good? Biking to work
is feasible. The ugly?
No nightlife, far from
the center.
8. TETUÁN
The South part marks
the business center of
Madrid and it’s a busy
shopping area. Reach
the North part and
you’ll get a taste of
what’s like to live in
Latin America, with its
many latin flavored
shops and restaurants.
10. BARAJAS
A self contained, quiet
residential area in the
outer limits of Madrid
which hosts the Madrid
Barajas airport. Well
connected and located
close to the office, but
far from the city center.
11. CIUDAD LINEAL
12. MORATALAZ
13. SAN BLAS
14. FUENCARRAL/ EL PARDO
15. CARABANCHEL
16. ARGANZUELA
17. USERA
18. VICÁLVARO
19. PUENTE DE VALLECAS
20. VILLAVERDE
21. VILLA DE VALLECAS
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
There are plenty of options to move around Madrid, the most popular of which are the Metro, the bus and
the cercanías.
METRO
Metro Madrid is the city’s subway network and it runs daily between 06:00 and 01:30 o’clock. The waiting
time between trains depends on many factors like, line number, rush hours, and even strikes.
More info @ http://www.metromadrid.es/en/
BUSES
Buses run from 6:00 to 23:00 o’clock. At night, you can use night buses, which are called “Búho” (Owl) or
simply “Autobús Nocturno” (Night bus). There are two different types of night buses:
1. Those that have a letter “N” before the number. These are regular night buses.
2. Those that have a letter “L” before the number. These are mimicking the Subway route and might
not stop at all the “N” bus stops.
More info @ http://www.crtm.es/
CERCANÍAS
Cercanías Madrid is the suburb railway network of Madrid and the surrounding cities of the autonomous
community of Madrid. The trains run from approx. 5:00 o’clock until midnight.
More info in the national railroad site @ http://bit.ly/uhTyeD
PRICING INFO
Single rides:
https://www.metromadrid.es/en/viaja_en_metro/Tarifasybilletes/billetes/index.html
Pass:
https://www.metromadrid.es/en/viaja_en_metro/Tarifasybilletes/abonos/index.html
APPS FOR CITY SURVIVAL
New in town? Here’s a few Android and iOS apps that should make your life easier!
MADRID METRO|BUS|
CERCANIAS (All)
METRO DE MADRID
OFICIAL (Subway)
BUSES MADRID
(Bus)
RENFE VIAJES
(Cercanías)
METRO CARD
Once you’ve settled down, you can move around by Subway and/or Bus. Same ticket is valid for those.
Alternatively, if you need, you can use Renfe, which covers middle-long distances but requires a different
type of ticket.
However, you can also use a 30 days transportation pass that covers all public transportation in Madrid.
The best way to get one is through any of the Metro Madrid offices. Quick how-to:
!
It's possible to order the card online without going
physically to a metro office but it's not
recommended since it will take much longer to
receive it.
1
2.
.
There, you’ll find a few places where they’ll
make you a card in 5 minutes! Choose the
time that best suits you.
3.
4.
Book a physical appointment at any of the
metro offices. You can do so at:
www.tarjetatransportepublico.es
Print your appointment and take a copy of
your ID (passport, ID card, NIE). Your
photo and other data will be collected at the
office itself.
Rejoice! You’re a happy metrocard owner now.
Just remember to top-up in the machines
available in the subway network.
This card is not tied to a calendar month, but to 30 days from its first use. Therefore, no matter if you are
coming in the middle of the month, you’ll still able to use it as soon as you get it.
FROM THE AIRPORT
When you arrive, the first thing will be getting from the airport to downtown. These are the public
transport options available and their cost depending on the terminal you arrive at:
STATION
T1 – T2 – T3
T4
NOTES
Subway
€5
€5
Bus
€5
€5
2€ for the single ticket + airport special fee, 3€
It works 24/7 and costs 5€ per trip. It passes through Cibeles
and ends at Atocha. Both epicenters of Madrid depending on
where you need to go.
€2.15
Cercanías
(Available only from T4). C1 train line that passes through
key stations in Madrid like Nuevos Ministerios, Atocha or
Príncipe Pío.
Taxi ride is 30 € to any point inside the M-30 (grey line in Metro, for reference).
(Click for bigger)
CULTURE & FUN
NIGHTLIFE
Madrid is one of the world's liveliest cities, a city that never sleeps. During weekends or before public
holidays it is not unusual to see more people out and about at 4, 5 or 6 am in the morning than in many
other cities during the day. Madrid's nightlife has something for everybody, whatever your
preferences, age or nationality.
MUSEUMS
Spain is mother to many world famed artists, including Dalí, Picasso, Goya or Miró among others.
Accordingly, its capital is famous worldwide for its museums. The main art center is the Avenue of
Art. Madrid's Avenue of Art consists of the Prado, Reina Sofía and Thyssen Museums, as well as the
Caixa Forum. But there are plenty of other, less known museums with different themes which are
worth a visit.
REINA SOFÍA
PRADO
THYSSEN-BORNEMISZA
CAIXAFORUM
MADRID IN AND AROUND
There are many places around Madrid to visit such as Segovia, famous for its Aqueduct and Alcázar,
the Palace and Gardens of La Granja Village, and Toledo, famous for the Greco’s Pictures, Cathedral,
Alcázar.
You could also travel to other important Spanish cities such as Granada with its famous Alhambra
Palace, the cosmopolitan Barcelona with its Gaudí buildings like the Sagrada Familia Cathedral,
Valencia, the City of the Arts and Sciences, Sevilla with its Cathedral and Easter Festival held in April,
and many other places.
SPORTS AND OUTDOORS
Besides the different sports teams you can join when working at EA (tennis, football, basketball and
biking) Madrid offers many possibilities for a sports fan.
BASKETBALL
The city hosts two basketball teams in the “Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto” (ACB) league.
FOOTBALL
Needless to say, this is one of the most popular sports in Spain.
Madrid is home to Real Madrid C.F. ( SANTIAGO BERNABÉU),
and their hometown rivals, Atlético de Madrid ( PIRÁMIDES).
Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu stadium.
CYCLING
Madrid serves as the last stage of the “Vuelta a España” in the same way as Paris does in the “Tour de
France”. If you love cycling, there is a bike belt around the city ready to be used and bike paths around
the city.
TENNIS
Madrid hosts the Master Series of Madrid every year with players such as Rafa Nadal, Roger
Federer, etc. There are also a lot of tennis and squash courts where you can practice these sports.
SKIING AND SNOWBOARDING
Thought there wasn’t any snow in Spain? You were
wrong! During the winter it’s possible to ski in the
Valdeski and Navacerrada resorts, in the nearby
mountains of the “Sierra de Guadarrama”. You can also
ski at any time of the year at SnowZone in Xanadú
Shopping Center: The largest indoor ski slope in Europe,
where skiing 365 days a year is possible!
PARKS
Madrid has one of the most extensive areas of parks, gardens and "green zones" of all European cities.
It possesses a total of 33 million square metres of parkland, distributed throughout more than 40 parks
within the urban limits. As such it’s easy to find a place to walk, run, cycle, skate, roller-skate, etc.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
IMAX
This cinema, at the Méndez Alvaro area ( MÉNDEZ
offers IMAX (600 m2 screen), OMNIMAX (900 m2
dome screen) and IMAX 3D film projections. There are
several different films to choose from throughout the day,
although there are more shown during weekends.
ÁLVARO),
MADRID ZOO
Located in Casa de Campo ( CASA DE
CAMPO),
the zoo is considered one of the
best in Europe. It includes more than 3000
animals, an aquarium, a performing dolphin
show and an aviary.
photoshopgrafo890 @flickr
rollercoasterphilosophy @flickr
WARNER PARK
PARQUE DE ATRACCIONES
Madrid's main amusement park is located at Casa de Campo (
CASA DE CAMPO) and is open almost every day during the
summer months (May to mid-September) and weekends the
rest of the year.
This movie themed amusement park is
just south of Madrid. It is located in the
town of San Martín de la Vega. The park
is open between mid March up to
December, opening everyday during
summer.
urgetopunt @flickr
AQUOPOLIS
TELEFÉRICO (CABLE CAR)
This waterpark is suitable for the
whole family. There are a large
number of attractions: slides,
kamikazes, spirals, wave pools,
etc. (there are many buses from
Madrid City Center to the
aquatic park).
The Madrid cable car runs from the Paseo del Pintor Rosales (
ARGÜELLES, MONCLOA) to Casa de Campo in a journey that lasts
approximately 15 minutes, giving an excellent view of the city
(Parque Oeste, the Manzanares River, the Egyptian “Debod”
temple, the Royal Palace, Almudena Cathedral, and Casa de
Campo with its lake and amusement park). The “Teleférico” runs
almost every day.
SPANISH CUISINE
Spain is famous for its Mediterranean cuisine, which can be accompanied with an excellent range of
Spanish wines.
Despite not having a sea, in Madrid you can find very fresh fish and seafood. The most typical dishes
are the Spanish omelette, the more local fried squid sandwich and “cocido madrileño”, a boiled
chickpea dish with vegetables and meat. And what about some traditional “churros” for dessert?
You will find lots of places to go “de tapas”. “Tapa” is the name of a wide variety of appetizers that
are usually shared with friends: Olives, chorizo (meat sausage), “bravas” (spicy) or alioli (mayonnaise
with garlic) potatoes, cured ham, croquettes...
As well as typical Spanish restaurants, there are also a lot of international restaurants (Chinese,
Japanese, Italian, German, Greek, etc.).
WELCOME TO EA
Our offices in Spain are located in the Cristalia Business Park, in Madrid’s district of Hortaleza
(number
9
in
the
map).
There
is
a
metro
station
close
by
( SAN LORENZO, metro line 4) and a bus route. There is also a bikeway and a bike parking in the
ground floor of the building.
EA OFFICE
SAN LORENZO
EA Spain has people from many different countries so you will experience a multiethnic environment.
DRESS CODE POLICY
In EA there is no dress code per se. Employees are allowed to dress in an informal way.
LUNCH TIME
There are a few lunch areas at the offices equipped with all kinds of facilities such as fridges,
dishwashers, microwaves… There are also vending machines with a wide selection of sandwiches,
snacks and soft drinks in each floor of the building.
Cristalia also has a couple restaurants where you can have a full menu for around €10 (main course,
side course, dessert and something to drink) as well as a take away service.
SPARE TIME
In EA Spain’s offices there are areas where you can play videogames, snooker, ping-pong or just relax
at lunch time or at the end of the day.
PHOTO BOOTH
Someone wise once said a picture is worth a thousand words. We’re practical people, so why not save
ourselves a few thousands of words?