How to Retire Without Money
BEST PLACES TO RETIRE: SPAIN (page 2)
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS. All you need to enter Spain is your American passport. If you decide to stay for more than six months you'll need a resident's permit but this is no more complicated to acquire than expending a few minutes at the local police station. In fact, as soon as you leave your hotel or pension and take up residence in a house or apartment, you are supposed to register the new address with the police. However, these things are usually handled in a rather lax way.When I first entered Spain I didn't know of this requirement until I'd been living in my own house for nearly four months. So one day I went around to the police and told them I wished to register. They asked me why I had taken so long and I shrugged and told them I didn't know there was such a requirement. So they looked at me for a minute, as though they didn't know what the hell to do, and then shrugged too and listed my name and new address in their books.
If you are thinking in terms of retiring permanently in Spain, or even living in the country for several years you might well consider bringing with you a used refrigerator and/or a used butane-gas type stove. These are ultra-expensive in Spain but you are allowed to enter with used ones, tax free, if it is for your own use and not for sale. Other household equipment comes under the same regulations.
TRANSPORTATION. Spain is almost as easy and as economical to reach as are England and France, but not quite. All of the great airlines have services between New York and Madrid: TWA, Pan American, BOA, KLM, SABENA and Swissair. At this writing 1st class is $436.40 one way, tourist class, $320.30.
In the past couple of years there has been a great increase in the number of travelers who sail directly to Spain when coming to Europe, rather than landing in England or France. In fact, the facilities in Gibralter and Algeciras are currently being strained to accommodate the visitors landing from Italian Line, American Export Lines, Home Lines and a score of other shipping lines ships. The Italian Line ships start at $200 tourist class, New York to Gibralter, in off season. American Export, at $210. You can also get passage by liner or freighter to Malaga, Barcelona, San-tander, Bilbao and Cadiz.
Transportation within the country has its grim side. There are some swank trains, particularly those running to Madrid from the French border, and the 2nd class diesel trains whose tickets are premium priced aren't too bad, but as a rule Spanish trains are not the best and schedules are poorly kept. They are apt to be crowded in all but first class and except for the special trains mentioned above, very dirty. The government is currently spending a good deal of money revamping the railroads but how long this will take is a question. However, rates are very cheap and this is one country in which we recommend that you travel first class, particularly if you want a seat.
Roads are no better than railroads. There are a few passable highways, once again mostly stemming from Madrid which is, of course, centrally located and dominates Spain as Mexico City does Mexico.
If you planned to buy a car in Spain upon arrival I strongly advise against it. At this writing it would cost you from two to three times as much to buy a car in Spain as it would in the United States or one of the other European countries. Taxes on cars are sky-high. Usually, Americans residing in Spain buy their car in Gibralter, Tangier, France or England and then drive it into Spain as a tourist. Under this arrangement you are at present only allowed to have it for two and a half years, then it must be taken from the country, and you are not allowed to return with it for another six months. Happily there are rumors, at this writing, of the law being changed. I suggest that you check with the A.A.A. if this is one of your problems.
Mechanics in Spain are good and repair prices low unless new parts are involved. The gas is expensive and of very poor quality and the oil is horrible.
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