Moving to Condado. A few questions

Hi! We are a couple from Sweden interested in moving (renting) to Condado in January 2011. We have a few questions about the place before we make up our minds, and we would really appreciate it if you guys could give us some answers/advice.

Basically, we run an on-line business, so the single most important feature for us is reliable good internet. The apartments we found to rent already come with sky tv, if this detail is relevant in any way. What are our options in this case? Can we really count on having a really good connection everyday?

Also, I'm very much interested in volunteering at an animal shelter, and from what I read there is one in Mazzaorron, one in Corvera, and a few others in Murcia and Los Alcazares. We aren't sure we will be able to have a car of our own for the first couple of months, and I was wondering if there is any other easy/cheap way of getting to any of these places? Otherwise, how much would you say a taxi would cost to the closest location out of these, or to the closest bus station that could take us to any of these places? Do we even stand a chance at all living in this place without a car? We were hoping to rent a car once a week or so to do our shopping, or rely on a taxi once in a while, but for everyday travelling are there any other options at all?

I'm curious about what an average elecrticity bill would be for a cold winter month?

Well, these are our biggest concerns for now.

Thank you very much for reading this, and any advice is very much appreciated!

Irina

Hi Irina

There are many animal charities about who I am sure would be more than happy with another volunteer, Mammas, Noahs Ark, Kemp puppies to name but a few.

There is a taxi firm on the nearby Urb Camposol but they only have a couple of cars and I did see a chap on here or another forum advertising a taxi service on Condado but I dont have any details. Also you do have the Spanish white taxis but all these can work out a bit costly. There is a bus service from Camposol that goes to Totana, Alhama, El Pareton, Mazarrón, Puerto also there is a bus terminal in Puerto De Mazarrón which goes further. You also have the train station at Totana.

While Condado is a beautiful place and does have a supermarket I would say that a car is essential especially if you wish to travel around as the cost of taxi fares will add up.

Dave

Hej Irina!

Vad roligt att ni funderar på att flytta ner dit. Själva har vi köpt en lägenhet på gården Naranjos 2 i somras som vi använder som semesterbostad och vi längtar dit hela tiden.

Håller med föregående om att man inte klara sig utan bil. Det finns inga allmänna kommunikationer alls och ingen vet nog när (om) det kommer igång. Under lågsäsong är det väldigt billigt att hyra bil däremot så det kan ju vara ett alternativ. Vi brukar använda Record på Alicante flygplats.

För att komma åt internet använder vi en trådlös router med extern antenn och ett "konrtankorts"-abonnemang från Orange. jag tror att de har månadsabonnemang till rimlig kostnad också. Hastigheten är helt okej för normalt surfande och mailande, tror jag hade ca 2mbit ner sist jag kollade. (www.orange.es)

Vad jag har hört så klarar man sig med stödvärme under vintern från lösa element eller från luftkontitioneringen om det finns sådan. Tror inte kostnaden blir så hög, elpriset är i stort sett som hemma. Temperaturen där nere är ju ganska okej även på vintern. Är dyrare att köra med luftkonditioneringen på sommaren......

Hör av dig om du har några andra funderingar....

Med vänliga hälsningar

/ Thomas

Thank you very much for both your replies,  they were both very useful!

We are in the process of talking to a few people about the internet, so hopefully that is all good! We were hoping a bit more than 2 MB, luckily there might be such a thing.

Other than that we just realized that renting a car for the first couple of months until we get a car of our own is quite cheap during the low season, so that seems like a very reasonable option.

Thanks a lot for the info on the animals shelters as well!

Hope to stay in touch, and if we have more questions along the way, hope you don't mind if I'll 'bother' you a bit more until we actually move there:) It would also be lovely to meet!

Thanks again,

Irina

 Polaris do a 1,3 or 6 Mb connection,  see http://www.polaris-telecom.com/ 

see you when you get here :-)

L