Is Spain still the best option for retirement abroad?

Spain still tops the list of favourite overseas destination for British retirees despite its economic woes and poor property market. The country tips the latest polls as the number 1 destination followed by France, Australia, Ireland and Cyprus. Retiring abroad is a dream for many people. The thought of an easier pace of living, better weather and cheaper property than the UK is still proving to be a strong draw.

Do you think it is still the best option? 

No.

No. Weather does not compensate for all the negatives

 wow, what would be a better option for retiring abroad, any suggestions?

I think one of the main problems for older people is that they think of themselves (as we all do) as immortal.  They also think that if they're in good health when they go abroad, they will always be in good health.  I think it must be so difficult to find yourself in a foreign country when your partner gets seriously ill or dies.  I believe these situations are more easily dealt with in your native country where people tend to have better support networks.

 My Grandparents retired to Australia, they seemed to love it, albeit we never saw them!  

Spain is fine if you're healthy and wealthy, and let everything drift over you. If you want to live legally, it is burdensome  eg bureaucracy and punitive eg taxes. If you have existing medical conditions it is an ongoing worry.It gets to the stage where everything becomes a worry and the so called laid back style is a joke.If you are healthy, very comfortable on your pensions, live among delightful Spanish neighbours, find that your cost of living is very cheap then yes it is the best option for you, but I fear not many are in that category. Unfortunately the years take their toll and you  find out that it is not the best option.

Also if you live under the radar, drive  your UK plated car  for years, abuse your EHIC card , find lucrative employment to supplement your already huge pension, eg pool cleaning "building," pay no taxes etc then equally it is your best option for retirement.

Gus Lopez quote.. No

Agreed! Far too much uncertainty and with the exchange rate starting yet another downward spiral , its going to get worse.

 yes.

As long as you are not under the illusion that it is just a warm Britain.

If you dont want to mix with dodgy Brits in their UK plated cars full of pool cleaning equipment off to the karaoke...then i would suggest avoid Brit enclaves like Camposol etc etc...

For Health care i cannot fault Spain, i had a serious accident some time ago and the hospital care was exceptional....it made the NHS look victorian in comparison.

If you wish to retire abroad then i would challenge anyone to compete with Spain on travelling time from the UK,Health care and climate?

That's why it remains number one, dont forget this is a poll to say "if you are going to retire abroad" where would you go? not "is it a good idea to retire abroad?"

Even better advice is to live where bobaol lives- the cheapest, warmest, most stressfree place in Spain!

sorry , yes I forgot smug too

There are always going to be people that love where they live in Spain and intend to stay there for their retirement years and there are always going to be people that are disappointed (sometimes bitterly) with their chosen area of Spain to in which to 'hang their hat'.  You can never truly know what it's like to live somewhere until you're actually living there, anywhere in the world, however much research you put it into beforehand.  

Just out of interest, campasol, from reading some of your posts, I'm guessing you wouldn't choose Campasol as the place for you in Spain if you could choose again.  Would you choose somewhere else in Spain or would you choose another country to retire to?  

it is a good place to retire if you dont try and `do` anything.

if you are happy to rent an apartment, fly to the uk for your healthcare, rent a car ect it could be fantastic.

when it goes wrong is when you are handing over large chunks of money or trying to do things right.

this is possibly the best post i have ever seen about living or retiring to spain.

it covers everything

quote campsol, the man that speaks wise words.

Spain is fine if you're healthy and wealthy, and let everything drift over you. If you want to live legally, it is burdensome  eg bureaucracy and punitive eg taxes. If you have existing medical conditions it is an ongoing worry.It gets to the stage where everything becomes a worry and the so called laid back style is a joke.If you are healthy, very comfortable on your pensions, live among delightful Spanish neighbours, find that your cost of living is very cheap then yes it is the best option for you, but I fear not many are in that category. Unfortunately the years take their toll and you  find out that it is not the best option.

Also if you live under the radar, drive  your UK plated car  for years, abuse your EHIC card , find lucrative employment to supplement your already huge pension, eg pool cleaning "building," pay no taxes etc then equally it is your best option for retirement.

end quote

its superb when you have your little nest egg of retirement money and some health,

when you have been ripped off and lost all your money and your health is faiing you can easily find yourself living in a retirement nightmare.

the people that came over in the 90`s are just starting to have this hige problem.

 What a load of cynical rubbish.

The bureaucracy?  Haven't found a problem.  NIE, Residency, Padron, Healthcard all done with no problems, no heartaches.

Why rent?  We have a lovely, warm and comfortable house.  Getting it just how we want it, thank you very much.

Why fly to UK for healthcare?  I've only used the system once and found it excellent.  The OH uses it quite regularly and finds the GP and hospital caring, efficient and excellent at care.  OK, those complaining about you need to speak Spanish are probably the same people complaining about immigrants in UK getting free translation services.  Learn Spanish, no problems.

Why rent a car?  The one we bought, from a dealer with no hasssle, is excellent, thank you very much.  Car tax at under 100 euros a year, petrol getting more expensive but still cheaper than UK, cost of car (3 years old when we bought it) comparable to UK prices.  Insurance about the same as UK.  Why the hell would you want to rent?  In 12 years of coming over I've only been stopped once for a document check.  With everything in order, Gracias senor and have a nice day.  

Burdensome taxes?  How come?  I am paying less income tax here than I was in UK.  My community charge and IBI comes to a third of the council tax in UK.  So what are these burdensome taxes you are on about?  Why is it only the Brits that seem to have problems (unless they just like making problems and try their damnest to circumvent the rules which they seem to do a lot).

Do thinks right and don't, like most Brits seem to want to do, hide and not tax your car, keep it on Brit plates, try and scam everything you can like use the NHS in UK and misuse the EHIC in Spain or even claim UK benefits whilst here.  Do it properly and don't be a crook.

Now camposol will probably accuse me of being smug.  Actually contented is more like it.  Sorry I'm not one of the typical Brits who does nothing but moan but I find nothing to moan about.  I was going to say camposol would only be happy on Mars but she'd probably complain there's no atmosphere.  (but the moaning Brit is not typical.  We went out last night with half a dozen couples and they all agreed they love it here.  And, no, they weren't all old and retired like me. )

Do your homework, do it properly, don't listen to the nay sayers. Mungry is a cynic and he has every right to be but, I'm glad to say, his typical bit of Spain is nothing like my bit of Spain.  

ref the Comment by GEORGIA with a Spanish scarf logo.  We purchased on Camposol after looking everywhere in Spain Its FANTASTIC and its not all "Dodgy Brits" as you call them > we have met some lovely people and looked all over Spain to find a holiday home.  These twits that run down British communities with smarmy comments have no idea . GEORGIA the average house in Camopsol is going to cost you 185,000 euros .majority have private pools and its not all as you describe.. 

The problem with Spain is some (but not many)  negative moaning Brits who do nothing but go round complaining about thier lot . All these negative comments from people about Spain  are just crapp. We were sitting at a bar  in September met one couple , doom and gloom would describe them. We were glad when they moved off, moan, moan, maon. Ten minutes later at the same Bar we met another couple totally opposite and it was pleasure meeting them.  As another poster said ( large World Wide survey in Sunday Papers) SPAIN is supposed to be the cheapest place to live in Europe. If you moved there and dont have the finances in place to back up your decision thats your fault and no one else.  Yes the red tape is a nightmare but its been like that for 100`s of years . Even the Spanish joke about it and most people know about it before they relocate..Personally we would`nt live full time in Spain as we prefer a small base in both countries.

Well I must say, I've been living here for 16 years now, I can honestly say I love it here and can't see any reason to go back to the UK.  My intention with this thread wasn't to discuss whether one should retire to Spain or not, but to consider if Spain is still the best option for someone who wants to retire abroad. Spain is not the only country available. Many people retire to other Countries. However every Country has its problems and its ups and downs, admittedly Spain has had its fair share. Assuming you are starting from zero and are considering moving abroad for retirement, you haven't been stung by the property market nor have you been through any negative experiences , I would assume Spain would have to be way up at the top of the list. Or perhaps you think France or Cyprus is a better option? If you want out of the UK, better weather, better standard of living, cheap flights for frequent visits to see the family, which Country would be the best option? If it isn't Spain which Country is it?

I personally, would have to say Spain, especially knowing what I know now. Everyone who came over here in the first place obviously thought the same way otherwise they wouldn't have come. Unfortunately many were stung by the crisis and property values went through the floor, I include myself  but I can't see why that would be a deterrant for someone moving abroad in the near future. You just prepare yourself differently, mark your goals accordingly and get on with it and learn from everyone elses mistakes. But the fact that it didn't work out for some doesn't mean it can't work out for others.  It doesn't mean Spain is no longer an interesting destination. Now, which is the best 'place' in Spain is another discussion.

But in short. which Country beats Spain for retiring abroad?

 Apparently, even though many Brits that 'retire' to Spain do love it there and spend many happy years there, a good number (I don't have any exact figures) go back to the Uk for the last years of their life for one reason or another eg; partner dies, they develop physical ailments where they need alot of care and/or medication. This is understandable.  However, are there any retirees on this site that have decided to stay in Spain whatever happens and are not looking to return to the UK in the future?  I'm thinking they should ensure that everything is sorted in Spain that needs to be sorted...healthcare, wills, funeral arrangements etc.  Is this difficult? Sorry to sound so macabre but it is a very valid point for anyone thinking of spending their last years in another country.

 My Grandparents did, they both died and were buried in Australia. Mind you Australia is quite a way away. At the end of the day that is a decision for anyone who retires to any country. I'm a quite away from retirement but I have no intention of going back to die in the UK. I suppose it depends if you have children back in the UK. If you do, you will probably want to be burried near them and be closer to them in your last hours. Wills, Funeral arrangements etc are a walk in the park in Spain, if you want to buried in Spain that is. So I think the only reason for going back would be to be closer to family. But it is an interesting question maddiemack, I'm curious to hear some answers....