Today on the blog we share the experience of Regina and Kevin, a couple with 3 children who divide their time between the Netherlands and Venta del Moro, Valencia (Spain).
This is their experience
Regina, whose father is Spanish and mother is Dutch, has ancestry in Venta del Moro, which led her to spend time in the village during her childhood, especially in the summers. Later, when she had a new family, they continued to visit the village, until they decided to buy a house to be able to spend more time in Spain. Since then, and thanks to the possibility of teleworking, they spend more than 10 weeks a year in this Valencian village.
Both Kevin and Regina telework, so they have taken advantage of this work flexibility to improve the quality of life of the whole family.
Without a doubt, their experience is very similar to the proposal made by the Rural Life Spain programme. It is like a rural family Erasmus, in which you can live for a certain amount of time each year in a Spanish village.
Regina had contact with the village, but for Kevin the experience was completely new, the people, the atmosphere, the food and so on was new for him and his children. We want to know how they have lived the experience together with their three children during all this time.
How do they organise the journey?
At various times of the year, they take their car and make the journey from the Netherlands to Venta del Moro, a distance of 1800 km, which they spread over a two-day stage, spending the night halfway. According to them, the good roads, sandwiches, music in the car and family togetherness make the journey not at all tiresome, in fact they make the round trip several times a year.
The advantage of travelling in your own car is that you can have it at your disposal during your stay in Spain, the journey is comfortable as practically the entire trip is by motorway. Spain has a very good road network and our region has a motorway only 15 minutes from any of the villages. For Kevin and Regina it is the most comfortable option, and since they are staying for long periods, they have the possibility to make excursions in our area to places like; Cabriel river, Cuenca City (1 hour away), Natural Parks or the beach of Valencia. (* If you want to know when and how you have to legalize your vehicle for long stays in Spain, ask us or pay attention to the following articles of the blog, we will tell you all the legal issues and steps in this regard).
If you want to organise your trip in a different way, here we show you how to organise your rural family Erasmus trip in Spain.
These are the main possibilities to complete your trip.
- Travel by road (Like Kevin and Regina as most of the journey is by motorway).
- Flight to Manise airport 40 min away (Ask us about transfer options to pick you, your family and your luggage up and get you settled in your new home).
- Flight to Madrid and connection with the AVE train. We have an AVE train station in the middle of our territory just 1:20 from Madrid and 25 minutes from Valencia. We can also pick you up at the AVE train station in our region.
What do you value most about your stay in Spain?
For Regina and Kevin, there are many aspects to highlight, the tranquillity of the village, the possibility of enjoying some tapas on a terrace or the municipal swimming pool, the typical Mediterranean gastronomy. Also the easy coexistence with the people of the village, being able to disconnect for a while from the frenetic rhythm of a European city, being able to walk through the streets, chat with the people of the village, shopping comfortably in a local shop. But also to be able to walk with the whole family in the middle of nature and go on excursions to the natural landscapes that we have in our area or bathe in the Cabriel river, one of the best preserved rivers in southern Europe. We are surrounded by an exceptional environmental quality so it is easy to lead a healthy life in this environment.
It is undoubtedly very gratifying to be able to spend a few days living at a different pace, without noise, cars, pollution or haste, with fresh air, peace and quiet, walking, seeing the stars and enjoying the family.
Cost of living
Undoubtedly another of the great advantages of staying in a Spanish village during these seasons is the lower cost of living compared to a European city. This is for several reasons, not only because the price of rent, food or leisure is much lower, but also because the rhythm of life makes everything simpler and cheaper, the daily routines do not cost money. You can walk everywhere, the children are playing with their friends in the street all day long, and a long etc. of small details, no doubt you will be away from consumerism for a while.
Family life
Regina already knew it, but for Kevin and his children it is also a cultural and language immersion. It is an ideal place to enjoy authentic traditions and learn Spanish.
The 3 children are fully integrated in the activities, they have their gang of friends with whom they participate in the football championships, go to the swimming pool or just play in the street, one of the things they value most is being able to go out and play by themselves all day long with their friends, in a totally safe environment. The parents are very relaxed and the children enjoy their little bit of independence with their friends.
Our area is a quiet area, but has a lot of social life and very friendly people. We also have very good sports facilities, leisure activities and all the amenities; shops, bars, pubs, etc….
In Venta del Moro, you will be in permanent contact with nature, you will make new friends and you will take with you an enriching experience for life. Travelling opens the mind, as Regina and Kevin know very well, and that is why they decided to enjoy their stay in Spain thanks to their teleworking situation, which allows them to do so.
Adaptation of European families to the Rural Life Spain Programme
According to Regina and Kevin the adaptation of a family from the Netherlands to life in Venta del Moro would be very easy and pleasant. Life in the village is safe, quiet, economical, the people are very hospitable, there is a good social life. Moreover, it is an ideal environment for children, there is a good quality of education, the schools have good facilities and teachers. Other details such as the language is something that is contemplated in the Rural Life project so that the academic adaptation is correct.
It is undoubtedly a cultural and language immersion experience that is very easy to integrate and very enriching for the whole family.
The day to day logistics: taking the children to school, meals, extracurricular activities, etc. is very economical and simple, the children will be able to carry out all the tasks and obligations while the parents have time for teleworking. Outside of school hours, everyone will have much more free time to share with the family as they will not waste time on travel or logistics as happens in a city. (* stay tuned for other articles on the education system, extracurricular activities, etc. or ask us what you want to know about this topic).
Would you recommend the Rural Life experience to families with children from the Netherlands? Why?
According to the experience of our protagonists today, the Rural Life Spain programme can be a great opportunity for all families who want to enjoy a long stay experience in Spain. The process of making the stay is very simple and all the details are well thought out. They do not hesitate to recommend, to all those whose work or personal situation allows them, to enjoy this experience that they will not regret. A period of time to get to know a culture, learn Spanish, enjoy the family and all for a much more affordable cost of living than living in a European city.
From all their experience and that of all the friends they receive from the Netherlands, their response is that it is definitely an experience not to be missed and they encourage all people who are teleworking to at least find out about the experience.
Kevin and Regina sent us this video that they have made expressly to share their experience with you. Thank you very much and we are waiting for you in Venta del Moro and Tierra Bobal where you are very welcome.
