Tools & Resources
Here you will find the resources we recommend to help you research, plan, and execute a move abroad. Whether it’s understanding the cost of moving abroad or finding a reliable moving company, we have compiled all the essential information and tools in one convenient place.
Moving money internationally
Need to transfer money to your new country account or pay someone in another currency? Here are our recommendations.
WISE
Wise is the market leader in international money transfers, for good reasons. We use Wise for the bulk of our international money transfers. Their fees are low, exchange rates are good, it is fast and easy, and the transactions are secure. You can pay with a linked credit card, bank account, debit card, and other methods.
We also have a bank account with them which means we can hold different currencies. So if we are paying a supplier in USD, it comes out of our WISE USD account, and there are no currency charges.
Find a moving company
Getting your possessions to your new home abroad safely, fast, and cost-effectively is an important part of your move. Our tool makes it easier and less pricey for you.
Moving Company Quotes
A quality moving company can significantly ease this process by handling critical aspects of moving your possessions, such as shipping, customs clearance, securing permits, and taking care of both packing and unpacking.
Add your details to the form on our tool, and you will get up to five quotes to review and compare. Because the companies know that you are getting many quotes, they will give you their best price!
Learning Languages
Being able to speak to people in their native tongue enriches your life when you live abroad.
You will connect with your local community, like the shopkeeper or your neighbor,
You can minimize the frustration of getting basic things done.
It will make life easier – from booking a taxi to calling a plumber.
To make friends with locals, speaking their language is a great place to start.
We’ve found that learning a language is most accessible with a mixed approach. Here are our favorite resources that assisted our language learning journey.
With Moving to Spain you’ll $10 off your first lesson
iTalki
There is nothing better than practicing to improve your Spanish. iTalki is an online platform that lists hundreds of Spanish teachers or simply Spanish locals to practice your Spanish. You can find options to suit your needs, budget, and hours with tutors and teachers worldwide. The platform offers 1:1 structured virtual lessons or meetups all over Spain and the world, with different prices and levels. We love the flexibility and choice of the virtual lessons – brilliant if you are time-poor.
LingoPie
This is a FUN way to learn Spanish, which is pretty new. Watch movies and TV in Spanish with subtitles. However, the subtitles are clickable! So if you don’t understand something you can click on the word and the English is shown to you. You can also chat with a teacher about the program you just watched. Our son loves it!
Duolingo
Duolingo is a top-rated app for learning Spanish and other languages. You can do ten minutes while waiting for the bus or in the checkout line! It is set up like a game – you earn points and unlock new levels showing how you are improving your skills. It teaches you reading, listening, and speaking skills and has reminders built in to keep you motivated.
We wouldn’t recommend this on its own as it is not great at teaching you grammar; however, it is fantastic for improving your vocabulary and works well with all the above tools!
And most importantly, it is heaps of fun!
El Metodo – Spanish for beginners course
You can buy this online course created by Peter Hanley on Udemy. He is English, married to a Spaniard, and has lived in Spain for a long time. His method aims to get you to speak basic Spanish in a couple of weeks. We found the repetition and copying of local pronunciations an excellent way to learn. Our Spanish improved considerably after doing this course!
Apps we use all the time
Need to transfer money to your new Spanish account or pay someone in another currency? Here are our recommendations.
You can get a discount on your first year from this link ↓
Nord VPN
This is the tool that will give you safe access to stream content from around the world so you can still watch your favorite program from home!
It also shields your IP address which improves your online privacy and security.
Google Translate
We use this many times a day. No matter how good your Spanish is, there is always a word that you have had no reason to use before. Download the app to your phone to use when you are out and about. The “download language” and “Translate from Camera” functions are excellent.
XE
XE is a fantastic great currency conversion tool. There is also a handy app for your phone.
