Driver's licence classes in English in Madrid

Getting a driver's licence in Spain is a pain! Well, it's pain in any European country. Compared to the US, Central- and South America it is basically a science getting to drive a car legally in Europe. If in doubt you might be convinced when holding the 320 pages book, or an average need of 30 driving classes before you can call yourself a certified driver.

Official driving exam in English, German and Chinese

Getting a driver's licence in Spain is an expensive and hideous experience, and you do not want to complicate this by choosing the official New Driver's book in Spanish when you have an alternative. There are official books and exams in English, German and Chinese.

But here is the thing, if you start phoning different driving schools you will soon get the impression that that's not the case! Most will claim that the exam and book is only available in Spanish - not true!

I know what I'm talking about because I've been through the above, but I found a reasonable priced driving school offering classes in English, and when I went to the theoretical exam at DGT in Móstoles I was given the choice to do it in English - by the way, check their website for test exams.

The school I found is called Venecia and it's located on Calle de Mesonero Romanos 6 in Madrid (between metro Sol and Callao).

The fastest way to get your driver's licence

Getting that little pink European driver's licence is a pain; you are expected to read and memorize 320 pages of theory covering everything from the breaking distance in different weather situations, detailed description of the engine, signals etc. All people are different but here's what worked well for me, as in saving me a lot of time:

• Study the book at home
  
  The school will offer you unlimited and free access to the theoretical classes, but you will soon realise just how slow these progress as there will always be a few "short" people who slow down the whole class significantly.
• Make exercises at home
  
  Passing the theoretical exam is a matter of memorizing, as such make all the exercises at home, again and again. Read a chapter and answer the 30 - 60 questions; once you are down to 0 - 2 mistakes you can move on to the next chapter.
• Go to class once or twice
  
  Unfortunately there are typos in the book! In other words, when making exercises at home you will experience that a few right answers are listed as being wrong - write down any doubt you might have, go to class once or twice to clarify with the teacher.

When you are down to a maximum of 5 mistakes when doing exercises for the entire book and having cleared any doubt with the teacher it's time to sign up for the theoretical exam, which takes place at DGT in Móstoles (South Madrid). Note, due to holidays you cannot take the exam in August.

The theoretical exam

The format is multiple choice. At the exam you can choose an English, German or Chinese version of the 30 questions. You will be given 30 minutes to complete the test and be allowed a maximum of 3 wrong answers. The result of the exam will be published online 1 - 3 days later.

Type of questions

Most of the questions are straight forward (if you have read the book) but some of them can be a bit tricky and if you are too confident and in a hurry you might make a mistake (take your time, you don't get awarded for being the first to hand in your answers).

• Here's an example of a 'tricky' question. You know from reading the book that seatbelts save lives!
  
  Question: What is the benefit of using the seatbelt?
  
  Answer 1: In case of an accident it improves your survival rate by 87%.
  
  Answer 2: It doesn't really make any difference as long as I drive within the speed limits.
  
  Answer 3: It lowers the risk of lethal accidents.
  
  The theoretical exam is to some extend technical and you might be fooled into believing that the benefit of the seatbelt can be measured exactly, it cannot! The basic function of the seatbelt is to lower the risk of lethal accidents (answer 3). Take your time during the exam, you really don't want to take it more than once.

Once you have passed the theoretical exam you are ready to hit the road, with your driving instructor at your side.

How many driving classes will you need?

That totally depends! It depends e.g. on how fast you learn, how nervous you are, if you have some previous driving experience etc. The school typically offers you a package of 20 hours, but discuss this with your driving instructor, he or she will quickly have a pretty good feeling of your need and progress.

I know of people who needed up to 100 hours but this is the exception, an extreme - the average is 30 hours.

Then doing the practical exam (also in Móstoles) make sure to drive exactly as described in the book! The examiner will not be impressed by a fancy and fast driving style, he will fail you! Failing the exam will set you back another 100 - 200 euro!

Good luck and I hope seeing you cruising around Madrid soonest (without a driving instructor next to you).

The media is the solution to 15-M

On May 15th 2011 a few people gathered on the central square in Madrid, Puerta Del Sol, to express their discontent prior to the election the following Sunday, as time has passed more and more people have joined the 15-M movement throughout Spain. But who are they, what do they want are two obvious questions.

The 15-M movement consists mostly of young people in their 20's and 30's but the demographics are changing, now all age groups are represented on Puerta Del Sol with all types of backgrounds. As such, in terms of the two previous questions who they are and what they want can be answered with one answer, they want change, they want the politicians to get their act together. As the people supporting the movement are very diverse so are the opinions on what needs to be done.

What motivated the 15-M movement
A more relevant question is what motivated the 15-M movement? With a general unemployment rate of 22% and even 45% among young people there is a discontent with the political system, which they feel has let them down. They do not point fingers at one specific party - though different media tries framing it as such - they are merely asking voters to consider an alternative to the two main parties, Partido Popular (PP) and ruling PSOE (Social Democrats). There is a wide range of alternatives to PP and PSOE and 15-M's spokespersons are asking people to consider these on the election day.

The problem with the two main political parties in Spain (PP and PSOE) is the importance the politicians put on self interest. Spanish politicians - as most politicians in the world - focus first and foremost on their own career and interest; hereafter they pay attention to the interest and wellbeing of their party; and any spare time left - should there be any - is devoted to the interest of the country. Consequently:

• Spain is among the European countries with the lowest productivity
• Spain has the highest unemployment rate in Europe (twice the average)
• Different Spanish governments have allowed the construction sector to make up 20% of GDP
• 20% of the Spanish economy is "black" (Spain is the world's 9th largest economy)

In Spain it is normal for people discuss and get into verbal fights over which party is more corrupt, PP or PSOE. Some people vote PSOE because they are less corrupt than PP, other people vice versa. How sickening is that? That is basically the same as accepting corruption among the political elite. Corrupt politicians, down to the value of less than one cent, should face the legal consequences and lose all legitimacy from the voters.

The media is key
Spanish politicians - as politicians in any country - have a tendency to say the right things prior to coming elections, and they have a tendency to forget all about it post-elections. Politicians are not from another planet they know what needs to be done to tackle the problems but once elected the political work logic kicks in and the problems and right solutions fade away until the next election.

What is needed is to turn the political work logic upside down, make sure that they put the interest of the country first, there after the party, then themselves. The media is key! They have the resources and obligation to research and publish any misbehavior among politicians. Besides from wrong doing the media should continuously confront the politicians with their pre-election promises, keep them in the spotlight.

One might argue that is taking it too far, to that I can only say have a look at Puerta Del Sol and the 166 other cities (as of May 21st) throughout Spain, the politicians have created this mess and they have lost all legitimacy - it is time for the Spanish politicians to prove through hard work, results and transparency that they can be trusted yet again.

What time do people have dinner in Madrid?

Throughout Northern Europe most families sit down at 19 hrs. to have dinner, but things are a bit different in Madrid.

Madrid is truly Latin and dinners are enjoyed at 21 - 22 o'clock (that's 9 - 10 in the evening), if you go out to dine you will quickly notice that most kitchens are closed until 21 o'clock.

Spanish eating habits
So how do people survive until "late" in the evening you might ask? Well, in general Spanish food habits are as follows:

• In the morning around 8 o'clock they'll have a coffee with milk (café con leche) and a few biscuits (galletas) - I still can't grasp how they can survive on a cup of coffee and biscuits.
• Lunch is typically eaten from 14 o'clock, most go to nearby restaurants to have a three course menu. Spanish tradition dictates that having lunch can't be done in less than 2 hours.
• Afternoon "tea", in the afternoon around 17 o'clock people will have an afternoon snack (merienda).
• Dinner is eaten from around 21 o'clock as described above.

To survive until 21 - 22 o'clock you will need to have a bite in the afternoon, adapt to the local habits and include merienda into your food schedule. If anything, you'll easily find a café open for business.

Where NOT to exchange money in Madrid

Just a quick but important notice should you look for a place in Madrid to exchange or wire money - this small piece of advise will save you a LOT of money.

Avoid Exact Change on Puerta del Sol, N 12

On Puerta de Sol, the central square in Madrid with the famous statue of the bear climbing the madroño tree, is an exchange agency called Exact Change - you do NOT want to make any wire transfers or exchange money there! 

I went there with my brother last Saturday - May 14th 2011 - and they ended up charging 35% commission! 

When I asked them to cancel the transaction and return the money they claimed it wasn't possible due to company policies. They also said that I had renounced my mandatory consumer rights when making the transaction (they ask you to sign a piece of paper), but on the paper you sign there is not a single word describing that you are renouncing your consumer rights.

Official Complaint Form / Hoja de Reclamación

I can accept paying a fee or commission but I cannot accept renouncing my mandatory consumer rights without being informed about this prior. What I have done so far is to get one of the official complaint forms (Hoja de Reclamación), which I will send to the authorities first thing in the morning.

You might ask what difference this might make - well, I'll keep updating this post - I have previously filled an official complain and the authorities actually takes these very seriously. In other words, if you feel unfairly treated by a company do not hesitate to ask for a complaint form.

There are several places to exchange money, any bank will be far cheaper, do yourself a favour and avoid Exact Change on Puerta del Sol - they are immoral and do not respect your mandatory consumer rights.

The official company name and address is:

Maccorp Exact Changes S.A

Puerta Del Sol, N 12

Madrid

C.I.F: A-79182788

Tlf. 917 010 280

Best location to live in Madrid for singles

You are single and moving to Madrid, or you're already living here but in a temporary place in order to find that schmoozing location where you'll meet a bunch of cool people - but where to look?

Madrid is a big city of 6 million people (as of 2011), thus there are a lot of areas each with their own atmosphere and style. In this article I will focus on just one area, or 'barrio' as its called in Spanish (why bother talking about the second, third ... best places - after all, you are looking for fun and potential, right?)

Chueca
This is the place you want to live, being in a flat and socially, but not just any part of Chueca will do, read on.

Chuecac is the hippest of all barrios, located in the very centre of Madrid! Until the 1990's Chueca was a rather complicated and poor area attracting alternative people. But over the years as more and more special clothing stores, hairdressers and award winning bar and restaurants opened, the barrio became increasingly popular.

Most of the buildings are traditional old style with balconies protected by handmade wrought iron balustrades, high ceilings and other beautiful details. Prices are reasonable but flats tend to be on the small side.

The last couple of years Chueca has become a bit more mainstream as shops like Zara, Mango, Starbucks, Muji etc. are popping up along Calle Fuencarral (the main shopping street), but if you can ignore these few wannabes you will find an area full of life, great and interesting looking people, speciality shops run by life confirming small business owners.

North Eastern part of Chueca

If you check blogs, tourist guides etc. they will all mention Chueca as a cool, must see place, but believe me when I say that you do not want to live in any part of Chueca. I have identified an area which should be on your radar - thereby not saying that you can't find some hidden oasis elsewhere in Chueca, but if you prefer going out meeting people and live the Madrid lifestyle instead of phoning landlords and negotiating contacts I suggest you stick to the north eastern part of Chueca (green frame).

Other parts of Chueca are far less cool and tend to be haunted by teenager tourists and nerdy girl and boys from the provinces with fake piercings and removable Tony the Tiger tattoos.

The buildings within the red frame are beautiful and can easily match the ones of neighbouring barrio Salamanca but are priced far lower. Most of the shops around are unique, you'll find one focusing on handmade hats, you will find fantastic places to buy 'jamon serrano', cheese, wines, olives ... on Calle de Argensola etc.

- in spring, summer and autumn, open your 2 meters high French balcony doors and enjoy the sun, smell and a glass of afternoon white wine while waiting for last nights date to ring the door.

How to find flats and rooms for rent
There is the always popular idealista.es but do also have a look at fotocasa.es, which is an alternative to idealisa.es.

Finally, get out there and look up! Browse the streets and you will quickly see neon coloured signs in the windows with the word 'alquiler' (for rent/let), write down the phone number and set up a day to check out the place.

Fantastic chill-out bar & restaurant in Madrid

Coming to Madrid you should definitely stop by Válgame Dios - Terraza & Salon on Augusto Figueroa 43 (Chueca area).

If you are into a relaxed and cozy atmosphere without compromising on quality and style then Válgame Dios is most likely to be an obvious place to visit.

Of cool features I would like to mention:

• An hidden area with a huge wooden rustic style dining table, which create the perfect setting if you plan a dinner with 8 - 10 persons. 
• In the 'common' area you'll find soft gun metal grey sofas; I just love sinking into one of them and enjoy an afternoon gin & tonic. 

Talking design I want to mention the wallpaper in the toilets - yes I know, it's strange - check it out it's really cool.

The prices are not among the most competitive in Madrid, nor even in the area, but I guess the owners have poured a lot of resources into the design and rebuilding (used to be a clothing shop).

The service is OK though a bit on the arrogant side, I’ve never understood the mixture of being a waiter and arrogant is beyond me, and how any owner can accept this.

The food quality and taste is fine but the portions are way too small. I bought a hamburger (which was rather small) and got three, 3, tres small potatoes! By the way, I paid 12 euro!

All things considered I recommend you to visit Válgame Dios, if not for the food then to enjoy the atmosphere and a gin & tonic.

Finally, their phone number is 91 7010 341.

Getting from Madrid airport (Barajas) by metro

There are basically two ways to get from the airport to downtown Madrid, by metro or taxi.

If you are a very comfortable person who can’t make the 100 meters from the exit of the airport to the metro system I recommend a taxi – it will set you back about 30 euro (50 USD) and take from 25 to 60 minutes depending on the traffic.

You have all reasons to take the metro from Barajas, it’s cheaper, faster and more fun. The metro is safe, clean and new. It runs every two minutes from early morning (6 o’clock until midnight).

The Pink Line (number 8) – Heading to Nuevos Ministerios

There is only one metro line going to and from the airport, it is the Pink line (number 8). It makes a few stops during its 20 min ride to final station Nuevos Ministerios – most passengers get off there as it’s well connected.

An Airport Metro Ticket Cost 2 Euro – One Way

A metro ticket from Madrid airport to downtown cost 2 euro – just about all other metro rides cost just 1 euro but you will need an additional ticket as the airport is located rather far from the city.

I recommend you to purchase your ticket from one of the machines available on the station; you can pay with credit card, notes and coins.

All newer metro stations have lifts available, all stops on the Pink airport line have lifts installed making it easy for you to get on and off the train with your luggage/suitcases. Not all of the older stations have lifts installed, but you’ll probably find a friendly local to help you should it be required – you’ll get a long way with a smile and ‘por favor’. 

Finally, download an updated Madrid Metro Map: http://www.metromadrid.es/export/sites/metro/comun/documentos/planos/Planoing2011-04.pdf

- if the link doesn't work it might be because of newer version available, thus visit: http://www.metromadrid.es/en/viaja_en_metro/red_de_metro/planos/index.html