Let's talk about the lady who checked her couch, suitcase, and valise in her luggage and took all her favourite clothes to the vacation 🧳

1) Which airline agreed to do this?
2) How much did it cost the lady?
3) And how did she not lose her mind?

Statistically speaking, excess baggage fees have increased significantly in recent years. French airlines in 2019 would have charged 55€ for it, and this year it's already 75€.

To avoid worrying about luggage security, exceeding the norms of several airlines and not dream of 5-handedness, you can use a special service and send your luggage in advance. We came across a mention of this service from The Local, then we couldn't get past it.

We all read it, counted it, admired the opportunity to make our lives easier, and now tell you about it 👇🏻

The service is called Send My Bag. Here is a list of destinations to and from which they send luggage. There is a separate section for students.

For example, we calculated the cost of sending luggage from Spain to France. At the standard rate, the bags will take 3-4 working days to arrive. For the luggage up to 20 kg you have to pay $44, up to 30 kg — $55, and if the weight is more, then also $55, but for each kg +2,50$.You can send bicycles, skis, boxes, bags and suitcases. You can't send anything in plastic bags and boxes, or anything with aerosols. The list of prohibited items depends on the country.

👀 Used this service or something similar? Or maybe sent luggage by a shipping company?@wedoobarcelona

A reminder from Renfe 🚉

The free passes for Cercanías, Media Distancia and Rodalies trains issued for the first 4 months of the year expire May 1, which is today.
Passes for the next 4 months (until August 31) will begin to be valid today. You can buy them in the Cercanías Renfe app, if you want a Media Distancia pass, through the Renfe website. Or at stations and self-service vending machines.

📌 If you forgot (or did not know) how it works:
Although the rides are free, you have to pay a deposit of 10€ (Cercanías and Rodalies) and 20€ (Media Distancia) for the pass. If you pay by card, you can get it back afterwards if you make 16 trips in 4 months.

@wedoobarcelona

#transport

Important things and changes in Spanish life coming as early as May 🇪🇸

May 1 is a Labor Day weekend.

May 2 is celebrated as Madrid Day. The date of the celebration relates to the anniversary of the May 2, 1808 rebellion against French troops.
Schools will be closed and there will be activities in the streets with music, dancing and theater.

May 7is Mother’s Day, which is celebrated on the first Sunday in May. On this day it is customary to thank mothers and make small pleasant gifts and spend the day with the family.

The pilots of the Spanish airline Air Europa will hold a 4-day strike at the beginning of May (1,2,4 and 5). It will involve from 620 to 640 pilots at all Spanish airports, where Air Europa is based. Hundreds of flights are likely to be cancelled or delayed. Passengers whose flights are cancelled will be transferred to another flight on the same day.

On May 16, judges and prosecutors will go on strike. They believe that the justice system is not being resourced, with judges and prosecutors heavily burdened, affecting both the quality and speed of judicial response and the health of workers.

We recently wrote about the new housing law. It should go into effect at the end of May (around the 28th) if it gets the green light.

There will also be a municipal election on May 28.

Good news about the social security system. There will be a single national phone number to distribute appointments throughout Spain, which will replace the existing provincial numbers. There will be twice as many employees answering the phone. It will be possible to make an appointment in 28 days instead of 7 days.

@wedoobarcelona

#news

How Spain’s new housing law will affect those who rent here ⚡️

The law was approved in mid-April and will primarily affect renters.Among the changes:
— A rent cap that applies even to existing leases;
— specifying the «stressed» areas where prices have risen the most;
— Realtor fees are now paid by the landlord.

Hundreds of amendments have been made to the law and it is already controversial. Let’s find out how it will affect tenants.

🖍 Limiting rent increases. The government extended the 2 percent increase ceiling to 2023, 3 percent will be in 2024.

🖍 New contracts. The cap on rent increases does not apply to any new contracts or those entered into after 2019. By the way, any increases must be communicated to the tenant in a «reliable manner, by fax or email» one month in advance of the increase.

🖍 The best part of the law. It shifts the responsibility of paying fees to the agent to the owners, not the tenants.
Prohibits charging more than what is stated in the advertisement or in the contract. For example, forcing tenants to pay utility costs or municipal fees «la comunidad».

🖍 «Stressed» neighborhoods. The law combats skyrocketing rents in high-demand neighborhoods. Local governments can now declare neighborhoods «stressed» and correct price imbalances. For example, freeze them or cap rental prices.

A neighborhood is «stressed» if:
— the cost of housing in the neighborhood exceeds 30 percent of the average net household income in the neighborhood.
— The purchase or rental price has risen at least 3 points above the CPI (Consumer Price Index) for 5 years.

What are the negative consequences?Despite the perception that the law is made for renters, experts warn that it could lead to higher prices and hurt renters. Owners will be forced to raise rents, decide to sell properties or break contracts to enter into new ones.

Is it a good law or will it only make things worse and more expensive?@wedoobarcelona

#housing

Monday's digest⚡️

A scandalous Samsung ad has been removed from the cathedral.

Renfe will increase the number of seats on trains from April 28 to May 2 to help travelers get from point A to point B. The generous campaign will affect AVE, Larga, Media Distancia, Avlo, Alvia, Euromed and Intercity trains. In all, up to one million seats will be available during this period.

Air masses from the subtropical Atlantic will bring 40-degree heat to southern Spain.

@wedoobarcelona

#news

Thursday News ⚡️

Spain checked in more than 6.5 million international passengers in March. That's 30% more than last year. 6.5 million, imagine! And it's not even summer yet.

On May 1, 2, 4 and 5 the pilots of the struggling airline Air Europa will hold a strike. The pilots are demanding higher wages and respect for their rights, «not to play with them».

Madrid wants to introduce a new tourist tax. Its purpose is to curb overtourism and help rebuild the city's tourism industry. The amount of the tax is not yet known, in Barcelona tourists pay 4€ per night for rented accommodation.

@wedoobarcelona

#news

Doggy who learned 3 words in Spanish asks you to share your language learning experience 😏

Tell me about your level of Spanish. How long did it take you? And how did you learn the language?

@wedoo_barcelona

#humor

Hola!

At El Prat airport there will be a strike of cab drivers from today until April 20. They want the authorities to take action against illegal cab drivers at the airport complex. Flight delays are unlikely, but it is better to arrive early.

Smoking has been banned on 28 beaches in Spain. Last year, smoking was also banned on the beaches of Barcelona, with fines for violations. The main goal of this campaign is to create a network of clean and smoke and cigarette-free beaches.

This March was the hottest in the 21st century, according to the state meteorological agency (AEMET). How do we cool off this summer?

@wedoo_barcelona

#news

Hola! Friday news in brief 👀

Air traffic controllers at 16 Spanish airports will continue to strike. Yesterday's negotiations on their wages and working conditions were thwarted, which means flights will continue to be delayed, at least throughout April.

Spain has started to grow hydroponic hops to save beer from the climate crisis.

Storm Noa is raging in the north, with showers and strong winds, but temperatures will drop across the country. Temperatures will normalize by the weekend, and you can always check the region for storm warnings here.

@wedoobarcelona

#news

Our neighbor Paris has banned scooter rentals

Spanish cities are not going to do the same yet, instead the government reminds about the rules of riding.• You have to drive carefully, without endangering other road users.
• You can't drive on sidewalks.
• It is forbidden to drive with headphones on.
• You may only park in an approved parking space.
• Only ride while wearing a helmet.
• Minimum age of driver is 16 years old.
• Cannot ride on intercity roads, highways, or city tunnels.
• Only one person can ride a scooter.

Keep in mind that the rules above are general rules. The rules of a city or municipality may differ. In Barcelona, for example, it is forbidden to ride in the Old Town, and you will be fined for parking in the wrong place. It is also forbidden to enter public transport with a scooter.

@wedoobarcelona

#news