I ditched the boring UK for a busy European city on my own – it's sunny 300 days of the year & I made friends so easily
EXPAT ESCAPE I ditched the boring UK for a busy European city on my own – it's sunny 300 days of the year & I made friends so easily
A YOUNG woman has revealed how she ditched the boring UK to live in a bustling European city.
Gabby Elisa moved to Barcelona, Spain, and has no plans to come back to the UK, and it's easy to see why.
3
Gabby Elisa left the UK for Barcelona all on her own
Credit: tiktok.com/@gabbyelisa
3
She said the bustling city made it easy to make friends
Credit: tiktok.com/@gabbyelisa
3
The city is often sunny and has stunning views
Credit: Getty
Taking to social media, she shared that she works for herself, making the move easy to do all on her own.
She said: "Why moving to Barcelona was the best decision I ever made."
Not only is the city filled with beautiful views and surrounded by a beach, she said it was also sunny 300 days of the year.
"Winter isn't even cold," she added.
Gabby also found it super easy to make friends in the city despite moving out there alone.
There's plenty of places for the friends to meet up as well as she said the food scene was unreal with lots of restaurants to try out.
Gabby said there was always something to do in the city as events are a weekly occurrence.
Not only was the city fun to live in, she said the workout culture was also big out there meaning there's no excuse to skip a gym day.
To top it off, it was easy to hire a car and make your way around Spain as well.
Gabby also revealed she had an e-guide on what to know before moving abroad to make it easier if you fancy ditching the UK too.
Spanish city with £15 flights from the UK
The clip went viral on her TikTok account @gabbyelisa with over 36k views and 2,200 likes.
People were quick to take to the comments in awe of her lifestyle.
One person wrote: "Best city to live in!"
Another commented: '1 week living here and love it sooo much already!"
Moving house hacks
1. Declutter Before You Pack
Sort through your belongings and get rid of anything you no longer need. Donate, sell, or recycle items to lighten your load.
2. Create an Inventory
Make a list of all your items. This helps keep track of everything and ensures nothing gets lost in the move.
3. Use Quality Packing Materials
Invest in sturdy boxes, bubble wrap, and packing tape. This will protect your belongings during the move.
4. Label Everything
Clearly label each box with its contents and the room it belongs to. This makes unpacking much easier and more organized.
5. Pack a 'First Day' Box
Include essentials like toiletries, a change of clothes, snacks, and important documents. This will keep you from rummaging through boxes on your first day.
6. Take Photos of Electronics Setup
Before unplugging your electronics, take photos of the wiring setup. This will make it easier to reconnect everything at your new place.
7. Use Suitcases for Heavy Items
Pack books and other heavy items in rolling suitcases. This makes them easier to transport and reduces the risk of injury.
8. Colour-Code Your Boxes
Use different coloured stickers or markers for each room. This will help movers quickly identify where each box should go in your new home.
"Been here for 8 years! Love it still. Except for all the construction," penned a third.
Meanwhile a fourth said: "I want to move to Barcelona so much!"
Someone else added: 'I would love to move there, I think I felt very safe. It just felt like my home city."
Fabulous will pay for your exclusive stories. Just email: fabulousdigital@the-sun.co.uk and pop EXCLUSIVE in the subject line.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
'I live in Spain and Brits needs to be careful about the sangria they're drinking'
Spain continues to be a favourite getaway destination for countless Brits, with the temptation of soaking up sunshine whilst enjoying sangria proving irresistible. However, a Spanish resident has turned to Reddit to deliver a stark caution to holidaymakers about a possible trap. The Reddit user 'Delde116' shared a warning message: " Sangria. This is a tourist trap, originally created by some British folk (the same way chicken tikka masala was invented by a Scotsman." They clarified that the authentic and traditional beverage is 'tinto de verano', which varies considerably as it's crafted with genuine wine and lemon. In other travel news, British passport holders are urged to do one important thing before October 12. The user added: "Sangria is a soda like Coca-Cola and Fanta, so imagine going to Spain and paying 10€ (£8.64) for a jar of Fanta. This happens everywhere in Spain." Across Spain, the subject of sangria can provoke heated discussion. Whilst some residents regard it as a symbol of Spanish heritage, others reject it as a tourist snare. Tinto de Verano, a sangria variant preferred by locals, typically comes at a more affordable price, reports the Express. The Spanish local added: "Spanish cuisine is regional and paella is a regional dish, not a national dish. If you want to eat paella for breakfast, lunch and dinner, you have to go to Valencia. You can find 'paella' in cities like Madrid, Barcelona and Seville, but it is a tourist trap and unironically it is 99 percent microwaveable yellow rice, it looks gross." They noted that while genuine paella spots do exist outside Valencia, they're not a doddle to find, being hidden treasures typically unearthed through local tips. While many holidaymakers may consider paella to be Spain's national dish, it hails from the Valencian region. Spanish cuisine varies significantly across the country, and the food tastes amazing wherever you go. Seville is famed for its claim to have invented tapas, while octopus is a favourite dish in Galicia. In San Sebastian, bars are celebrated for serving pintxos, small nibbles topped with a variety of ingredients. Gazpacho, a chilled soup perfect for balmy weather, is believed to have originated in Andalusia. For wine aficionados, a Spanish local recommends making a beeline for the La Rioja region, located north of Madrid.
Scottish Sun
8 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Three fun and cheap ways to keep kids fed and entertained during the holidays
Find out which supermarket has launched a Dubai chocolate pistachio brownie SUN SAVERS Three fun and cheap ways to keep kids fed and entertained during the holidays KEEPING children both fed and entertained during the holidays is often a challenge. But you can achieve both at the same time by turning snack creation into a fun, cheap activity. Advertisement Try some of these ideas… FRUIT LOLLIES: Kids will love the end result of this treat, plus it can be adapted in loads of different ways. If you have a couple of ripe bananas to hand, wedge a lolly stick into each. Melt a small amount of chocolate in a bowl — popping in the microwave for a few seconds and stirring. Advertisement The children can then dip the bananas in the melted chocolate. Have a bowl of sprinkles for dipping too, or add them to the wet chocolate. Pop on baking paper and put in the freezer for a couple of hours and the frozen lolly is ready to eat. Alternatively, cut up chunks of fruit, such as strawberries or tangerine segments. Advertisement Dip in the melted chocolate and sprinkles before popping in the fridge for an hour or so until set. Then add to a child-friendly kebab stick for a healthy and delicious snack. Three new family-friendly summer events that kids will love from Disney hunt to walking tour FLAPJACKS: A filling, easy and adaptable snack. Following this Tesco recipe, you will need to melt 90g of salted butter, plus 90g of light muscovado sugar and 90g of golden syrup in a pan over medium heat. Advertisement Then get the kids to help by adding ingredients such as raisins and other chopped dried fruits, chopped nuts, seeds, and even chocolate chips to 150g of oats. Stir this into the melted butter mixture. Put it in a baking tin lined with non-stick paper and flatten out. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown then cut into squares. Advertisement PIZZA: Making pizza with kids is an easy win. Asda's pizza base mix is 92p — just add water to create a soft dough. You can get kids involved in the kneading or roll out into circles and let them decorate with passata sauce, mozzarella and any other ingredients you have in the cupboard or fridge, such as sweetcorn, mushrooms, onion or pepperoni. 7 We have three fun and savvy ways to keep kids fed and entertained during the holidays Credit: Getty Advertisement All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability. Deal of the day 7 This patio set is down to £40 at Credit: Supplied PULL up a seat in your outdoor space with this patio set, down from £90 to £40 at SAVE: £50 Cheap treat 7 Co-op has released a Dubai chocolate pistachio brownie Credit: Supplied Advertisement CO-OP has joined 2025's hottest sweet trend, with a Dubai chocolate pistachio brownie. Pick up a slice for £1.50 from in-store bakeries. What's new? GIVE your furry friends something fun to play with, thanks to Aldi's new scented pet plush toys, £2.99, in stores from today. Top swap 7 These Birkenstock sandals are £85 from Schuh Credit: Supplied 7 Lidl's similar sandals are just £6.99 Credit: Supplied Advertisement SLIP your feet into these Birkenstock sandals, £85 from Schuh. Or head to Lidl and get its similarly styled sandals for £6.99. SAVE: £78.01 Little helper MORRISONS is now offering a ten per cent discount in all its cafes for Blue Light Card holders. The offer is available all day, every day. Shop & save 7 This Avengers lunch bag is down from £8 to £5.98 at Asda Credit: Supplied Advertisement YOU will be the true hero to the kids when getting this Avengers lunch bag, down from £8 to £5.98 at Asda. SAVE: £2.02 Hot right now GET stuck in to a real page-turner with three for £7.50 on fiction and non-fiction books at The Works. PLAY NOW TO WIN £200 7 Join thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle Advertisement JOIN thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle. Every month we're giving away £100 to 250 lucky readers - whether you're saving up or just in need of some extra cash, The Sun could have you covered. Every Sun Savers code entered equals one Raffle ticket. The more codes you enter, the more tickets yo
Wales Online
9 hours ago
- Wales Online
Ryanair baggage rule change could see passengers hit with extra £70 charge
Ryanair baggage rule change could see passengers hit with extra £70 charge Ryanair has updated its cabin baggage rules for summer 2025 and there's one rule that could catch you out if you're unprepared The summer holidays are now upon us and many Britons are desperate to escape the UK for some well-deserved sunshine and coastal tranquillity. Unfortunately there are countless airport rules that could dampen the enthusiasm before it even starts. One rule, concerning Ryanair luggage, risks creating problems for passengers at the airport if they turn up ill-prepared. It's frequently seen as travellers' biggest nightmare – being singled out by airport personnel to check their hand luggage dimensions with sizing frames just before take-off. With budget airline Ryanair passengers are permitted to take a "personal bag" free of charge though it must comply with their strict size requirements. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here . After a recent change in line with EU rules these dimensions have been increased to 40 x 30 x 20cm. If their bag surpasses these boundaries passengers face a fee as high as £70. Ryanair operates a card-only payment system at its boarding gates, which could create problems for some holidaymakers. This means that if a passenger is prepared to pay the fee, without a payment card to hand, they could be prevented from boarding with their baggage, reports Lincolnshire Live. A Ryanair spokesman told the Daily Mail: "Our bag policy is simple; if it fits in our bag sizer (which is bigger than our agreed dimensions) it gets on free of charge. Article continues below "If it doesn't fit in our bag sizer you pay a gate bag fee. As our boarding gates are cashless gate bag fees cannot be paid in cash. "These fees are paid by less than 0.1% of passengers who don't comply with our agreed bags rules. For the 99.9% of our passengers who comply with our rules we say thank you and keep flying as you have nothing to worry about." Therefore if you're travelling with Ryanair this summer it would be wise to bring a card to guarantee your holiday begins without a hitch. This warning emerges following reports that a new four-hour regulation has been implemented before the summer holidays, affecting travellers with Ryanair, easyJet, TUI, and Jet2. Following a European Union ruling, the timeframe for claiming compensation for delayed flights has been lengthened. After more than a decade of discussions it has been determined that compensation claims for short-haul flights will only be acceptable following a delay of no less than four hours, which has increased from the earlier three-hour limit. For long-distance trips travellers must endure a delay of six hours or longer before pursuing compensation. The type of delay also influences the amount of compensation granted. Article continues below A4E, which represents leading European carriers, voiced frustration. A spokesman said: "Europe has been waiting for transparent and workable passenger rights for 12 years and member states have fallen at the final hurdle to deliver [...] member states have diluted the European Commission's original proposal and introduced even more complexity."
