While it is exciting, starting a new life in a new city could be frustrating and scary. However, for your life, given the size of our small town, everything being in proximity makes life easier. These are my eleven points to make your life easier in Segovia.
1. Phone Number
Firstly, if you are looking to get a Spanish number, in and nearby Calle Gobernador Fernando Jimenez you can find all of the telephone companies to get your number. There are stores available such as Vodafone, Orange and Movistar. It is easier to get around life once you have a Spanish number.
2. Grocery Stores
There are 2 grocery stores in walking distance: Carrefour Express and Dia – however, you can take the city buses to go to Mercadona, a larger Carrefour, Lidl, and Aldi if you are looking for more niche items and want to do a bigger grocery haul.
3. Hospitals
There are many hospitals or small clinics in Segovia in case you need to go to one the nearest options with variety of services inside are The General Hospital of Segovia in Calle de Luis Erik Clavería, 47002 Segovia another option is a private hospital Hospital Recoletas Segovia, in Calle Dr. Velasco, 21-23, 40003. When it comes to health care, learn about what your health insurance covers and whether it is usable in private hospitals or only for the public ones.
4. Navigation App: Movit
It has been especially helpful to use the app Moovit for figuring out which bus to take where and it has made my life, personally, way easier.
5. Cleaning Services
There are 2 places that offer special prices for IE students, one being Full Limpio. You can get in touch with Carlos Güidice (+34 602 332 381) to sign up for this service. Tintorería Lavantín is a dry cleaning service for IE University students – for this service you can call +34 921 425 717 or contact them via email: administracion@lavantin.com.
6. Pharmacies
There are multiple pharmacies throughout Segovia such as Farmacia de los Picos in Calle Juan Bravo 31, and it’s only a 4 minute walk from the Aqueduct. Another one is Farmacia Ortopedia La Plaza on Calle Cronista Lecea.
7. Restaurants & Cafés
There are a couple of good restaurants like Yum Baaar, and Pasapan in Segovia. (Especially if you are a vegetarian, Yumbar is a great choice.) They have a great range of coffees and delicious foods.
8. Explore the Running Paths
If you are looking for nature, in close proximity to Segovia you are in luck. There are many running paths in Segovia but the prettiest of them all is Paseo del Eresma behind Alcázar – it is incredibly beautiful with a waterbody running through.
9. Beyond “Plaza”:…
It is definitive that the Plaza Mayor is the place to hang out with your friends and bond over a couple of drinks, but if you are looking for a change of scenery you can check out the bar street (Calle de la Infanta Isabel) or other places such as Alma Nostra on Calle los Zuloagas for a more quiet night.
10. Learn How to Cook!
Especially in this small town where the options are limited and eating out can get easily repetitive and expensive in the long run, it is important to learn how to cook for yourself. Even someone who cannot crack an egg can go a long way by following recipes from YouTube or Pinterest. Surprise yourself and give it a shot!
11. The Occasional Madrid Excursion
There are two main options in going to Madrid from Segovia, one being taking the bus from the Estación De Autobuses Segovia (the bus station), you can buy your tickets online, or through the counters in the station or the machines in the station. To go to the Moncloa bus station in Madrid it is the same.
Another option would be going to Segovia Guiomar (the train station) and then taking the train to Madrid-Chamartín Clara Campoamor station for the ticket – the options are the same but from a different site.
Use the app Omio!
A new city like Segovia, though it is small, can be stressful for newcomers, but be sure to use these tips and pointers to make your transition even easier!
