Every winter I travel to Andorra or Spanish ski resorts, and an essential part of my travel gear are snow chains or snow socks.

Here’s my research and recommendations on the subject. When it comes to safety and security, I always go for the best even if it means spending a bit more money. For this purpose, I chose to focus on Michelin’s offerings, as it is a reputable company in the tyre business.

Whichever choice you make, be sure to include long arm-covering gloves and a towel and some wet wipes to help you stay clean when you install the chains. I also recommend having a snow scraper. The Michelin snow scraper is a simple yet effective tool that is designed to remove snow and ice from your car’s windshield and windows. The snow scraper features a sturdy plastic handle with a wide, curved blade that is designed to efficiently remove snow and ice from your car’s windows without scratching the glass.

Ok, let’s get into the options.

Snow Socks – Michelin SOS Grip Evolution

Michelin offers a range of snow socks that are designed to provide additional traction on snow and ice. The snow socks are made from a patented textile material that is highly durable and long-lasting. Here are some of the features and benefits of Michelin’s snow sock range:

1. Easy to Install: Michelin snow socks are easy to install and remove, and they can be fitted in just a few minutes. The snow socks stretch over the tire and are secured in place using a tensioning system that ensures a snug and secure fit.
2. Improved Traction: Michelin snow socks provide improved traction on snow and ice, which can help drivers stay safe and avoid accidents. The snow socks are designed to grip the road surface, providing better traction and stability when driving on slippery surfaces.
3. Quiet and Comfortable: Michelin snow socks are designed to be quiet and comfortable, even at high speeds. They are made from a soft and flexible material that does not create excessive noise or vibration when driving.
4. Durable and Long-Lasting: Michelin snow socks are made from a patented textile material that is highly durable and long-lasting. The material is resistant to tears, abrasions, and punctures, which ensures that the snow socks will provide reliable performance for multiple seasons.
5. Easy to Store: Michelin snow socks are compact and lightweight, which makes them easy to store in the trunk of your car. They come with a storage pouch that can be used to keep the snow socks clean and dry when not in use.

Overall, Michelin’s range of snow socks provides drivers with an effective and convenient solution for driving on snowy and icy roads. They offer improved traction, easy installation, and long-lasting performance, making them a popular choice for many drivers.

I have used their SOS9 grip for my tyres and have been impressed by how easy it is to install them and remove them. Always keep a big bag with you for storing them as they will be dripping wet and very dirty when you take them off. You’ll want to chuck them into a washing machine for a rinse and dry them out before you put them into long-term storage. The fact that they retain a bunch of water in them after you remove them is the main disadvantage, together with their lack of durability/robustness compared to other solutions.

I was able to get both snow socks on within 5 minutes.

However, if you’re going for a quick trip or two once a year, these are the perfect thing to have in your boot to get you out of a tough spot if/when needed.

Price: around €80

Composite Snow Chains – Michelin Easy Grip Evolution

The Michelin Easy Grip Evolution is a type of snow chain that is designed to provide extra grip and traction on snowy or icy roads. It is designed to be easy to install and remove, and it does not require any special tools or equipment.

The Easy Grip Evolution snow chain is made of composite materials and features a central snow grabber that provides additional traction and grip on the road surface. The chains are designed to fit snugly over the tire and are secured in place using a tensioning system that ensures a tight and secure fit.

One of the key features of the Michelin Easy Grip Evolution is its compatibility with a wide range of vehicles, including passenger cars, SUVs, and vans. It is also designed to be durable and long-lasting, with reinforced links and a flexible design that helps to prevent damage to the tire or wheel.

In addition, the Easy Grip Evolution is designed to be easy to store and transport. It comes with a storage case that can be easily carried in the trunk of your car, and it can be quickly installed in just a few minutes.

Snow socks are designed to provide moderate traction on snowy or icy roads, while the Easy Grip Evolution snow chains are designed to provide more significant traction and grip. This makes the Easy Grip Evolution a better choice for drivers who live in areas with more extreme winter weather conditions.

Another difference is their durability. The Easy Grip Evolution snow chains are generally more durable and long-lasting than snow socks, which may wear out more quickly and need to be replaced more frequently.

The Easy Grip Evolution chains will take up more space to store and take longer to install and remove compared to the snow socks, but they also do away with the water retention issue when storing them immediately after use, since they have a much smaller surface area in contact with the road and ice/snow.

For those who are used to snow chains and who make frequent tips to snowy areas, I recommend these over the SOS snow socks, as the latter are meant for emergency situations only rather than regular use.

Price: around €100-120

Michelin Fast Grip

The Michelin Fast Grip is a type of snow chain that is designed to provide additional traction on snowy or icy roads. The Fast Grip is made of a composite material and features a diamond pattern that is designed to provide extra grip and traction on the road surface.

One of the key features of the Michelin Fast Grip is its ease of use. The chains are designed to be easy to install and remove, and they can be fitted to the tire without moving the vehicle. This makes the Fast Grip a convenient solution for drivers who need extra traction but do not want to spend a lot of time installing and removing chains.

Price: around €350-400

Other Considerations When Driving in Snow

If you live in snowy regions, you already know that a 4×4 with winter tyres is the best option. But what about the rest of us? There are many debates online about tyre choices, and whether it’s best to have a FWD or AWD vehicle.

To me, it’s clear that if you visit snowy areas frequently in winter, but actually live in a warmer area, it could be a good idea to equip your car with all-weather tyres. Then you can do away with the chains and there is no further work on your end. Another option is to have a set of winter tyres and another set of summer tyres. This is only an option if you have plenty of storage in your garage and don’t mind the hassle of changing your tyres once or twice a year.

When it comes to FWD vs AWD, while it is clear that AWD is a better option for offroad use and snowy conditions, it is much better to have a FWD vehicle equipped with winter tyres than an AWD vehicle equipped with summer tyres.

So there is no need to sell your FWD to buy an AWD, just decide on what strategy you want to use with tyres or chains and you’re set for your winter fun in the snow.

Whichever setup you have, be prudent on the road as icy and snowy conditions will always have some effect on your car’s handling, and more importantly, you can expect the unexpected from other vehicles, some of whose drivers are encountering these conditions for the first time and might not have equipped their cars in an adequate way.

Spanish politicians just introduced a draft law for a new wealth tax. They say it’s a temporary tax, but we all know what a lie that is, considering the previous wealth tax system was also supposed to be temporary when introduced in 2008, and it exists to this day.

This is just another pig-headed populist move to appease the ignorant masses who believe that robbing Peter to pay Paul is a sustainable and good way to achieve prosperity.

What will happen is that more and more entrepreneurs and high net worth people will move to other countries, perhaps neighboring Portugal which treats them much better. Others will just implement structures that eliminate their wealth tax liability. Wealth taxes have been abolished the world over, precisely because they are unjust and don’t even achieve their purported aims of helping grow the government coffers during tough times.

How Will it Work?

Net wealth will be taxed from 3.7 million, throughout all Spanish regions (including Madrid and Andalusia which had previously discounted all wealth tax for their residents), the rates are tiered and go up to 3.5%. The valuation rules are the same as those of the current Wealth Tax, with the possibility to apply the family business exemption and the Income Tax/Wealth Tax limits of 20/60. Both rules are a relief for many. For those under Beckham regime, the tax calculation remains similarly unchanged (based on Spanish assets only). Otherwise the wealth tax is based on worldwide assets unless the double taxation treaty in place between the two countries implies any exceptions.

If the law is approved before the end of the year, it will apply in 2022 (payable in 2023). As mentioned, they say it is temporary for 2 years, 2022 and 2023, but with the possibility of extension.

For tax residents in Catalunya, it will only impact those with assets above 10 million euro, as that will trigger the 3.5% rate versus the 2.75% applied in Catalunya. This is due to the current wealth tax implemented by autonomous regions being fully deductible in the new state wealth tax.

I expect that the new wealth tax regime will be challenged in the courts by Madrid and Andalucia, who have worked hard over the past years to promote freedom and friendliness towards entrepreneurs. They had abolished wealth tax in their regions, and the new wealth tax system is mostly a reaction to that fact.

A change in government whereby the socialists are no longer in charge is the only real possibility of removing the wealth tax once and for all and put an end to this stupidity.

If you’re thinking of moving to Spain as a young and rich expat, you’ll probably be looking at a few shortlisted locations. Now the word “rich” can mean many things, but I’m using it to define young entrepreneurs, investors, and professionals who have a relatively high income or net worth.

Here’s my view on where to live in Spain if you fit that description, based on what I’ve seen during my time in Spain.

In my experience, people tend to consider the following locations:

• Barcelona (Catalonia)
• Madrid (Comunidad de Madrid)
• Costa del Sol (Andalucia)
• Costa Blanca (Comunidad Valenciana)
• Balearic islands (Islas Baleares)

First, I will explain why I listed them in this fashion.

For Barcelona and Madrid, they are pretty much the only serious destination within their autonomous regions, so I put down the city names directly.

For the two coasts (del Sol and Blanca), expats tend to be a bit more spread out and refer to the names of the coasts when explaining where they live.

For the islands, most expats will be found on Mallorca or Ibiza.

The autonomous region in brackets is important due to the fact that the tax implications differ between each region.

Housing

The best houses I’ve seen were in Madrid, Costa del Sol (look around the Marbella area as an example) and the Balearic islands. Barcelona also has some decent places, but they tend to be extraordinarily expensive and there are relatively few newer builds.

Young couples and families tend to prefer modern housing and there is a dearth of that type of housing in Barcelona due to bad socialist policies in place, among other factors. The city is also constrained by its geography, meaning the suburbs are actually quite distant compared to other cities. You will find decent housing in suburbs like Sant Cugat and Sitges, but you lose the proximity to the city.

Culture

For year-round cultural activities nothing comes close to Barcelona or Madrid. The difference becomes even more apparent in winter, when the other locations in my list become devoid of activity as tourism wanes.

If you value events, conferences and networking opportunities, then again you will want to stick to one of these two cities.

Expat Community

Barcelona wins this hands-down due to the large size of the expat community and its diversity. Other areas tend to be dominated by expats from certain countries (e.g. Germany/UK) whereas in Barcelona you’ll find a mix of people from all over the world.

Madrid is good too from this aspect but the expat community is smaller, especially when considering the type of person I have in mind in this article.

Politics & Taxation

In my opinion, Madrid and Andalucia are the two regions that are doing things the right way politically. They are trying to reduce taxation and encourage investment in the regions, while Barcelona is stuck in socialist hell.

Everyone has their opinion on politics, but regarding taxation the numbers speak for themselves, and show that Madrid and Andalucia are the best places for lower taxation in Spain, although it remains quite high in any case.

Education

If you have kids, and want to find a top international school, but also give your kids a holistic education in terms of sports activities and mixing with many other nationalities and locals, then you want to stick to either Barcelona and Madrid.

You can find some decent schools in the other areas, but you will miss out on the better availability of extra curricular activities and social life that the two biggest cities of Spain offer.

Keep in mind that once your kids turn eighteen and start looking at Universities, they will probably leave Spain and further their education in the US, UK, or the Netherlands. You might want to plan around that if you value living close to your children.

Travel

If you intend to travel a lot, then the best options are clearly Madrid and Barcelona, both of which have highly trafficked international airport. I particularly like the airport in Barcelona, but both are pretty good.

Travel between the two cities is also very convenient via the high speed train connection, which is important if you plan to conduct business in both cities. Madrid is better connected to the rest of Spain through both road and rail, so that’s another consideration if you want to explore Spain or have business all over.

Weather

If weather is very high on your priority list, then Madrid loses out due to its more extreme temperature highs and lows. It also lacks having the sea and the summer lifestyle one associates with coastal areas.

All other cities and areas I mentioned are great, but I would have to put Barcelona top due to its great and balanced weather. Summertime is always great in Barcelona and the Costa Brava, while the winter is not too cold and very pleasant for excursions. You also have several locations for good skiing within 2 hours drive from Barcelona.

The Balearic islands and southern coast of Spain are not my favorite because they tend to be more deserted in wintertime.

Some expats move to the Canary islands due to the great weather in winter, given their location, but in my opinion you would lose out on too many other things to make this a top destination.

Time to Move to Spain?

Spain is a wonderful country to live in as an expat, and has very few rivals worldwide if you seek overall quality of life. It might not be the top in anything, but it does have a bit of everything you need to live a happy life.

The biggest downside is inept politicians and a high level of taxation. This is why many expats are now choosing to move to Portugal instead of Spain. I have noted my thoughts on Barcelona vs Lisbon in a separate article, but in a nutshell, if tax optimisation and English-speaking locals is high on your priorities list, you will want to look at Portugal. For everything else, Spain wins out.

Have you moved to Spain as an expat? Do you agree with my assessment? Happy to continue the discussion in the comments section below.

These are just a few links I use to find attractive day trips and activities in the area around Barcelona and beyond.

Meetups

These are meetup groups that organize one-day trips, and can serve as inspiration if you want to do your own trip with a rented car, or if you have your own transport.

• Plan B
• Enjoy Catalonia
• SMexperiences
• Yepalo
• Descubridores de Barcelona
• Nature & Friends
• Back to Nature

With Kids

• Sortir amb nens
• Mammaproof
• Totnens

Around Girona

• Turisme Girones

If you’re looking into buying expensive fashion items as an investment or simply as a hobby, one way of lowering the barrier to entry is to find the items on a used goods website.

There are two main leaders in the used luxury fashion items space in Europe:

• Vestiaire Collective
• TheRealReal

Whenever possible, I buy the best products available on the market, which are normally the most expensive. The reasoning behind that is that you get to actually enjoy an amazing product, plus you know that there is the possibility to resell it at a good price. The latter point is important to me as an investor.

A lot of people just look at the price tags of some luxury designer bags, for example, and can’t believe how any person would buy them. The truth, however, is that some of those same bags can actually increase in price over time, making them a great investment. Handbags are in fact one of the most popular classes of alternative investments worldwide. The same goes for vintage cars and certain prestigious sports cars, for example.

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