Was a scouting trip before the move worth the money?

We did two scouting trips to Spain before deciding, and I'd say they were the best money we spent on the whole move. The first trip was in May, and we fell in love with a town on the coast. The second was in January, on purpose, and we discovered that the same town was almost empty in winter, with most restaurants closed and the promenade deserted. That second trip changed our decision completely. We chose a town twenty minutes inland that has life all year round, and I'm certain we'd have been lonely in the first one.

So my advice: if you do one scouting trip, go in the worst month, not the best. You'll see the real place, and if you still love it then, you'll love it always.

No trip for us, because with three kids and a skilled visa it wasn't possible, and we managed, but Linda's January trip is exactly the kind of lesson we learned the hard way in our first winter.

Went in the worst month, like Linda, and it saved me from a very pretty town with no internet.

Skipped it, and the first month was much harder because of it.

A long weekend, focused only on neighbourhoods and schools, was enough for us.

Cheaper than one bad lease, that's how I justified it.

Rain all weekend on ours, and it was still the best decision we made.

Linda's "go in the worst month" is advice I'd give everyone. If a full trip isn't possible, the Costs and Daily Life sections of the country guides can cover some of the same ground, like seasonal prices and what closes when, but nothing replaces walking a neighbourhood at night in February.