US Global Entry Tips for Expats
if you have Global Entry and you're spending a significant chunk of time living abroad, there are two things you should make sure are current in your Trusted Traveler Program (TTP) account.
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Applying For A Second US Passport
A second US passport can keep your international travel on track if you're without your original passport.
Usually when applying for entry to foreign country that requires you to have an entry visa, you have to send away your existing US passport with the visa application. Processing by that country can sometimes take as long as two or three months. While you're without your passport, you can't travel outside the US and that includes Canada or Mexico.
Les Freses Winery: A Small Winery With An Unusual Origin
Les Freses ("the strawberries" in Valencian), sits just outside the village of Jesús Pobre on the edge of the Montgó Natural Park between Javea and Dénia. The owner acquired what was a strawberry farm in the 1970s and when the strawberry business didn't pan out, it was converted into a winery.
Spain Beyond Spain: Enclaves, Islands and Hidden Territories
We've traveled quite a bit around Spain in years past, but still need to check out a few parts of the Spanish mainland such as southwest Murcia, the La Mancha area and the southwest around Cadiz. Once we are in Spain permanently, we're looking forward to doing a lot of those trips and going back to areas we've been to before to stay longer and explore further.
Adjusting To The Metric System
We learned about the metric system early on in school. We did the worksheets, memorized the conversions, passed the tests and then as most US students do, promptly forgot about it. Moving to Spain means it’s time to reach back into the recesses of our brains and get comfortable with it again.
Local Javea Area Food & Coffee Spots – February 2026
To continue adding to our previous post about local Jávea area food & coffee spots, here are the ones we visited during our last trip in February 2026. Again, we've grouped them by location, along with a few notes on what stood out.
Alicante Airport: Gateway To The Costa Blanca
As we plan our move to Jávea, we need to figure out where the best airport is for us to travel in to and out of whenever we go on trips. Luckily, there are two each about 75 minutes away. One is Alicante Airport (ALC) and the other is Valencia Airport (VLC). We want to travel through both of them to decide which might be best for us. During this last house hunting trip, we flew in and out of Alicante.
Spanish Home WiFi Works Differently
In most US homes interior walls are drywall with wooden studs. WiFi signals pass through these materials fairly easily. Spanish homes are built very differently. Walls are usually concrete block, brick, or reinforced masonry and floors between levels are often solid concrete.
Upcoming ITP Tax Reduction on June 1
There's an upcoming reduction in the ITP tax in the Valencian Community coming on June 1, 2026. The Valencian regional government has passed a landmark reform that will reduce the Property Transfer Tax (ITP) for second-hand property purchases. The Stamp Duty (AJD), applicable on new build purchases will also reduce slightly, from 1.5% to 1.4% on June 1 as well.
The Right VPN Service for Expats
The right VPN service as an expat is critical. Accessing US-based websites and streaming services can be surprisingly frustrating when you're outside the country, even when you're connected to a VPN. We experienced this firsthand during our house hunting trips to Spain. When we got back, we dug into how we could fix this to make sure we don't have issues when we move full time.
Our Second House Hunting Trip
Our second house hunting trip is complete. This trip was primarily to look at a wide range of house types in different neighborhoods throughout the Jávea and Denia area. That way, during our next visit, we can really start to hone in on finding the house we want in the neighborhood and area we like. We also learned a lot about all of the things we need to consider in a home we'd purchase.
ETIAS Is Coming
If you’re planning a trip of an type to the EU and Schengen Area, ETIAS — the European Travel Information and Authorization System is coming this year and you need to be ready.