Location
  • Spain
Length
4 - 26 weeks
Program Tags
Adventure Travel After College Arts College Credit Conservation Cultural Immersion Drama Hands-On Learning Language Immersion Music Post-High School Social Justice +2

Program Details

Activities
Canyoning City Exploring Cycling Dancing Mountain Climbing Sightseeing Surfing Trekking Wine Tasting Yoga Ziplining
Timeframe
Fall Spring
Housing
Host Family Hostel
Primary Language
Spanish
Age Min.
18

Pricing

Starting Price
17400
Price Details
Our Spain By Train program fee is $17,400. This includes:

-Pre-travel preparation: online individual interviews and group meetings
-Onboarding resources: Spanish culture course and language learning subscription
-Access to our online learning & support program and course materials
-Full-board accommodation for the 12 weeks (breakfast, lunch & dinner)
-All transport between locations*
-All classes, workshops and activities
* Does not include travel insurance and airfare

Payment options: to book your place, we require 20% of the program fee. Please contact to us to discuss what payment options are available to you and we can work on an installment payment plan together.
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Airport Transfers Equipment Meals Tour Guide Transportation Wifi
What's Included (Extra)

24/7 support in English and Spanish

What's Not Included
Airfare SIM cards Travel Insurance Visa
Sep 21, 2023
May 24, 2023
34 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Spain by Train is a 12-week program where you will be immersed in real Spanish culture while you learn Spanish:

-You will visit our capital, Madrid, with its wonderful museums and lively art scene.
-We’ll cycle The Camino de Santiago.
-You’ll take cooking classes in The Basque Country, the foodie centre of the world.
-We will Climb The Picos de Europa, adventure through its canyons and surf the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
-You’ll discover modernist architecture in Barcelona and learn about sustainable agriculture and marine science in Valencia.
-And you’ll experience flamenco music in Granada, with its World Heritage site, The Alhambra.

Spanish Gap Year will be your trip of a lifetime. You will acquire interpersonal and practical skills that will stand to you for the rest of your life. You’ll travel by train, the most sustainable form of travel, and experience both Spanish homestays & group accommodation.

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • Experience Spanish culture with locals
  • Learn Spanish through hands-on experience
  • Visit Madrid, Barcelona, Andalusia, The Camino, Salamanca and The Basque Country
  • 8 College credits from the University of Salamanca
  • Travel Spain by Train: responsible travel

Related Programs

Program Reviews

4.73 Rating
based on 15 reviews
  • 5 rating 73.33%
  • 4 rating 26.67%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Housing 4.9
  • Support 4.7
  • Fun 4.55
  • Value 4.75
  • Safety 4.95
Showing 1 - 8 of 15 reviews
Default avatar
Keara
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Spanish Gap Year Review

I enjoyed this program’s devotion to cultural immersion, exemplified through the homestays, historical tours, Spanish language courses, and cooking classes. We learned so much about artisanal farming through our visits to ecological, horse, donkey, and cheese farms. It also has an art focus through pottery, dancing, collage, and photography. This is a comprehensive program that provides a fully immersive Spanish experience. Overall, this program is more similar to study abroad with it’s classroom and guided tour model, instead of constant free-range outdoor activity - even though they do provide an intensive one week full of adventure in the North.

Pros
  • Spanish language improvement
  • Day trips and tastings - tropical fruit tasting, olive oil tasting, wine tasting, jam tasting.
  • Asturias adventure - canyoning, rock climbing over water, biking el Camino de Santiago, surfing
Cons
  • My session of the program included a number of students with social, emotional difficulties which negatively affected the social aspect of my experience. This wouldn’t be the case for future groups. The leaders are enhancing the screening for these issues
28 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Katherine
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing Gap Year opportunity to immerse in Spanish culture

I'm sharing this review as a parent of Spring 2022 Gapper. My son was interested in becoming more fluent in Spanish and learning more about the country and history of Spain. His experience way exceeded his expectations as well as mine! Arantxa and the rest of the SGY crew were phenomenal. They thought through many details and were also open to suggestions from students, since the program is a bit newer. He was given structure but also a certain amount of independence once the students showed they were familiar enough with their location and Spanish customs and program rules. I never worried about his safety and can not recommend SGY strongly enough. My son's experience with this program was truly life changing for him and I am grateful he had the opportunity to immerse himself so completely in Spanish culture.

Pros
  • Language and culture immersion
  • Positive group dynamic
  • Excellent homestays
Cons
  • Would have liked more time in Madrid
61 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Tim
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Excellent Program for Language and Culture

Writing as a parent of a gapper who spent 3 months touring Spain with Spanish Gap Year and Arantxa's team. Overall...GREAT Experience!

We would heartily recommend Spanish Gap Year and were very impressed with Arantxa's organization, staff, home-stay placements (AMAZING!), and connections with local resources. The activities (fun and educational) were super fun for our gapper. We would give a special shout out to Arantxa for connecting with wonderful group language classes for the gappers. The stay in Salamanca was especially well done. Our gapper now hopes to study abroad for a semester or even a year in Salamanca as part of her undergraduate work!

Although the program is still in its early days, Arantxa has loads of personal experience and tons of passion for what these kids are hoping to find, see, learn, and experience. She really gets it.

Spanish Gap Year is a well run outfit. The program offers tremendous opportunities for growth in Spanish language skills as well independence, social opportunities, culture, gastronomy, and understanding the fascinating culture and history of every region of Spain...a true crossroads of cultures.

Pros
  • Excellent Language Instruction
  • Fun Activities and Adventure
  • You will learn to TRAVEL and navigate just about every possible mode of transportation. A GREAT life skill!
66 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Israel
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Spanish Gap year

My daughter had a wonderful time on this program. It provided a rich and diverse cultural experience across many parts of Spain and in a way which was fun and enjoyable. As a parent I always felt that my daughter was being taken care of and the communication was excellent. The communication not only consisted of email updates but am instagram and google drive location which provided videos and pictures. I would whole heartedly and without reservation recommend this program to other parents considering a gap year program for their son or daughter.

66 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Trina
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Parent of a Spanish Gap Year Student

Arantxa (the founder/leader) is a rare gem. She directs the program with professionalism and has excellent communication with the parents, but her heart is with the students. She understands their age and stage of life and respects their independence while also providing a safe and enriching experience. Each aspect of the program is very intentional and provides immersion without pressure. It's a great rhythm of homestays and city hostel adventures with some wilderness adventures that aren't too intense for students who don't have experience. Arantxa co-leads with select people in every region and all of them were fantastic. My child was sad to say goodbye to each leader and host family but always knew the next adventure would unveil a new relationship. Her love of Spain is now deep and lifelong. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this program to anyone!

Pros
  • As a parent, you have the confidence that your child is safe and having a meaningful experience
  • All levels of Spanish language proficiency are welcomed and accommodated
  • My child had a medical emergency and Arantxa couldn't have handled it better. She took great care of her!
62 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Bram
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Spanish Gap Year Review

Spanish Gap Year provided a lot of the opportunities for growth that I had been looking for in a gap program. My experiences with amazing host families, using Spanish to navigate unfamiliar cities, and living with different Spanish culture-influenced routines helped me expand my independence. Making friends out of various situations, always with people that had intriguingly different lived experiences to myself, supported social growth and expanded my comfort zone. As for how my Spanish has improved, I took classes in high school but had not really used Spanish for maybe two years before this trip. Now I can't help unconsciously switching to Spanish on a regular basis.

Pros
  • You learn from amazing teachers, and you make amazing friends.
  • You will learn a lot of Spanish (especially outside the classroom).
  • The food
Cons
  • Not enough time with Juan Luis :(
  • Perhaps our final week felt a little empty compared to the rest of the trip.
73 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Brett
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Spain By Train

My time on the Spain By Train program with Arantxa, my group, and all the mentors along the way was incredible! I thoroughly enjoyed the different stops and meeting lots of new people along the way. From amazing new food, to walking Tibetan bridges, the varying activities were constantly eye-opening and action packed. Right from the get-co, I can confidently say my Spanish speaking ability improved, with great learning opportunities throughout. I’ll remember these 3 months for the rest of my life.

Pros
  • Get to see many different parts of Spain
  • Can work on improving Spanish speaking
  • Opportunities to get out of your comfort zone
Cons
  • Small space group living occasionally
  • Need a good amount of extra spending money
64 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Victor
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Spanish Gap Year

Spanish Gap Year is a gap year program that I would definitely recommend it to people who wish to explore the different parts of Spain. Throughout the trip we went to various regions, learning and truly integrating with the culture. With every stop we meet new people, learn about different cultures, and improve our Spanish. While it is a relatively new program with small kinks that need to be worked out, the program is one that has huge potential. Overall, the program was a lot of fun and really gave me a better mentality and an appreciation for culture.

Pros
  • Integration in culture
  • Fun activities
Cons
  • Sometimes can have a repetitive or extraneous activity
67 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers