FAQs
Booking
Booking a Spanish course with Estudia-España couldn't be easier. Our website is designed to make the whole process very simple and user-friendly. First, find the place where you want to learn Spanish and browse our schools. You will find lots of information about courses, accommodation, class sizes, prices, etc. When you think you have found a school, click on "Book Online". This will take you to the price calculator page, where you can see exactly what your chosen course at that school will cost (along with any accommodation and booking fees). Once you have completed the registration form, you can book your course or download the details for later.
Estudia-España works with some of the best quality Spanish language schools in Spain and South America. We specialise in learning Spanish and have put together a high-quality selection of accredited Spanish schools in one place - here on our website. We want to make it easy for you to find, research, compare, select and book the Spanish course that best suits your needs. In addition, we also offer a wide variety of special offers and discounts, meaning you pay less for your Spanish course and get the best value for money. We work very closely with all the schools represented on our website and we are always up-to-date with the latest information on courses, exam dates, start dates, etc.
This shouldn't be a problem in most cases but it's a good idea to check with us in advance. Of course you can still use our booking system to book your course, but please wait until you have heard back from us with confirmation before booking flights, for example. Last minute bookings must be paid in full.
Immediately after booking your course online with us you will receive a pre-confirmation. It wil confirm the details of your booking. Within 48 hours we will then confirm your place on the chosen course (and accommodation, if booked). This confirnation is also the invoice for at least a deposit to confirm your place on the course. If booking within 4-5 weeks of your start date, you will be required to pay the fees in full. All details will be in the email you receive straight after you've booked.
As you have probably seen already, Estudia-España offers great deals with discounts on courses (sometimes on accommodation too!) at language schools in Spain and South America. Apart from that, we have some tips on getting the best value on Spanish language courses.
Tip 1: Generally speaking, the longer you stay, the cheaper the weekly course price is. This is especially true when booking long-term courses. Of course this varies from school to school.
Tip 2: Some schools have summer supplements on accommodation and sometimes also on courses. Unfortunately that's just the way it is. If you want to avoid this extra cost at that particular school/destination, is it worth considering alternative travel dates or destinations? It's easier said than done, we know, but at least the Estudia-España discounts will ease the cost a little bit.
Tip 3: Use our platform to compare the different schools. Barcelona is probably, on average, a more expensive city to book a Spanish course than Granada for example. Use the 'favourites' function to go back to individual school pages easily.
Tip 4: As in all countries, the capital city tends to have the highest cost of living. This is also true of Madrid. It's a fantastic place to study Spanish and highly recommended, but a provincial city will probably cost slightly less.
Tip 5: On our homepage you will see we have put together some packages. We've put together some "all-inclusive" deals which include a Spanish course, accommodation and any other fees applicable to the particular school. The package deals include an additional discount on top of the usual discount we provide.
Courses
The other people in your class are likely to be from all corners of the world. Studying Spanish in Spain and South America is high on the to-do list of people everywhere. It's not unusual for a class to me made of of 5 or 6 nationalities or more. So you could be learning Spanish with someone from Italy, France, Japan, Sweden, the USA and Brazil. And the common language for everyone will be Spanish. The learning effect this has on everyone is immense, and an added bonus is that at the end of the course, you will have friends from all over the world.
The only language spoken in the classroom is Spanish. Remember, the other people in your class will be a multi-national mix of people, all with a shared interest - learning Spanish. You'll be amazed at how uncomplicated it is, and as time goes on, you will be learning Spanish not only from the teacher, but from your classmates too. The lessons are professionally hosted by experienced Spanish teachers and the communicative approach they use will see you learning Spanish at a speed you will not have seen if you already attended classes where a second language was used (i.e. English-Spanish). Some of our students report starting their Spanish course in Spain at A1 level, and 4-6 weeks later, when their teacher took the class to the cinema, they were able to watch AND understand the movie in Spanish.
On the first day of the Spanish course, you will take a short language assessment test. If you have had no Spanish before, this won't be necessary and you will be but in a class with people in the same situation. After the assessment test you will be placed in a group with other participants who have a similar level. If, after a few days, you feel you are not in a suitable group, speak with the teacher or the school secretary about the possibility of being moved to a class that better suits you.
Everyone completing their course will receive an attendance certificate. If you're going to do an official exam, this, of course, will be certified by the official exam board too.
Some lucky people have the time and the freedom to add a few weeks on to their stay while in their chosen destination. This is no problem at all. Just speak to the staff at school or get in touch with us at Estudia-España.
Some schools charge an extra fee for course books, sometimes it's included in the school's registration fee, whereas others do not charge extra for books. One or two schools will ask you for a book rental fee at the beginning of the course. If there's a general fee for course materials, you will see it in the price calculation and on each individual school's page on our website.
Courses do not take place on public holidays. However, if there are two public holidays one week, extra lessons will be provided for one of the days missed. Time will not be made up if there is only one public holiday in a week.
Accommodation
At the moment you can pay by or by PayPal bank transfer. Our European bank account is in Germany but we also have accounts in the UK, USA, Australia and New Zealand. If you are not in Europe or one of the aforementioned countries, we can advise on cheap ways to transfer the fees for your Spanish course.
At most schools, a double room is only available for two people booking a course together. If this is the case, each person can simply go through our booking page and choose a course and double room accommodation option. Simply make a note in the comments box with the name of the person you wish to share the room with. By the way, double rooms are furnished with two single beds.
Accommodation starts on a Sunday before your course starts on a Monday. However, as not all flights arrive on a Sunday, you may find yourself in your chosen destination a day or two before the accommodation starts. If this is the case, some schools offer an extra night (or two) for an additional price. When making your booking, if you require extra nights, please add it to the comments. We will confirm availability within 48 hours.
You will find out the address (whether shared apartment or host family) a week or two before your course begins.
Depending on the school and the type of accommodation you have booked, you may need to take your own bedding or towels with you. We provide information about this on the individual school's page where you can read all about the accommodation types.
It's possible to book host family accommodation with breakfast, half-board or full board. Breakfast will be before you leave the home to start your Spanish course. In Spain, lunch can be around 2-3pm, and the evening meal at 9pm. Of course families differ in their routines and you'll find out exactly when you meet your host.
Please inform us of any dietary constraints or requirements. Host families will cater for your needs. There is a weekly supplement for this and will be indicated in the accommodation descriptions on the school pages. In self-catering apartments you will, of course, be in control of what you eat and don't eat.
Getting there
Flights are NOT included in the price. Our experience has shown that finding good-value flights is best done individually. Agencies offering this service are probably not finding the best or cheapest deals.
Unfortunately, not all cities are well-connected to international airports. The exceptions here are Madrid, Barcelona and Malaga, which offer direct flights to every corner of Europe. Valencia and Seville are also well-connected.
However, that's not a reason to despair. First of all, Spain has an excellent internal flight network, so getting from major hubs like Madrid and Barcelona to other cities is no problem, Another very practical option is to use Spain's high-speed rail network (Madrid to Seville for example). Then there's the fantastic, cheap and extremely reliable inter-city coach network (Malaga to Granada/Seville/Cadiz or Valencia to Alicante are just a few example. Spain was doing this LONG before the arrival of Flixxbus and it's a convenient and comfortable way to get to your destination.
General
Yes you can. Please just try to inform us of any changes you need to make as soon as possible. We'll do what we can to accommodate your wishes. If you have already started the course and want to make changes, this can easily be done through the school's own secretary.
You don't have to have an account to book your course. However, if you choose to make an account (with a secure password), you will be able to log in and check your booking details, prices and also check when a payment is due, for example. It is also possible to make a payment from your personal login page.
Once you have made your booking, we will be in touch with you by email with your confirmation and an invoice for a deposit to secure your place on the course. You will have 10-14 days to pay the deposit. The final payment for the balance should be paid 4 weeks before the course begins. The final payment can also be made directly to the chosen school. If booking less than 4-5 weeks before your course starts, full payment of fees is required.
In some cases, and often through not fault of their own, people are forced to cancel a booking made with Estudia-España. In such cases, we apply the terms and conditions of the school where the course would take place. Please also see our terms and conditions. Generally speaking if a course is cancelled up to 5-6 before the course start date, you fees will be refunded. We are, however, bound by the individual schools as their costs will be passed on to us.
Many people who attend language schools in Spain to learn Spanish are beginners. All our schools offer courses for this level. The only thing you need to pay attention to are the specific start dates for beginners on the calendar in the booking form. These dates ensure that you will be in a class together with learners at the same level. There's certainly nothing to worry about being a complete beginner. The SPanish-only teaching methods will ensure that your progress is astonishingly quick. Don't be put off by the 'beginners' tag. Everybody has to start somewhere, right? And our language schools in Spain are the perfect place to do it.
Most schools have a morning schedule and an afternoon schedule. As a general guide, courses with 10, 15, and 20 hours per week will usually take place in the morning. Longer courses, with 25+ lessons per week will include a morning session and an afternoon session. However, scheduling is done by our schools and this information is only meant as a guide. Once you're at your school you will be informed about your own class schedule on the first day of the course, and any subsequent changes will be communicated to you directly in good time.
You'll see on the booking form that we ask you to put in your Spanish level. If you're a beginner, you have little or no knowledge of the language. This is important to know because beginners start course on specific dates and it ensures you are place on a course with people of a similar level. Beginner represents A0-A1, Intermediate A2-B1 and advanced B2+. It just gives us an idea and the schools can do their planning more efficiently. You'll be assessed on you level on the first day of the course.
Yes you can. Almost all our schools offer DELE and/or SIELE exam courses. These courses often start on specific dates so make sure you check that our before booking. Registration for the exam itself must be done by the participant doing the exam and this involves cost not included in the course price. We can advise if you have any questions.
Yes - this is an option many people choose. For example, you could do a 2 week Spanish course in Granada, followed by a 3 week course in the north of Spain in San Sebastian. Simply go to each individual school on our platform and book the course (and accommodation if required). One minor complication that you need to consider is when you book both courses with accommodation. Accommodation generally starts on a Sunday (before the course) and ends on the Saturday (after a course). This means you, in the worst case, you may have to find your own accommdation for the Saturday evening inbetween your two courses. However, many of our schools offer extra nights in the accommodation (at an extra cost) but please check with us first and we'll check availability.
At most of our language schools the minimum age to attend a Spanish course is 16. However, all participants under 18 need to have a signed permission from their parents or guardian. Furthermore, under 18s are encouraged to stay in host family accommodation, and at some schools this is a must.
There is, of course, no upper age limit to taking part in a Spanish course. Some of our language schools offer courses for the 50-55+ age group, specialising in group courses and activities for people of a more 'mature' age group. However, all general, intensive, special interest and exam courses are open to everyone.
We always recommend taking out general travel insurance for your trip. This actually applies to any trip, and not only Spanish language holidays abroad. As for health insurance, check with your national insurer that you are covered in the country you are travelling to.
Studying Spanish in Spain or SOuth America is definitely NOT only about sitting in the classroom. You will find that no matter which Spanish school you choose, there will be a varied and interesting range of extra-curricular activities on offer organised by the school. These could include a Spanish film night on the school's premises, a Flamenco evening, cookery class, a walking tour of the city or an evening in a tapas bar with teachers. If you are looking to focus on an activity as much as on the Spanish course, some of our schools offer special courses such as Spanish + Flamenco, Spanish + surfing or Spanish + cooking.
Summer Camps
Yes we do. If you want to organise a group course, we can, in conjunction with our partner schools, arrange a tailored Spanish course and varied cultural programme for your group. Drop us a line and let us know some details of what you would like. Let us know the size of the group, length of stay, hours required in the classroom and some dates if possible. Depending on the numbers travelling, group leaders (or teachers travelling with a school group) are provided with free or heavily discounted accommodation costs.
