Spanish Gap Year - Spain by Train

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!

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.

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.

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.

I’m so, so glad I went on Spanish Gap Year. The friends I made are amazing, and I’ve improved my Spanish ten-fold. The support is incredible, I’ve felt supported every step of the way, even when times became difficult for me. In every city you stay in, you are immersed in the city’s culture, and have the opportunity to meet and connect with locals. You also get to explore languages other than Spanish, such as Basque, Catalan, and Bable. have so many places to stay and people and to see if/when I come back to Spain. Could not recommend it more!

Spanish Gap Year was such an incredible experience. Spain is huge and there is so much to see but Spanish Gap Year does an excellent job at covering a wide variety of cultures, regions and cities throughout the three months. Additionally, the program can look and feel different to every student regardless of the group setting because a huge aspect is personal growth, thus the program not only allows but encourages taking initiative in one’s experience. I’d totally recommend this program and additionally Arantxa the leader is amazing!

This program was a great opportunity to see a wide variety of Spain and experience the different cultures, landscapes, languages, people, and communities. The home-stays provided an incredible experience to really get to know a city and meet a lot of people who I was able to develop strong connections and friendships with. The schedule was a good balance between group activities and free time that provided a good opportunity to explore and do what you want with free time. The city time was packed full and the hostel accommodations were definitely more compact than time in home-stays but it was a good balance.

Spanish Gap Year is the best way to see Spain, learn about there culture, also while improving or learn Spanish. Being able to live in around a dozen different places in Spain with people with very different backgrounds and lifestyle is a once in a lifetime opportunity. This trip also pushed my comfort levels in a good way and also gave a great opportunity to grow as a person. This program also gave me the chance to make friends that I talk to every day months after the program ended. I’m very glad I went on this trip and I recommend the same for everyone else.