I can't decide! Advice needed on Europe trip - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**Delaney** · 12-29-2006, 12:56 PM

My boyfriend and I are saving to travel in Europe beginning in April. We are planning to have enough money for about 8 weeks (maybe we can stretch it a little longer)...

Here is my dilemma. At first we were going to spend 3-4 weeks living with a host family in Salamanca, Spain taking Spanish 4 hrs a day. Then we would travel for 4 - 5 weeks.

Now I can't decide if we should do this, or just travel the whole time. I would still like to see Spain, but I don't know if I want to spend my time in Europe in a classroom. On the other hand, if we lived with a family and spent a month in one place we would immerse ourselves in the culture, which is a great experience.

Help! Advice?!?

**Esterina** · 12-29-2006, 09:09 PM

It really depends on what you are looking for in your experience in Spain.

To immerse yourself in the culture is, in my opinion, the ultimate way to get to know a country. Plus the knowledge of spanish will help you for the rest of the trip not only to help making your way through, but get in touch with locals. Also, an international class is one experience you probably won't forget. I've taken intensive german in Germany for 6 weeks, met great people I'm still in contact with 5 years later, and lived in a german home a german life.

But you won't SEE as much of the country as if you'd use the whole time to travel.

**joe7f** · 12-29-2006, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delaney

Here is my dilemma. At first we were going to spend 3-4 weeks living with a host family in Salamanca, Spain taking Spanish 4 hrs a day. Then we would travel for 4 - 5 weeks.

Now I can't decide if we should do this, or just travel the whole time. I would still like to see Spain, but I don't know if I want to spend my time in Europe in a classroom. On the other hand, if we lived with a family and spent a month in one place we would immerse ourselves in the culture, which is a great experience.

Go for the classroom setting. Are you using Enforex by chance? Their school is pretty good (I attended in Salamanca and Marbella).

Salamanca is worth touring in its own right but its location is perfect for weekend trips. Check out Madrid, Avila, Toledo, Segovia etc.

If you are using Enforex, Marbella's school is also nice (right on the beach) and is close to Malaga, Granada, Gibraltar, Ronda etc.

I did 6 weeks schooling and 3 weeks travel and I saw a lot

Btw, my advice for the family stay is to commit to a week only, so that if you don't like them you can move. My family in Marbella was great, my family in Salmanca drove me crazy (after a week I moved to a student residence)

--Joey

**Delaney** · 01-02-2007, 10:07 AM

Thanks for the advice. We were actually planning to study in Salamanca but with the Don Quijote school. Have you heard anything about them? I have a friend who studied in their Mexico location and loved it.
Good call on the committing for only a week, if your host family drove you crazy, that wouldn't be any fun!

Joey, did you go to Portugal while you are there? (I can't look at your blog, the site is blocked at work)

Thank you guys, cheers!

**travelpunk** · 01-02-2007, 10:48 AM

I lived in Spain for over a couple of years, but was soo preoccupied (and lazy

) that I spent about a week and a half in a language school to learn spanish, but stopped going due to lack of focus.

I am regretting that now...4 yrs later as I am back in Spain for the holidays.

I've always wanted to do an immersion course like Atchoum and Joe, and seriously considered it on this trip, but decided to just open up my mind for these 6 weeks and try to absorb, speak, and read as much as I can in spanish. I feel like I've made great progress these past couple of weeks, so it helps if your mindset is such where you really want to learn it. This is the first time EVER (including those 3yrs in high school spanish)where I consciously opened up my mind to really want to learn it.

I would do it, but like on that one week contingency as Joe mentioned. Travel too, but the immersion thing (with the right family) sounds priceless.

I'm heading to Salamanca for a day trip either this week or when we get back from Rome. I've always wanted to see it. Can't wait!

Great feedback

!

**joe7f** · 01-02-2007, 07:51 PM

Enforex bought out Don Quijote (which is a good thing costwise) and no I never made it to Portugal (I thought about it but there was just so much in Spain I wanted to see I couldn't squeeze it in)

I got to agree with the above: being motivated to learn makes ALL the difference. I would also say that staying with a family is the way to go even though my family in Salamanca sucked*

Salamanca is a great day trip but make sure you stay the night as it one of the most beautiful cities in Europe after dark. Not to toot my own picture taking abilities or anything

--Joey

*The mother was the real bitch of the house, the father was fine. She screamed (were talking George Costanza's mother from Seinfeld) every time I left the light on in my room. She told me how "expensive it was". Never mind that I am an electrical engineer and calculated it cost all of 30 euro cents for an entire day of continuous use (even at Spain's inflated levels). Needless to say, I was glad I committed the week and that was it.

My family in Marbella was great (if you consider that school, request "Betty" across from the school).

**joe7f** · 01-02-2007, 09:20 PM

I hate to reply to myself but I got inspired by Tony's post in the "anything positive" forum. If you live with a family, you go from vacationing to living in another country. You get a much better feel for the culture by actually staying in some one's house. You should absolutely sign up for a week. If you hate it, hit the hostel circuit. If you love it, you will may meet a family that you will stay in touch with for years

My father met a family while walking in Freiburg Germany in 1973. They invited him to stay at their house so he did. He wrote them post cards etc from where he travelled to. Then, they invited him back if he ever passed through. He did on his birthday.

In 2001, I went with him while he was at a factory. He made a trip down to see them and they invited us to stay with them again. Very nice people and I got to see how a typical German family lives--things like that is what makes travelling wonderful

--Joey

**Delaney** · 01-04-2007, 09:27 AM

You guys are great, thanks for sharing your experiences. I have always studied French (in HS and college) and just started learning Spanish at the CC near my house last year. I think its hard for me to switch (I always blurt out French in Spanish class). I am nervous about being able to do it, but I am really excited to learn another language. I am going to try to totally open my mind to the whole experience before I go so I get everything out of it that I can.

Okay, time to book my week in Spanish class! I will have to check out the school at Marbella, I hadn't looked at Enforex before.

Thanks again!

**Esterina** · 01-04-2007, 10:12 AM