Spanish language study trip to Valencia
If you would like to spend a language study trip in Spain, you should definitely consider the city of Valencia as a destination. With a population of just under 800,000, the city is the third largest in Spain and is located around 320 km south-east of Madrid, directly on the Mediterranean.
Which language school in Valencia is right for you?
Choosing the right language school is probably the most important success factor for a successful and educational language study trip. Valencia is a popular destination for young students on a semester abroad as well as for language students. The range of language schools is therefore very well developed and varied. Each school has its own advantages and disadvantages. To make sure you choose the right school, you should first clarify a few points. This way you can be sure that the language school meets your wishes and expectations and that your language study trip will be a success.
Choose a Spanish school that offers a Spanish course at exactly your level. Both underchallenging and overchallenging would slow down your progress in Spanish enormously. ASpanish placement testcould be very helpful in finding the right course level. Some course providers offer preparation courses for the Diploma de Español como Lengua Extranjera (DELE). If a Spanish diploma is your goal, look specifically for language schools in Valencia that will prepare you for it. If you want to deepen your knowledge of Spanish in your professional field, various language schools in Valencia offer industry-specific Spanish courses.
When registering with a language school, think carefully about how many hours per week you would like to spend in the classroom. Most language course providers offer both half-day courses and intensive courses, which involve a significantly higher number of weekly lessons. Some innovative language schools also offer leisure courses with dance or other activities in addition to traditional lessons or give participants the option of supplementing their Spanish course with additional private lessons. Of course, you can also book private lessons only.
Another important factor when choosing the right language school in Valencia is its location. For a short language study trip, a central location is a clear advantage. Who wants to only see the four walls of the language school and their bedroom during their language study trip? If you attend a centrally located language school, you can easily end your days of lessons with sightseeing, going out and shopping, as there are no long journeys to get there. For a longer language study trip, a language school just outside the city center also has its charms and advantages. In quiet neighborhoods, you'll make contact with the locals more quickly, you'll soon know each other and you'll always have time for a chat. It's also easier to find cheaper accommodation near the school, as prices are much lower outside the city center. Some Spanish schools in Valencia are located right by the sea - so you can quickly get some fresh air on the beach during your break.
Before making your final choice of school, take a look at the detailed timetables of the language school. In addition to the number of lessons, compare the duration of the individual lessons. A good nationality mix of students is very valuable so that you can use and improve your Spanish with other students. Of course, the infrastructure is also an important and often decisive factor when choosing the right language school. Also enquire about the qualifications and experience of the teachers and whether the school perhaps even organizes leisure activities and offers supplementary language courses in the form of various activities. Last but not least, the course prices are often an important factor in your decision. Get a detailed quote from selected language schools and language travel providers in Valencia before you decide on an offer. You can do this conveniently via the independent education platformEducation-Further-Education.chdo.
On Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch you will also find informative experience reports from former language students. This feedback will give you a good insight and help you to find the right school for your language study trip to Valencia. Take a look at the feedback on language schools that you can find via Google or Facebook. This will soon give you a good impression of the quality of the individual Spanish schools. You can find more helpful tips and information for your language travel to Valencia in ourLanguage travel guide.
Where to live in Valencia?
Most language schools in Valencia, as well as language travel agencies in Switzerland, organize and arrange suitable accommodation on request.
We highly recommend staying with a local host family during your language study trip to Valencia. Thanks to the family connection, progress in language learning is often very rapid. It is often much easier to use your new Spanish skills in a relaxed and informal environment. At the dinner table or on excursions together, guests gain unique access to Spanish culture and language. A language study trip to Valencia becomes a unique experience with a host family. The selected host families are also happy to advise their visitors when it comes to giving insider tips on exploring the city and region. Many host families have single, double or shared rooms, which can be rented without meals, with breakfast, half board or full board.
Another option for accommodation is in a student hall of residence or in a shared flat. This option is very common and popular in Valencia, as many international students travel to the city every year. Although there is no family connection in a shared flat or hall of residence, you can make valuable contacts with students and young people from all over the world. In such facilities and shared flats, the bathrooms are usually shared. However, if your privacy is very important to you, inexpensive studios and apartments with a small kitchen and bathroom are also available to rent in Valencia. However, this accommodation can usually only be rented for longer stays and is therefore more suitable for longer language stays in Valencia.
Location is also an important factor when looking for accommodation. The Benimaclet student district is very popular with young people and students. Good transport connections to the language school and the city center or even the possibility of reaching them on foot are important here. Especially if you are staying for a shorter period of time, it is very important to accept a slightly higher rent but save time and money on commuting. If you would like to live in a quieter area, you can find attractive accommodation outside the city center or even on the outskirts. If you would like to live with a host family during your language study trip, you will not be informed of the exact address until you arrive. However, when organizing a host family, the schools promise a maximum travel time between home and school. This varies greatly depending on the language school or language travel provider and is between 20 and 45 minutes.
Let the language school or language travel agency know your wishes and expectations regarding accommodation in Valencia in good time so that you are sure to find a suitable solution.
Where to party in Valencia?
What would a language study trip to Valencia be without the nightlife? If you like to party a lot, you've come to the right place. This city never sleeps, people dance and rock until the sun comes up. We would like to mention some of the most popular addresses for successful and atmospheric nights out in Valencia.
Young Spaniards usually kick off the nightlife with a botellón - an evening get-together in a public square or in a shared flat where the first glasses (or bottles) are raised. Towards midnight, people move on to a club or pub. Some of the most popular bars in Valencia are Caribbean's, Radio City, Nikana, Bolsería or the combination of bar and club: Terraza L'Umbracle. The tapas bar Montaditos Gratis is known for its inexpensive and excellent appetizers. St. Patrick's Irish Pub is a popular address for lovers of Irish whiskeys and beers. Important sporting events are broadcast live here and the "Language Exchange" takes place every Thursday, where you can improve your Spanish skills with native speakers and learn German at the same time. An exciting way to learn.
The most famous entertainment districts in Valencia:
- El Carmen: If you want to go out, you will find a large selection of exquisite bars, restaurants and clubs in this oldest district of Valencia.
- Ruzafa: The alternative and young "in" district has numerous original restaurants and pubs, and rock and jazz sounds can be heard all night long.
- Aragón: the district attracts a large number of students every day, the crowd is young and the nights here are long.
- La Marina: the exclusive luxury quarter at the marina offers a great ambience for discerning party people.
An overview of the most important and popular clubs in Valencia:
- Umbracle: the open-air club is decorated with numerous plants and sofas, where people dance until dawn.
- Mya: a meeting place for house fans is located in the basement of the Umbracle and is always a great party venue.
- Las Animas del Puerto: here you can party in the open air on two terraces with different styles of music.
- Rumbo 144: Students love this stylish club, after all it's in the middle of the student quarter and entry is free until 2.30 am.
- Akuarela Playa: this outdoor club with a tropical garden is very popular in the summer months. Here you can dance to a wide variety of rhythms.
- La 3: a meeting place for all those who like to dance to electro.
What to experience in Valencia
Valencia offers enterprising visitors a wide range of possibilities. A leisurely stroll through the streets reveals numerous top boutiques and stores with the latest designer goods and branded items. Returning home without shopping bags is almost impossible in Valencia. The Mercado Central stimulates all the senses. Here you will find fresh produce of all kinds - a nice and recommendable address for the weekly shopping if you cook yourself.
The latest films are shown daily in the Hemisfèric with the largest movie theater in Spain. The cinema's IMAX Dome presents impressive astronomy shows and other entertainment on a large screen. You are sure to spend a day or two in the cinema during your language study trip to Valencia.
Anyone who enjoys spending their free time in museums will be delighted by the 42,000 m2 Museu de les Ciències - the Museum of Science in Valencia. Visitors also have the opportunity to take part in workshops and carry out experiments here - an exciting way to improve your Spanish skills in your free time. A visit to the Oceanogràfic, the impressive and largest aquarium in Europe, is also a great leisure activity. Animal lovers will not want to miss a trip to the Bioparc north of Valencia, where the usual barriers and bars are barely visible and visitors can get really close to their wild friends. Valencia's centerpiece is the drained riverbed of the Turia with the well-kept green area Jardín del Turia.
Valencians like to exercise a lot, many people are out and about on their bikes or inline skates and long walks through the Turia riverbed offer a welcome opportunity to switch off and relax. Nature lovers can get to know the wild and romantic side of Spain during a boat trip towards the sunset in the important and beautiful La Albufera Nature Park. Those who love the sea air should not miss out on a catamaran trip on the Mediterranean during their language study trip in Valencia.
If you are planning a longer language study trip to Valencia, sooner or later you will certainly attend a rousing concert in the former bullring Plaza de Toros or cheer on the strong Valencia FC in the Mestalla stadium.
Transportation options in Valencia
A popular, uncomplicated and popular means of transportation in Valencia is the bicycle. The bicycle-friendly city offers more than 120 km of cycle paths, is built on a flat plain and in many streets the speed limit is 30 km/h. These are all ideal conditions for leisurely cycling. Bikes can be rented by the hour, day or week from one of the many bike rental companies at fair prices. You can conveniently park your bike anywhere in the city. The municipal bike rental serviceValenbisioffers great rental conditions and over 300 parking stations for bicycles. Bicycles can also be transported on the metro at no extra charge. We recommend taking a look at the offer, especially for longer-term language stays in Valencia.
The metro also runs in Valencia. The metro runs daily between 5.30 am and midnight. Anyone who has spent a few days in Valencia knows that line 4 takes you to all the main streets, the port and La Malvarrosa beach. A single journey on the metro costs around 1.70 francs, a 24-hour ticket costs around 3 francs. If you are staying in Valencia for a longer period of time, it is worth buying the transferable 10-trip Bonometro card for around 8 francs. These multi-ride tickets can be purchased at the metro ticket offices, from vending machines or at kiosks and tobacconists.
The buses run - depending on the route - between 4.00 am and 10.30 pm. During the warmer months, the routes leading to the sea are served more frequently. The night buses depart from the Plaza del Ayuntamiento between 10.30 pm and 2.00 am or 4.00 am. Bus fares are about the same as for the metro. The ten-ride bus pass is called Bonobús and costs around 9.50 francs.
Combined tickets for the metro and buses can be used as day tickets for one, two or three days and are non-transferable. The cost of these day tickets is between 4.50 and 12 francs.
The Valencia Card tourist card can be purchased at hotels, tourist offices or online atwww.valenciatouristcard.comand entitles the holder to unlimited use of Valencia's public transport for one to three days. The tourist card costs between 17 and 29 francs - depending on the number of days of validity. Holders of the Valencia Card also receive numerous discounts in museums, stores, restaurants and on various activities. It may be worth purchasing this card if you are planning a few activities within a few days during your language study trip to Valencia.
In some cases, however, it is easiest to take a cab. The prices for cabs in Valencia are not very high, but still cost considerably more than public transport.
What you can afford in Valencia
The Valencia region tends to be classified as a very inexpensive region of Spain. The cost of living here is significantly lower than in other areas of Spain and, of course, many times lower than in Switzerland. Nevertheless, numerous costs add up during a language study trip to Valencia. The Spanish course, accommodation, food and leisure activities quickly add up, especially as no income can be earned during a language study trip and you are more likely to indulge yourself than at home.
A language course without private lessons, combined with accommodation in Valencia costs - depending on the number of lessons and type of accommodation - between 350 and 400 francs per week.
Those who like to eat out will find that restaurant prices in Valencia are not too high. Going out to clubs and bars is also much less of a burden on the wallet than in Switzerland.
So if you're on a budget and want to spend a language study trip in Spain, you'll find great offers with excellent value for money in Valencia.
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