I shall be spending 3 weeks in Madrid next July before joining a tour of Spain.
I need the language skills. I also feel more part of a city if i am connected with a school.
I have become a temporary citizen this way in other countries.
However, I do not know Madrid.
Thank you to all for recommendations.
Posted by
Boston
380 posts
Here is a link to schools that are certified by the Cervantes Institute.
https://eee.cervantes.es/en/index.asp
I went to LAE Madrid, which I do not recommend. Nothing wrong with the instructions, but the administration was a nightmare.
Responses to email etc was very slow to none. I should have taken that as a red flag.
Do you want to take the intensive course of 4 hours/day x 5 = 20 hours/week? I found that to be plenty of instruction, more than that your brain is fried. That is what most of the schools offer. The schools usually offer free afternoon cultural/social activities. Do you want to do a home stay, share a student apartment or stay on your own? On the school website, look at the accommodations offered to find what you like. My personal preference is to stay in a "normal" residential neighborhood instead of near the tourist sites. You can always get to the tourist sites by subway, bus or taxi.
Posted by
Boston
380 posts
I forgot to add that I stayed in the Salamanca neighborhood. There is a main street with upscale stores, but there are quiet, tree-lined side streets. It's relatively residential with small, local restaurants, cafes and supermarkets. It is safe. Easy to get around town by subway.
Another neighborhood I considered was Heurtas. It's an older part of town, so more quaint and charming with cobblestone streets. It too has lots of nice restaurants. It is within walking distance to the museum area, Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayor. As it is an older section, the buildings are smaller, so your room may be small. And not too many supermarkets. I didn't go to the school there because their apartment was too expensive for me.
I used Rick Steves' Snapshot of Madrid & Toledo as reference. As you are there for 3 weeks, you can easily do day trips out of Madrid on the weekends. Your school may even offer such trips.