If you’re studying Spanish in Spain, the chances are you need accommodation and this is an integral part of the overall learning plan, so getting it right will enhance that learning experience. While looking for accommodation for just you might seem fairly easy, what about if you’re travelling with others and want to stay together as a group? We all have different needs, so now some extra planning will have to go into finding the right place.
So what do you look for in temporary accommodation?
- Proximity to the venue. If you’re in a new place, the last thing you want is to be trying to find your way to the class. And, if that area is unknown to you, finding the best ‘close’ accommodation could bring on a serious headache and still be without a successful result. Some people are early risers and a long, brisk walk might seem a good idea, while others might need to be dragged from their slumbers and will have to cut a dash. Unless your group can afford a hire car, proximity will be an important point.
- Clean accommodation. Clean accommodation means a clean bed, a clean bathroom and clean cooking and eating facilities. While the blurb that comes with the accommodation description may make you think you have just struck gold, genuine recommendations should be sought to back up that advertising jargon.
- Vetting the area. Even the best locations in the world have their ‘down town’ spots and so knowing the area is really important when choosing the safest place to stay. The ‘right area’ is a safe area, as opposed to an expensive (so it must be safe) place to put your head down at night.
- Vetting the accommodation. Hotel, hostel, shared flat, host family etc.. While hotels might come with their star ratings, you still can’t be sure that you have got the location which is right for all. A hostel and a shared flat may be cheap but do your know who you will be sharing the building with? And a host family, who may take two or three people at the same time, should be vetted too, as this family will be looking after your property and your emotional comfort while you away from your usual comfort zone.
- In your free time, where do you want to go? Do you want local amenities very close to you, or will a taxi ride (or that hire car) seem to meet your needs? Do some of the group want to study the area, while others simply want to relax with a glass of wine or a pint? Are you all fit to walk, or do some of your group have walking difficulties?
What a minefield!
Doing it yourself is not always the best (though it might seem the cheapest) route to go down and, in the case of finding the right 
accommodation, calling in an expert, whose years of experience has made that person know all of the ins and outs of the area, really will work out cheaper in the long run. It’ll save time, save stress, save worry and, most definitely, it’ll save money. With a comprehensive list of the needs of all those in the group, finding the right accommodation will be an easy task. Three flats in the same building, four host families near each other, is information they will have at hand, so why put yourself through the stress of wondering if you got it right?
And maybe you won’t need that hire car after all …. .
