Claudia and Sabine from Germany took an intensive Spanish course with us in March and we asked them what they thought of the course and of Valladolid

Why did you choose Valladolid for your Spanish course?

The airport. There are direct flights from our home town in Germany to Valladolid airport.

What did you both think of Valladolid?

Valladolid is the perfect size. It has everything from impressive historic buildings to great nightlife. We feel really safe here. The city centre is quite compact; we were able to walk everywhere. It makes a good base for exploring the region. Until we arrived, we hadn´t realized how many fascinating places there were to visit. We regret not leaving enough time for exploring the area.

We really like the tapas. Sabine is vegetarian and she managed to eat well. What we loved was that the waiters and bar staff were always very eager to help us. They took the time to explain the food and were always helpful, even making suggestions of what we might like to try.

So what did you think of your classes?

We found the level quite challenging compared to what we were used to but our teacher did an excellent job. She took great care to support us and make us feel at ease. I think we didn´t realize how demanding an intensive course can be. We really liked the fact that the course was completely in Spanish as we got a real feel for the language, especially the pronunciation.

We are now thinking of taking another course with International House Santander to discover a different part of Spain!

Want to improve your Spanish like Claudia and Sabine? Contact us via the website www.espaname.es

Isn´t it about time you saw some sun?

2009-10 has been Europe´s coldest and harshest winter for 50 years. We´ve suffered travel chaos, rain, sleet, flooding, freezing temperatures, lots of winter accidents and unusually high snowfall. It´s about time we turned our attention away from the arctic winter and thought about sunshine and warmer days.

If you are thinking of improving your Spanish, don´t sit shivering in a college night class, hop on a plane flying direct to Santander or Valladolid where the Spanish Departments of our IH Academies are located.

Santander on Spain´s northern coast makes a great base for exploring the magnificent Picos de Europa mountain range and the rugged coastline and lush countryside of the Cantabria and Asturias regions. Valladolid on the other hand makes the perfect centre for touring Castilla y León and the historic cities of Ávila, Segovia, Burgos, León and Salamanca. The city is also within easy reach of Madrid.

Direct flights to Santander:

• Germany : Frankfurt-Hahn (Ryanair)(seasonal), Düsseldorf-Weeze (Ryanair)(seasonal)
• Belguim : Brussels South -Charleroi (Ryanair)
• Ireland : Dublín,(Ryanair)
• Italy : Bérgamo-Orio al Serio (Ryanair), Pisa (Ryanair)(starting 30/04/2010), Rome-Ciampino (Ryanair)
• United Kingdom : London-Stansted,(Ryanair)

Direct flights to Valladolid:

• Germany : Düsseldorf-Weeze (Ryanair)
• France : Paris-Orly (Iberia)
• Italy : Bérgamo-Orio al Serio (Ryanair),
• United Kingdom : London-Stansted,(Ryanair)

Interested in taking a Spanish course with International House Valladolid & Santander? Contact us via the website www.espaname.es

Did you know that we can arrange accommodation for foreign students wanting to improve their Spanish at International House Valladolid & Santander?

We usually recommend students (of ALL ages!) stay with local families not only to give them extra opportunities to practice what they learn in class but also to experience local culture and family life first hand. Another great reason to stay with a family is to sample traditional Spanish cooking at its best, most families offer a full board option.

All the homes we recommend have been inspected by us and are within easy travelling distance of the school. We meet all the families who want to welcome students into their homes to ensure anyone coming from abroad has both an enjoyable and comfortable stay.

If this isn´t for you, other options are available including apartments and hotels. Whatever you decide to do, we are here to help and advise you.

For more information about accommodation options, contact us at www.espaname.es