I'd like to plan a first trip to Spain (I'm from Asia) in the first half of next year.

I had wanted to take a short Spanish course in preparation but there're hardly any good courses available here in my country. So that got me thinking....wouldn't it be better to learn Spanish IN Spain itself?

My tentative plan now is to spend 1 week in a specific location taking an intensive language course (plus live "locally" for a whole week) and then travelling to another couple or three places for another week.

So my query here is - which is the best location for me to base myself initially for the course? Madrid? Sevilla? Granada? Barcelona? Salamanca? What is a better time to travel there, if there indeed is one?

Enforex offers great courses in all of the above cities and I am confused and would love some ideas for those who know Spain better than I do.

Thanks for any ideas you could give me. I'm really excited about this plan and can't wait to start concrete planning!

I can't answer your question about which city would be better. But be sure you check out the company carefully. I was interested in doing this a couple of years ago and then read the company, which looked pretty solid, closed and people who had paid and traveled to the site were on their own.

i have heart great thinks about salamanca.

my daughter has gone to the don quijote school in granada and loved it.this year she will be in the one in salamanca starting june 6

The Univerity of Salamanca is very well regarded -- I went there myself. They have a program called Cursos Internacionales (google it) that is tops...they'll have a new session starting at the first/turn of the New Year as well...

I'd go back in a skinny minute.

We spent 2 weeks in Salamanca and thought it was a great place for Spanish lessons. The Spanish spoken there is so pure and clear. Plus, it's a cute little city. We walked everywhere in about half an hour.

Salamanca. www.enforex.es

Salamanca or Santander, this latest one has the beach advantage.
They are both reltively small, lots of young people and the best time should be early summer.

Santander is lovely and on the coast. Can think of a more enjoyable place.

I have attended schools in Sevilla, Granada, and San Sebastian. Always stayed with local family arranged by school. My choices would be San Sebastian, then Granada, then Sevilla. Depends on when you go. If summer, go San Sebastian. If winter, go to Granada.

Thanks all, for your replies. The thread got buried and I couldn't find it until now.

I am leaning towards Salamanca as it looks like a nice place to live like a local for a week.

My concern is, I only have limited time in Spain (2 weeks max - 1 week Spanish school, 1 week exploring Madrid and maybe Seville or ?) and am wondering if basing myself in a small university town would be a waste of my vacation time?

What I'm trying to say is: would there be enough things to do/explore/experience in and around Salamanca apart from the daily language lessons?

Also, is December a bad time to go?

Sorry if I sound a bit disorganised- I'm still in my early stage of research and "conceptualisation"

To find your previous posts, click on your own screen name.

One week in salamanca or Santander and one week in Madrid or Sevilla, looks fine.
In terms of moving and transportation Salamanca and Madrid just two hours away combine better than Santander and
Sevilla, That will probably need a flight or train through Madrid.
So one week for each city or area is a good idea.