Plaza in Madrid

Lincoln High School

Jessica Swemke

Lincoln High School

17 Day Custom Program in Spain

Students will spend 8 nights in a Privately Arranged Family Stay, 3 nights in Madrid, 2 nights in Valencia, and 2 nights in Granada. (Dates listed are tentative, pending teacher approval and airline confirmation.)
Trip Cost: $5139.00
Trip Leader 1: Jessica Swemke
Start Date: 06/14/2024
End Date: 06/30/2024
Total Number of Days: 17

Day 1 | Departure

En route to Madrid. Meals Included: None

Day 2 | Madrid

Arrive and transfer to your hotel in Madrid. Explore Madrid on foot and take in the works in the famous Prado Museum. Meals Included: None

Day 3 | Private Family Stay (Logroño)

Transfer to Logroño for your privately arranged family stay. En route, stop in Burgos. Arrive in Logroño and to meet host families. Meals Included: Breakfast

Days 4 - 10 | Private Family Stay (Logroño)

Privately arranged family stay in Logroño. Meals Included: None

Day 11 | Valencia

Transfer to Valencia. En route, stop in Zaragoza for a quick visit of the Pilar. En route from Zaragoza, stop in Peñíscola. Arrive in Valencia and transfer to your hotel. Meals Included: None

Day 12 | Valencia

Spend the day exploring beautiful Valencia on foot. Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 13 | Granada

Transfer to Granada. En route, stop in Xátvia. Check in at the hotel in Granada. Explore Granada on foot. Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 14 | Granada

Enjoy a guided tour of la Alhambra and spend time exploring Granada. Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 15 | Madrid

Transfer to Madrid. En route, stop in Consuegra and Toledo. Check in at the hotel in Madrid, and spend the rest of the day exploring Madrid on foot. Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 16 | Madrid

Spend the day exploring Madrid on foot. Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 17 | Return

Transfer to the airport and depart Madrid for Chicago. Meals Included: Breakfast

Price Includes

    Insurance for minor illness or accidents, and trip cancellation insurance for medical reasons for all participants and leaders
    Liability insurance for leaders
    International phone allowance $10 per day for one leader while in country
    Estimated international round-trip airfare for the routing ORD-MAD-ORD, including fuel surcharges
  2 airport transfers, plus chartered motor coach service per itinerary
7 hotel overnights for participants and leaders with breakfast (leaders in double rooms and participants in triples/quads)
$100 per student entrance fee allowance
 Leader lodging allowance for leaders during Privately Arranged Family Stay
Activities Included: El Prado Museum, La Alhambra , • Suggested activities using entry fee allowance: , Boat rental in el Parque del Buen Retiro, Santiago Bernabéu Stadium Guided Tour, Las Ventas Guided Tour, Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar, La Capilla Real de Granada

Price Excludes

  •      8 nights in privately arranged family stay in Logroño
  •      Airline baggage fees
  •      Transportation to/from U.S. departure cities
  •      Any costs incurred due to delayed or missed flights
  •      Passport, visa or other travel document processing fees
  •      Tips (guides, drivers, hotels, restaurants, etc.)
  •      Spending money and gifts

Download Itinerary

German Immersion Family

FINANCIAL AID ELIGIBILITY

German Immersion Family

Payment and Cancellation Schedule

Billing and Payments: Xperitas will email a bill for the final payment approximately three weeks before it is due. For all other payments please refer to this schedule. A payment reminder will be sent to you via email a week before a scheduled payment is due. Payments can be made by credit/debit card via the Xperitas portal or by check or money order payable to Xperitas.

Cancellations: Any cancellation made through October 15, 2023 will receive a full refund. Cancellations made after this date will be calculated on an individual basis at the time of cancellation and follow the schedule and terms below.

Payment Schedule

Summer Programs: May, June, July, August, 2024

June 15 (Early Bird); October 15, 2023 (Final)

$500 due with application*

November 15, 2023

$1000

January 15, 2024

$1000

March 15, 2024

Balance

*Once the online application and $500 deposit are submitted and processed, participants will receive enrollment confirmation.

Cancellation Schedule

Summer Programs: May, June, July, August, 2024

Date of Cancellation

Refund Amount

Cancellations received through October 15, 2023

Full refund – No administrative fee charged

October 16 – November 30, 2023

Refund of all money paid

MINUS a $250 administrative fee*

December 1, 2023 or later

Refund of all money paid MINUS a $500 administrative fee* AND any air/land

expenses incurred by Xperitas

(Varies by program and cancellation date)

30 days prior to departure

No refund possible

*This fee is to help cover the cost of organizational resources incurred in the planning of the language/cultural immersion experience.

Summer Payment Schedule

Payment and cancellation schedule:

Billing and Payments: Xperitas will email a bill for the final payment approximately three weeks before it is due. For all other payments please refer to this schedule. A payment reminder will be sent to you via email a week before a scheduled payment is due. Payments can be made by credit/debit card via the Xperitas portal or by check or money order payable to Xperitas.

Cancellations: Any cancellation made through October 15, 2023 will receive a full refund. Cancellations made after this date will be calculated on an individual basis at the time of cancellation and follow the schedule and terms below.

Payment Schedule

Summer Programs: May, June, July, August, 2024

June 15 (Early Bird); October 15, 2023 (Final)

$500 due with application*

November 15, 2023

$1000

January 15, 2024

$1000

March 15, 2024

Balance

*Once the online application and $500 deposit are submitted and processed, participants will receive enrollment confirmation.

Cancellation Schedule

Summer Programs: May, June, July, August, 2024

Date of Cancellation

Refund Amount

Cancellations received through October 15, 2023

Full refund – No administrative fee charged

October 16 – November 30, 2023

Refund of all money paid

MINUS a $250 administrative fee*

December 1, 2023 or later

Refund of all money paid MINUS a $500 administrative fee* AND any air/land

expenses incurred by Xperitas

(Varies by program and cancellation date)

30 days prior to departure

No refund possible

*This fee is to help cover the cost of organizational resources incurred in the planning of the language/cultural immersion experience.

Enrollment Information

$5039-$5139 based on 10-14 students + 2 leaders*
$4339-$4439 based on 15-19 students + 2 leaders
$4039-$4139 based on 20-24 students + 2 leaders 
$3939-$4039 based on 25-29 students + 3 leaders 

ENROLL BY JUNE 15 TO RECEIVE A $200 DISCOUNT!   

*Ranges based on estimated numbers of participants and leaders.  Final prices are determined by dates, air arrangements, family stay communities and other program components as confirmed by Xperitas, as well as the total size of the group and number of leaders at the time of final billing. Prices are subject to change due to fluctuations in fuel prices, exchange rates, and airfare costs beyond the control of Xperitas. 

All activities to be paid on-site using entrance fee allowance provided, unless listed in Program Inclusions.

The order of this itinerary and all itinerary items are subject to change based on unforeseen circumstances that may arise prior to or during the program.

Registration

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a family stay, and why is it important?

Xperitas believes that living with a family, speaking their language and participating in their customs is the best, most authentic and rewarding way to experience another culture. This is what distinguishes our programs from any other individual, family or group travel experience. Our host families are volunteers who genuinely want to welcome the student into their home and daily family routine. 

After almost 50 years of arranging family stays, we are no longer surprised when students consistently report that living with a family is the best part of their experience abroad. Our success with family stays is thanks to our network of dedicated people around the world who work to ensure a wonderful experience for our students. 

How does Xperitas find host families?

At Xperitas we take great pride in helping world language learners and host families create lifelong connections. All of Xperitas’ host families are carefully screened using culturally appropriate practices and selected by local coordinators in the destination country. Many of Xperitas' family stay coordinators abroad are educators and other well-connected members of their community. They network through local schools and community organizations to select families who not only speak the language being studied by the visiting student, but also are eager to share their home and their culture with an American teenager. We select host families who are not financially motivated but motivated by the genuine desire to share their home, language, and culture with our student travelers. Our primary concern is the safety of our participants, and we hope almost 50 years of experience will put your mind at ease. 

When will participants receive information about their host families?

We generally distribute host family information when it is received from our family stay coordinators, approximately two weeks prior to the group’s departure. We know you’re anxious to get this information and we’ll pass it on as soon as we get it! 

How can participants best prepare for the Family Stay Experience®?

Xperitas has many helpful resources for participants to prepare for this exciting part of their program. These include the "How Host Families are Chosen" document, monthly Navigator parent newsletters and articles on our blog.

How should participants thank their families for hosting them?

Host families very generously volunteer their time and open their homes to students. Xperitas recommends that participants write thank-you notes before the last day of the family stay and leave them with their host family.

Xperitas also recommends that participants bring small gifts to thank their host families for their hospitality. Gifts given to the host family do not need to be expensive or extravagant. Think about what would be unique and meaningful. Some ideas include:

  • Something that comes from or is made in your town, city or region
  • Preserved food items from your region that you can cook with your host family
  • Clothing or souvenirs featuring sports teams from your school, city or state
  • A book or calendar about your town or state with lots of pictures
  • A personal photo album with photos that depict your life at home – pictures of your family, school, pets and things that you do are best
  • Games that can be played with your host family

What is the leader’s role during the family stay?

Xperitas requires at least one leader to remain on-call during the family stay. Leaders may stay with a family as well, or in a nearby hotel. The on-call leader is available to address any problems that arise during the family stay. If everything is running as planned, the leader is not expected to check in with students individually, and we also encourage leaders not to do so in order to allow students to interact with their families.  

What if an issue arises during the family stay?

Xperitas has staff on call 24/7 while our groups are abroad to address any issues that arise. Participants will have the group leader and local coordinator’s contact information in case an emergency arises. Participants should feel comfortable reaching out to their leader, and the leader should work with the local coordinator to address any issues in collaboration with Xperitas.