College of DuPage
College of DuPage- Spain: Exploring Interior Design in Barcelona, Madrid and Sevilla 2025
8 Day Program in Spain
Day 1 | Departure
En Route to Madrid. Meals Included: None
Day 2 | Madrid
Take in the sights of the capital and explore Madrid de los Austrias on foot. Stroll through la Puerta de Sol, la Plaza Mayor and visit el Palacio Real. Try a tapa or two at San Miguel Market! Enjoy an Xperitas welcome dinner. Meals Included: Dinner
Day 3 | Madrid
Enjoy an all-day excursion to Segovia. Explore everything that this truly historic city has to offer, including the 2,000-year-old Roman aqueduct and the Alcázar, which inspired the Disney castle in Cinderella. Meals Included: Breakfast
Day 6 | Barcelona
Take a fast train o Barcelona to explore el Barri Gótic and stroll along la Rambla then enjoy Barcelona's unique architecture, including some more of Gaudí’s masterpieces, Casa Batlló y Casa Milà. Meals Included: Breakfast
Day 7 | Barcelona
Visit the astounding Sagrada Familia Cathedral, the yet unfinished Antoni Gaudí masterpiece. Then visit Park Güell and take in all the beautiful mosaic masterpieces. Afterward, stroll the Passeig de Gràcia.Lastly, enjoy a farewell dinner. Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8 | Return
Transfer to the Barcelona airport and return to the United States with lifelong memories! Meals Included: Breakfast
Price Includes
Price Excludes
- Airline baggage fees
- Increase in air cost due to requests for specific travel dates or airline
- Costs incurred due to late or missed flights
- Passport, visa or other document costs
- Transportation to/from departure city
- Any meals not indicated on itineraries
- Spending money and gifts
- Any fees associated with advanced seating assignments
- Small-group supplement when group has fewer than 24 participants
Download Itinerary
Scholarships
FINANCIAL AID ELIGIBILITY
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, 2024 will receive a full refund minus a $100 administrative fee. 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, 2025 |
|
|
June 15 (Early Bird); October 15, 2024 (Final) |
$500 due with application* |
|
November 15, 2024 |
$1250 |
|
January 15, 2025 |
$1250 |
|
March 15, 2025 |
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, 2025 |
|
|
Date of Cancellation |
Refund Amount |
|
Cancellations received through October 15, 2024 |
Refund of all money paid MINUS $100 adminitrative fee* |
|
October 16 – November 30, 2024 |
Refund of all money paid MINUS a $250 administrative fee* |
|
December 1, 2024 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
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, 2024 will receive a full refund minus a $100 administrative fee. 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, 2025 |
|
|
June 15 (Early Bird); October 15, 2024 (Final) |
$500 due with application* |
|
November 15, 2024 |
$1250 |
|
January 15, 2025 |
$1250 |
|
March 15, 2025 |
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, 2025 |
|
|
Date of Cancellation |
Refund Amount |
|
Cancellations received through October 15, 2024 |
Refund of all money paid MINUS $100 adminitrative fee* |
|
October 16 – November 30, 2024 |
Refund of all money paid MINUS a $250 administrative fee* |
|
December 1, 2024 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
$4899-$4999 15-19 Students + 3 Leaders
$4389-$4489 20-24 Students + 2 Leaders
$4579-$4679 20-24 Students + 3 leaders
*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.