Tips for taking a gap year in Spain
Spain is one of the most beautiful destinations in the world. It is somewhere that has beautiful scenery, an amazing food and drink scene, and warm weather throughout the year.
You can enjoy sangria, tapas and do everything from exploring the many cities it has, to relaxing on a beach. With so many towns and places to visit, you are spoiled for choice. It is these many redeeming factors that make Spain such an attractive place to visit for a host of reasons.
One reason you might be looking to head to Spain is a gap year. By doing so, you can truly immerse yourself in the culture of the country. Here we have put together some top tips for taking a gap year in Spain…
Decide where to go and what to do
Spain is a large country with so many different destinations. There are so many options for spending a gap year in Spain, you could just travel and see the highlights, apply to work, book a Spanish course, volunteer, gain work experience on an internship or find activities. Popular destinations to go include Barcelona, Seville, Madrid, Valencia, Ibiza and Majorca.
Ensure you have access to the internet
When you are travelling or living abroad, it is important you can stay connected on the internet. This will enable you to keep in touch with family, find out about any news and current affairs and enable you to use it for leisure too. You could run a blog about your travels for example. There are services that make this much easier, such as tiekom.com. They provide internet service with unlimited data in more than 140 countries ensuring you can remain connected when you are abroad.
Stick to a budget
Gap years are great, however, you don’t want to end up having to go back to your home country before your planned time is up due to running out of money. You could look for gap year jobs to help you pay the bills. Whether this is working in hotels, hospitality, in a cinema, as a waiter or in a supermarket, it’s a way to help you make money and support your lifestyle while you are out there. If you don’t fancy those sorts of jobs, why not try and set up a travel blog that you can monetise when you are out there? This could be monetised through affiliate links or sponsored posts, it’s up to you to try and see what works best.
Learn Spanish
Knowing at least basic Spanish will really help you to integrate into the country. You could start learning before arriving or take classes once you arrive. By being able to understand and speak even the most simple phrases this will make your time in Spain much easier and a lot more fun. Local people will also really appreciate you trying to converse in their language.
Take time to see the country as much as you can
If you get a job while on your gap year you can soon forget your main purpose of doing the year - and that is to see the country. Allocate time to see the different monuments, sights and any other places of interest. It can be a good idea to draw up an itinerary so you ensure nothing gets missed and you do everything you want to during your time there. Be sure to try the local food and drink where possible and ask locals for advice on must-see things and places to go - they will know the hidden spots!
These are just a few top tips for taking a gap year in Spain that will make your experience that bit better. A gap year in Spain guarantees a year that you will never forget and is something you will remember and cherish the memories for the rest of your life.
