MADRID, SPAIN

In the very center of Spain, surrounded by the arid 'mesta', a plateau in the Iberian peninsula the highest capital in Europe. The Manzanares River borders the city from west to south and is over looked by the impressive Guadarrama mountains to the north. Madrid's history reaches back into the 10th century as a fortified Moorish town. By 1607 Madrid became Spain's permanent capital and has flourished ever since, blossoming and blooming into a vibrant modern day city. Visits to the opera, theater, Royal palace and museums are just a sample of the cultural delights Madrid has to offer the international student studying the wonder and culture of Spain.

How do I get to your school and get around in Madrid?
Spain has 3 main international airports, which includes Madrid. International and domestic flights arrive at Barajas Airport, which is 12 kilometers (7 miles) east from Madrid's center; a taxi into town costs about 2,000 pesetas (US$17). Alternatively, for 380 pesetas ($2) you can board an airport bus, which leaves every 15 minutes or so to the centrally located Plaza de Colón, where taxis wait to take you to your school or accommodation.

Madrid has three major train stations with overlapping services. There are a number of independent bus companies and eight separate bus stations. The metro (subway) is clean, efficient, and fast, but it closes at 1:30 AM. Taxis, are reasonable-most trips between sites will cost 500 pesetas (US$4) or less.

Our School
Established in 1990, our school is a beautiful turn of the century "Historical Listed " building, located near the Portray Del Sol, in the heart of the city, in a very fashionable and affluent quarter. Only a few minutes walk away will lead to the steps of the royal palace and the 'El Prado'. Our 9 classrooms are located on the 6th floor (with elavator) and are bright, spacious, some have small balconies and are air conditioned. The school over looks the "Opera" and is steps away from the "Sol"metro station. Our school can hold over 80 students and has a Small library, 2 Terraces where the students can relax between lessons, cafe area with refreshments and coffee machine. Students can have e-mail access from a nearby cyber cafe.

School Accommodation
Self-Catering Apartments: choice of single or doublerooms, fully equipped kitchens and living areas located within the school building on the 5th floor or located within a 20 minute walk /15 minutes by metro from the school. Apartments are not air conditioned but have fans. Linens will be provided for you, please bring you own towels. Apartments are cleaned once every 2 weeks.

Host Family: choice of single or doublerooms with meal options. They are normally located within 25 minutes walk of the school, or maximum 15 minutes by metro. Linens are provided by your family and will be changed once a week. Bring towels, they will be washed regularly.

Guesthouse: choice of single or doublerooms, the guesthouses are normally used by business people as they are more expensive than our other options. Very similar to a hotel, centrally located, TV, telephone, en suite washroom, towels, linen, iron, ironing board, meals are not included.

Typical Cultural Activities to Expect
City tour, Flamenco dance lessons, Spanish film evenings, trips to local museums, galleries, parks, palaces, Bull fighting. horse racing, the list is endless! Recent Cultural Activities: Museum of Reina Sofia, a visit of the Monastery "de las Descalzas", Museo del Prado, and the Debod Temple.

It is possible to practice any type of sport in Madrid, from the most traditional, such as football, to ice-skating. Tennis is played in many courts and schools, and swimming is practiced in open-air or indoor swimming pools, and so is basketball, volleyball, pelota for which there are modern installations that can accommodate a large number of fans.

Weekend Day Trips (optional and at additional price)
To interesting places and sites out side of Madrid. Recent excursions include Segovia, Toledo, Sevilla, Granada, Salamanca, Barcelona. The students can make their reservations in the school for all these trips.

Prices
Programs in Madrid start from $710.00 US for 2 weeks including accommodation and tuition. We have many program options and all year round start dates. If you want more detailed pricing or start date information, we suggest you request a brochure or call us Toll Free within North America at: Tel: 1 888 526 4758 (LANGPLUS) or outside of North America at 416 925 7117.

COUNTRY TIPS
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What is the local currency?
Spanish Pesetas, or "ESP".

Are a passport, visa, or vaccinations necessary?
Citizens of the United States and Canada in possession of a valid US or Canadian passport, are not required to obtain a visa for Spain, for a period of up to three months if traveling as a tourist. In case that a stay of more than three but less than six months is intended, a visa is required. If you are a resident of the U.S. but do not hold U.S. citizenship, a visa may be required.

Visitors from the U.S./Canada do not need inoculations.

Time Difference
Spain is on central European Time, which is 6 hours a head of American Eastern Time.

Should I bring local currency, traveler's checks or use credit cards?
Spain is still a very traditional country, so everyone is very happy to accept local currency; after all, who doesn't like cash? But for safety and convenience sake, you might not want to have large amounts of either dollars or local currency on hand so we would suggest you bring along travelers checks, which are accepted almost everywhere, or major credit cards to obtain cash along the way as needed. Be aware that you will charged a 'service charge' each time you cash travelers checks, so convert enough each time to cover your expenses for several days. In addition, if your travelers checks are in a foreign currency such as U.S. Dollars, you need to be aware that you will receive a much better exchange rate if they are converted at a bank.

Cash and travelers checks can be exchanged at the official exchange rate of the day at any bank or exchange counter (airports, railway stations, tourist offices - a small commission applies); travel agencies, hotels, restaurants and stores may accept foreign currency but give you a lower rate to cover their handling.

Banking hours are normally 9:00 a.m.-5.30 p.m. Monday through Friday, Saturday 9am-noon, Banks are closed Sundays.

Most hotels, car rental agencies, and upscale stores in the tourist areas accept credit cards. Be aware, however, that many, restaurants, cafes and stores will only accept cash so be sure to ask in advance.

How much will I spend a day?
This is very difficult to answer and depends on the person, however Spain is very reasonable and the prices below should give you a approx. idea:
Three-course meal without drink: 1500-3000Ptas
Budget meal: 1000-2000 Ptas
Cafe meal: Sandwich, dessert and coffee 500Ptas

What is the weather like?
During the summer May - September the weather is warm and dry, average temperature is around 21C. It is advisable to bring light and comfortable summer clothes, however do not forget to pack a warm sweater for the evenings at the beach or street cafe.

Will my electrical gadgets work?
Electric current in Spain is 220 volts AC at 50 Cycles per second. To operate small appliances, laptop computers or other electronic gadgets, you will need a multi-adapter. Check with a large electronics store in your area. Electric clocks, record players and tape recorders will not work properly even on converters because they use the 60 Cycle American/Canadian standard.

What is the best way to phone home?
There are public phones around Spain which use phone cards and/or coins. All these phones can be used for both local and long distance phone calls. Phone cards can be purchased in estancos, and other shops which advertise "tarjetas telefónicas" (phone cards). These come in units of 1000 and 2000 ptas.

It is also smart to obtain an overseas phone card (they are usually free-of-charge) from your long distance carrier, such as MCI, AT&T or Sprint. MCI's Worldphone Program, for example, lets you phone the US/Canada from Spain or any other European countries at greatly reduced rates from what you would pay from the regular charge. The long distance carrier will give you a special number to call when placing your call.

What major holidays are there in Spain?
New Years Day, Jan 6 May Day, May 1 June 6, Aug 25, Oct 12, Nov 1, Dec 6, Dec 8 and Christmas.

THINGS TO SEE IN MADRID
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Museusms And Interesting Sites
The PAlacio Real (Royal Palace): It includes two centuries of Spanish history. It is one of the best places in Europe. Apart from its architecture, the collections of porcelain, tapestries, furniture, armor and paintings are outstanding.
Armería Real (Royal Arsenal) And The Museum Of Carriages: There is a magnificent collection of weapons and armor and of old horsedrawn coaches and harnesses. It is visited together with the Royal Palace.
Convento De Las Descalzas Reales: It was founded in the 16th c. and has a valuable collection of paintings, carvings and tapestries. Plaza de Las Descalzas Reales.
Museo Arquelógico (Archaelogical Museum): There are collections of prehistoric objects as well as of objects from Antiquity, the Middle Ages and Modern Times. A sculpture of the "Dama de Elche". Coins and ceramics of all times. A faithful reproduction of the Altamira Caves (Santillana del Mar, Cantabria). Serrano, 13.
Lázaro Galdiano Museum: There are 37 rooms with paintings of Spanish masters, early Flemish masters, the Italian, French and British Schools. Collections include jewels, ceramics, enamels, coins, silver objects, ivory, carvings and furniture. Serrano, 122.
Museo De La Academia De Bellas Artes De San Fernando (Arts Museum): Collections include Spanish paintings of all periods: Velázquez, Murillo, Goya, Vicente López, Sorolla, etc.
Ermita De San Antonio (A Hermitage): The frescoes covering the cupola and vault are masterpieces by Goya and are part of the fundamental works of Spanish painting. The painter's tomb Glorieta de San Antonio de la Florida, s/n.
Museo Romántico (Museum Of The Romantic Period): A collection of furniture and paintings reminiscent of the second third of the 19 c. San Mateo, 13.
Museo De Ciencias Naturales (Natural Science Museum): Collections of Zoology, Geology, Paleontology and Entomology. Paseo de la Castellana, 82.
Museo Español De Arte Contemporáneo (Spanish Museum Of Contemporary Art): Temporary exhibitions of great interest are organized from time to time. Avda. Juan de Herrera, 2. University City.
Museo Municipal (City Museum): There are all manner of artistic objects related to the history of Madrid: paintings, porcelain, etchings, and photographs. Fuencarral.
Museo Nacional De Artes Decorativas (National Museum Of Decorative Arts): 62 rooms with ceramics, furniture and other popular decorative elementsfrom everywhere in Spain. Montalbán, 12.
Sorolla Studio And Museum: Paintings and sketches are shown in the house where the painter lived. General Martínez Campos.

Most of the museums are closed on holidays, including on January 1st, on Monday Thursday and Good Friday, on November 1st, on December 24th, 25th and 31st, as well as on Mondays. Opening times, which in some cases may vary, are generally from 9am to 7pm, either without closing or closing during the lunch hours. On Sundays, visiting times are limited exclusively to the morning.

Theatre
The theater known as Centro Dramático Nacional - Teatro María Guerrero, which will soon be renamed Teatro de Europa (Theatre of Europe), created by the EU, is the first on the list of national theaters, followed by the Centro Nacional de Nuevas Tendencias Escénicas (National Centre for New Stage Developments) and the Theatre of La Zarzuela; the list of city theaters is headed by the Cultural Centre of the City and the theater known as El Español, followed by another 25 that exist in Madrid. Performances include the best Spanish Classical Theatre as well as modern Spanish and foreign authors of the different genres. The summer theater known as "La Corrala" deserves special mention not only because of its architectural structure.

Parks and Gardens
The Park Of El Buen Retiro: The capital Spain has admirable parks and for historic reasons the park of El Buen Retiro, which was begun in 1625, is the most important of Madrid.
The Gardens OFf SabatinI, Campo Del Moro And Plaza De España: In the vicinity of the Royal Palace.
The Park La Casa De Campo: This large terrain was bought by Felipe II on the right-hand side of the River Manzanares.
The Botanical Garden: is part of the scientific complex which was built in the Paseo del Prado.
The Estate And Park Of La Fuente Del Berro
Rosales And The Parque Del Oeste (West Park): On the western border of Madrid, the Park of Rosales and the West Park, in which the Rose Garden can also be visited.
Dehesa De La Villa: Perhaps the wildest of all, this park lies near the University City and consists of a sizable pine forest with numerous places for picnicking.

Sports and Activities
Bullfights in Madrid take place in the Las Ventas bullring, often referred to as the Mecca of bullfighting. The season in Madrid is from March to October, with bullfights at Las Ventas every Sunday at 7:00 PM. During the Feria de San Isidro, (from about mid-May to mid-June) and the Feria de Otoño (which begins toward the end of September) there are bullfights everyday, often with well known bullfighters.

Riding is also widely practiced in the capital of Spain. The race-course called La Zarzuela on the road to La Coruña is visited by a large number of racing fans on every Sunday of the spring and autumn season. On this stage, the most interesting international competitions take place.

Apart from that, it is possible to practice any type of sport in Madrid, from the most traditional, such as football, to ice-skating. Tennis is played in many courts and schools, and swimming is practiced in open-air or indoor swimming pools, and so is basketball, volleyball, pelota for which there are modern installations that can accommodate a large number of fans.