History Study Abroad Programs in Barcelona, Spain

Really enjoyed my time here, wish I could have stayed longer. The only caveat is that the crowd tends to be either rather young (think 16-19) or older (40+) so if you are in the middle of that (I was 22) befriending people may be a bit more awkward, especially with the constantly changing crowd. However, that was not a big problem as I was able to make many great friends outside the program (and some within as well!). Staff were all incredibly informed, helpful, and outgoing and really made the time a blast. The events they offered were plentiful and diverse as well, which was very handy and good for meeting various people. Additionally, the spanish lessons were taught fully in spanish (although staff knows english and helped answer questions in english when people truly didn’t know how to communicate in spanish) which was very good and helped rapidly increase my spanish comprehension and skills.

Expanish responded to this reviewAugust 23, 2026

¡Hola, Abigail! Thank you so much for such a thoughtful review! :) We're so glad you had a wonderful time and even wished you could stay longer — that's the best compliment! We really appreciate you sharing the note about the age gap in the group; it's great feedback for us, and we're glad you still found your people, both in and outside the program. It's also fantastic to hear our staff made things fun while being so helpful, and that the fully immersive Spanish lessons helped your skills grow so quickly — that immersion really pays off! Thanks for choosing Expanish and we hope to see you again soon! ¡Un fuerte abrazo!

I had such a great time, the program leaders were super helpful with living situations adjusting to the different aspects here and all my professors were awesome. They all cared a lot about the courses and wanted me to succeed and do better! They excursions that they provide are also super fun and you should go on as many as possible.

I graduated from high school a semester early, and the only way I wanted to spend my semester was by being abroad. I've known about Semester at Sea for around 6 years and I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity. I searched up the requirements to be accepted and luckily fit all the requirements most importantly being 18, so immediately I applied. I then got an email back the next morning saying I got accepted into the program and that email brought me to tears in the middle of one of my classes. I couldn't wait to board the MV World Odyssey and embark on this journey of a lifetime. On the ship, I gained so much knowledge about different cultures and I was able to be fully immersed in them, not just sticking to the touristy things offered. Semester at Sea does an amazing job keeping the students' safety in country as a priority with having mandatory “Pre-Port meetings” the night before arriving in a country, and offering field programs which are ship run excursions with ship faculty leading them. The community on the ship was nothing I have ever experienced before. We were so close knit and it felt like I was truly in a connected, caring, and welcoming environment. I met the people I never imagined I'd connect with, and they ended up becoming the best connections I've ever made with people. Semester at Sea also helped me get out of my comfort zone which led me to have experiences I would have never imagined I'd have, best example being running a half marathon in Vigo, Spain even though I'm not a runner and have never been a runner. Semester at Sea has given me the world and the opportunity to appreciate it to its fullest. I left the ship with my passport full, but my heart is even fuller with people, memories, and connections I will forever cherish. Semester at Sea was truly the best experience I have ever had and would recommend it to anyone as it was life changing.

One of the most underrated aspect of semester at sea is the ship campus itself. Being able to live so close to your friends and just walking a few flight of stairs to your classroom and being able to sit down with your professors for lunch is such an amazing experience. It's eternal sunsets, it's endless travel stories from your friends, it's lifetime of memories. Highly recommend. One of the best decisions I made. And still day dream about this experience, still talk and travel to meet my SAS friends 4 years later.

I have not experienced anything like semester at sea before, therefore giving me a whole lot of different lenses to look at the world with. I completely enjoyed my experience and understand the importance of understanding others concerns, communication, communities, and countries. A overall wonderful experience that has changed my views as well as the way I live and who I am as a person.

I loved working with you all. Emma was so Kind and devoted - my students loved her too. My housing was perfect. Student housing was excellent notwithstanding no air conditioning but they survived. Tours were great- we all learned a lot.

Expanish responded to this reviewJuly 06, 2026

Jessica, ¡muchísimas gracias por tus palabras! Nos alegra mucho saber que tu y el grupo tuvieron una experiencia tan linda con nosotros. Emma va a estar encantada de leer esto — ella se entrega por completo con cada grupo y se nota que esa dedicación llegó a tus estudiantes también. Nos encanta saber que los tours fueron un espacio de aprendizaje real para todos. ¡Esperamos volver a recibirlos pronto! Un fuerte abrazo.

I had a wonderful experience with Barcelona SAE! They have been a huge help in every step of my study abroad experience, from coordinating my housing, providing an academic mentor to turn to with any questions, their curated website full of resources and recommendations, and hosting various social events throughout the semester to connect with fellow students. They made my transition to and time in Barcelona so much easier. I also can’t recommend the UB track enough. I felt like it was the perfect balance between rigorous language instruction and accommodation for non-native speakers, and all the professors were so enthusiastic and responsive to any questions or confusion. I can confidently say that my Spanish skills grew this semester largely due to my classes at UB, so if you’re looking for a great opportunity to improve your language skills, I would highly recommend!

This program truly exceeded my expectations. From the program staff to the professors themselves, everyone is so excited about assisting us students and making our experience so special. My housing was amazing and other students felt the same, especially with the apartments and home stays.

This program is for students who want to strike a balance between cultural immersion and familiarity. The program is very well organized with cultural activities and excursions every week to help students explore Barcelona and its surrounding areas with fellow students from the US. I especially enjoyed the “dinner with a local host family” event where I got to dine with a local family and learned more about Barcelona from the local perspective. Besides organizing these events, the program also sends out a weekly newsletter about what’s happening in Barcelona so students can explore on their own. The staff members are all very friendly and helpful; extremely responsive with any needs.

I had a really good experience with Forum-Nexus overall. The program gave me the chance to travel a lot, meet great people, and learn more about different countries in a way that felt interesting and personal. I liked that the staff was friendly and helpful, and the hotels were some of the best I’ve stayed in. Some visits were better than others, but the overall balance of academics, free time, and cultural experiences made the program worth it. I’d recommend it to other students, especially if they want to make friends and grow through travel.

This summer abroad program was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had as an undergraduate.” “It was thoughtfully organized, with a great balance of academics, cultural exploration, professional visits, and enough independence to grow on my own.” “The instructors were engaging, knowledgeable, and encouraged real discussion, which made classes feel useful beyond the classroom.” “I especially liked being able to connect what we learned to our travels.” “The staff was welcoming and supportive throughout, and I’d absolutely recommend the program to other students.

I’ve had an amazing time here at Expanish. The teachers are great and I really like the small class size so you get to connect with each individually. I like how community driven the program is to. The seating area out of the classrooms feels like a great hub for students to socialize. I like how the program is set to travel as well. Teachers are encouraging us to travel on the weekends and see Europe. I also enjoy the study/travel balance and having a pretty strict attendance policy forced us to attend each class.

Expanish responded to this reviewMarch 21, 2026

Thank you so much for your thoughtful feedback, Ben! We’re thrilled to hear that you had such an amazing experience at Expanish. It’s great that you enjoyed the small class sizes and were able to build strong connections with both your teachers and classmates. Creating a welcoming, community-driven environment is something we really value, so it’s wonderful to know that came through during your time with us. Hope we get to welcome you again in the future! ¡Un abrazo!

Doing study abroad is a MUST for character development and the opportunity to travel at a young age. Expanish made the program super easy and convenient. The predeparture preparation, VISA application process, and onboarding was so smooth.

Expanish responded to this reviewMarch 21, 2026

Thank you for your great feedback, Sean! We couldn’t agree more—studying abroad is such a valuable experience, both personally and culturally. We’re really glad to hear that our team was able to make the whole process smooth and stress-free for you, from pre-departure to arrival. It’s wonderful to know you felt supported every step of the way and could focus on enjoying your experience abroad. Hope we get to welcome you again in the future! ¡Un fuerte abrazo!

Even though I was only there for 3 weeks there was a camaraderie with the teacher and the classes. The best elements were each Wenedsday there was an outdoor component of the class. I also signed up for the Spanish in the CIty sessions, which were Tuesdays and Thursdays-- those were so interesteing and a great way to learn about the city. All the teachers are so friendly and they have activities literally every day of the week so students from different levels also get to mingle.

Expanish responded to this reviewMarch 04, 2026

¡Hola, Nandita! Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re so glad to hear that you felt a sense of camaraderie with your teacher and classmates, even during your three weeks with us. It’s great that you enjoyed the Wednesday outdoor classes and the Spanish in the City sessions—those activities are such a fun way to practice Spanish while discovering more about Buenos Aires. We’re also happy to hear your kind words about our teachers and the daily activities, as we love creating opportunities for students from different levels to connect and learn together. Hope we get to welcome you again in the future! ¡Un fuerte abrazo!

I had wanted to study abroad since high school, and SAI made that happen. It was as fun as I imagined, and I would do it again in a heartbeat if my degree allowed. I love to travel, and immersing myself in the city culture was the best thing I have done. I loved the Viva Experiences that SAI had as well, allowing me to take many day trips, as well as take pottery and dance classes, among other things. I loved the on-site staff as well, getting to know them through various excursions. One ran the program's soccer team in the study abroad league, which I got out of my comfort zone and joined. If you told me I would go and play soccer abroad beforehand, I would have laughed, but looking back I am so glad I took the leap and did so. I may not have been great, but I made friends and had a lot of fun.

I would be likely to recommend CIEE Study Abroad to a friend because the program offers strong academic support, well-organized experiences, and opportunities to immerse yourself in a new environment. It’s a great way to grow personally and academically while feeling supported throughout the process.

I would likely recommend it because I had a great experience with CIEE. Taking a gap year after high school was rewarding, and climbing Montserrat was one of my favorite memories of the program.

My experience with Erasmus mobility in Barcelona was very lovely and formative: the staff was always very nuce and helpful. The Spanish course very interesting. Barcelona is a welcoming and wonderful town.People was really open and avaible!

Expanish responded to this reviewFebruary 08, 2026

¡Hola, Angela! Thank you so much for sharing your experience! :) We’re really happy to hear that your Erasmus mobility in Barcelona was such a lovely and formative time. It’s great to know our team was supportive and that you found the Spanish course interesting and engaging. And yes — Barcelona truly is a welcoming and wonderful city, with amazing people to match! Hope we get to welcome you again in the future, whether in Barcelona or at any of our other schools. ¡Un fuerte abrazo!

My time with SAI was amazing. The entire team was extremely caring and responsive to any issue that we had abroad. Everyone was knowledgable and had many resources as to how to be successful abroad. The only thing I will say is that the housing situations were hit or miss location and size wise. It would have been nice to have more information on housing options and assignments. Other than that, great program with different options for volunteering, host families, and events!

I was only able to take a one week course and enjoyed it very much. I had the opportunity to practice with other students. I appreciated the class size of only 5 students. I appreciated that I was in a class with more mature (over 30) students.