Argentina

Highway robbery!

I took the cooking course in Dec 2010 - Jan 2011, my classmate and I were very disappointed it almost seemed like a joke. Before coming to Argentina, I was told we were going to learn in a cooking school, instead we ended up cooking in a studio apartment with a poorly kept kitchen. A month after the program, we still do not have the recipes to the meals we made because apparently, the teacher/"chef" is still on holidays.

The apartment they put you in is far from the "1st class" type they market. No airconditioning, and fans were given only after you request for them (my poor flat mates had to wait for more than a week before they even got a fan!).

I did not enroll in their language school (and thank goodness for that) but those who did told me that it was no good either. They ended up taking a course elsewhere on the side or after their program with Mente.

Foreign students can indeed put together their own program at a much cheaper price and get better quality.

I did a semester abroad with GIC Argentina in 2006. I was extremely happy with the services they provided as well as my experience. From the process of signing up to the process of transferring credit for my studies, they were helpful and communicative each step of the way. I have traveled with larger organizations before, but preferred the personal feel and reliability of GIC. Rather than being a student on file, they knew me by name and seemed genuinely happy to help. The staff were very welcoming and the program created a built in network of friends from the second I landed in Buenos Aires. They are flexible and personable. They provided a good deal of support when I needed it, but also gave me the freedom I enjoy. Not only did my Spanish skills improve greatly, but I fell in love with the country and its people. I would recommend the program to anyone looking to study, volunteer, intern abroad, etc.

Big problems with horrible administration at exspanish, we recently finished a 4 week course there and would not recommend it. We should have read these critical reviews:

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=1701399

http://forums.about.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=2&nav=messages&webtag=ab-sp...

After, we took private lessons with private instructors whilst in BA and elsewhere, and they were great, learned more in one week with each of them then we learned in all the time we were with expanish. We do not want to be seen as advertising, so would be happy to answer questions about our positive experiences by personal message.

All the best :)

I have traveled with GIC twice, which I think that says at lot right there. The first trip I took was the first time I had traveled by myself and GIC was so helpful. My second trip I was much more comfortable and familiar with the city and asked for things to do on my own, which they provided adequate information on how and what to do. I was working on my Master's research when I was there as well as taking the Spanish classes. Marcos was very understanding that I did not attend all the events. Basically, it is a program that you can be as involved as you would like in the outside events or traveling. The voluntary events included wine tasting, cooking class, tours, tango lessons and traveling outside Buenos Aires. I went to both Iguazu, Mendoza and Calafate with the group. They rates were reasonable, the people who traveled with us made sure that everyone and everything was taken care of. The places that we stayed were incredible and very well chosen. Marcos and his team are thoroughly organized and helpful. A handful of people had some issues like stolen wallets or getting sick and GIC seemed to do everything they could to help. Also, it was very easy to get a hold of someone through e-mail or telephone as well. The classes offered are small and well taught by Argentine teachers. The houses that I stayed in were both great. The host families were so nice and the locations were safe and easily accessible by public transportation. I would highly recommend GIC and if I do get the opportunity to travel to Argentina again I will most definitely use them again.

I had a great experience with Expanish Spanish school. Its right in the centre of Buenos Aires so after classes I could fit in lots of sight seeing. I couldnt fault the staff, they were always super friendly and even though Im not sure I was a great student, I still learned enough to have a few conversations in Spanish with some locals. I did visit a few schools before I found Expanish, but their facilites are by far the best and when signing up they gave me the terms and conditions, it was never hidden, but like other posters say, when travelling and booking any kinda service, travel insurance is a must. My only complaint would be that their lifts were being worked on the week I was there so i had to get fit walking the stairs!

I became very ill during my first week of a 2-week session, and emailed both the director, Paula, and the guy who had "sold" me on signing up with Expanish, Murphy. I asked them if I could start my 2 weeks the following week (since I had attended Monday and then woke up Tuesday morning with a throat infection and earache). I did not get a response until Thursday telling me there was nothing they could do and they could not change my schedule. Basically I had lost two days of paid-for classes.
Murphy had been so helpful and encouraging WHILE I was considering Expanish. It's obvious he is a marketer. Really they just wanted my $304 for my 2-week session. All seemed cool on my first day, Monday, which was orientation day. But when i actually needed their help, they were seriously inflexible and unaccommodating.
There are tons of language schools in BA. Do your research and ask what the policy is if you can't make it to school due to illness or an accident. Since they are all in competition, I would suggest going to the school with the most flexible policies. I have lost money because I had the flu. I have never had such a bad experience with a language school.

First, I have to say we pay a lot of money to do the volunteer work. The others volunteers who went directly with the fundacion paid less and less than us who book with Global Crossroad. Before I left, they were answering all my questions and everything was looking so good. But when I got there, I didn't have the project I choose on the website of Global Crossroad and when it's write you don't need to speak spanish to do volunteer work IT'S A LIE TOTALLY, if you don't speak spanish you can't do anything. Not a lot of money was going to the fundacion and there the coordinators was getting angry because when an Agence like Global Crossroad who writes lies on his website, it's also making a bad reputation to the fundacion. But, my experience still be good, I met a lot of nice people from there, and the spanish lessons that i got was with a really great teacher. BUT, please if you are doing a volunteer work do more research and book directly with the fundacion, you will save almost the half of the price to get the same thing.

Went to Cordoba for a 2.5 week medical internship. Though my host family was incredible, many other volunteers expressed they felt uncomfortable in their houses. Also the program was INCREDIBLY UNORGANIZED we spent most of the day waiting around for doctors and nobody really knew where we were supposed to go. It was a nice time because the volunteers got to bond but really not a good "medical" experience for all you premeds out there.

Road2Argentina was an excellent program in providing the support and the help that I needed. They took the time to get through a very meticulous process of acquiring a visa for me, and I feel like they were there every step of the way in order to make it happen. They contacted the necessary parties and inquired about the process continually. Road2Argentina made my dream come true. The workers from the program were always friendly and ready to listen to questions and provide adequate answers. They also welcomed any suggestions about a particular issue. I highly recommend this program because it was affordable and well worth it. They had a great variety of activities where you could interact with other people doing the program. There were a lot of cultural elements thrown into these activities and I really enjoyed all of which I have attended. I will definitely recommend this program to my friends or anyone who is thinking about studying abroad in Argentina.

I really enjoyed my experience with Road2Argentina. You get exactly what you pay for, and as this is one of the lower-priced programs, fancy and elaborate excursions are not included. However, the Road staff was very quick to help when anything went awry or whenever their customers felt short-changed or confused about the program. While I was in the program, Road staff made many significant changes based on our group's individual and unique needs and expectations. Also, it was a plus working with staff who were all in our age-group. They were on the most part very inviting and user-friendly as well as understanding of each of our personal situations. Basically, whether the program is right for you totally depends on what you want out of your personal experience in Buenos Aires. If you'd like to explore and learn on your own rather than adjust your plans to a rigid or hyper-planned program, then Road2Argentina is a great and affordable option.