Studying Spanish in Spain – My honest review about LAE Madrid + everything you need to know!

For years, studying abroad felt like one of those dreams that would always stay just out of reach. Life, responsibilities, and finances always seemed to get in the way. But in January 2025, I finally made it happen—I spent four weeks in Madrid, fully immersed in Spanish at LAE Madrid, a language school known for its small class sizes, flexible schedules, and dynamic teaching approach. From the engaging lessons to the welcoming atmosphere, this experience was everything I hoped for and more. And as I believe it is never too late to chase your dreams – and studying abroad is not something meant only for teenagers or young adults – here’s my honest review about LAE Madrid and useful tips to make the best of your time in Madrid, whether you are spending some time or a new resident.

My background and my journey with the Spanish Language

If you are new here, nice to meet you! I’m originally from Brazil, and I’ve been living in NYC since 2014.

Although Spanish was part of the curriculum while I was at school, it was only after graduating from college that I realized it could be a good idea to learn the language. So, at some point, I was taking English and Spanish classes (I also added French, but that’s a topic for another day…). In fact, my first international trip was to Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2011, and it was my first contact with the Spanish language outside of Brazil.  It was also when Thiago and I met a nomadic couple, and we started talking about living abroad. We loved Buenos Aires so much that we visited again one year later. 

Our first trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina

Our second trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina

In 2013, I traveled to Medellin, in Colombia, to cover Colombiatex, one of the most important textile and fashion trade fairs in Latin America. I met people from different parts of the world, and both my English and Spanish played such an important role in helping me communicate and socialize! Although by this point, I had already traveled to London and Paris, it was during this trip that I had the opportunity to speak a lot and have real conversations – in English and in Spanish. And it was fascinating to realize I could communicate in both languages. I felt so proud of myself!

Colombiatex, Medellin, 2013

When I had already been living in NYC for a couple of years, I realized it was time to get back to Spanish classes. I really love the language, and it was my personal goal to become fluent. So, I’ve been taking private online classes for over 6 years – with a brief hiatus in between. And at some point,  I started to have the desire to immerse myself in the language. I felt I needed a boost; I needed to put my Spanish into deep practice and learn more, of course, cause speaking another language is a learning process. 

And although I had this desire, as it happens with a lot of us, it was always like: “one day…”. Life goes on, and other responsibilities get on the way and we end up postponing plans like that. Cut to April 2024, when I saw a video about LAE Madrid on Instagram and got really interested about their intensive courses. So, I finally decided it was time to start planning! In January 2025, it happened: I spent 4 weeks studying Spanish in Madrid.

LAE Madrid

Located in the charming Salamanca neighborhood, LAE Madrid – short for La Aventura Española – is an established Spanish Academy accredited by the Instituto Cervantes and member of FEDELE (the Spanish Federation of Associations of Schools of Spanish as a Foreign Language).

Here’s what you can expect from LAE Madrid:

• Courses for all levels (A1-C2) – whether you have a beginner or an advanced level of Spanish, they have a course for you.
• Small group sizes – they have an average of 6 students in our group Spanish classes – I’ve seen some smaller and bigger classes during my time there.
• Flexibility – whether you are spending a short period in Madrid and need to make the most of it or you are living in the city and want a slower pace option, I’m really sure LAE Madrid has an option for you. One of the coolest things, in my opinion, is the fact they offer semi-intensive and intensive course options – you can either opt for 4 hours/day from Monday to Friday or 2 hours/day from Monday to Friday, morning or afternoon. They also offer the Power Intensive option, which includes two classes per week in the afternoon with your personal Spanish teacher on top of the intensive classes. Finally, they also have evening classes (twice a week) or a weekly class every Friday afternoon. On top of that, it’s really cool that you can start your course any week of the year.
• Other highlights include multilingual customer service and extra cultural activities included in the course.
• Price: starts at €115/month (for the Friday course) to €265/week (for the Power Intensive option). Prices vary according to the course and the number of weeks you chose and they are all available on their website.
• Visa: since I would study in Madrid for only 4 weeks, no visa was necessary. But, apparently, if you want to study Spanish in Spain for longer than 90 days, you will need to apply for a student visa, depending on your nationality – most citizens from outside the European Union will require a visa to study in Spain for an extended period. LAE Madrid can help you with that.

Check LAE Madrid website to learn more and also learn more about the other courses they offer!

My experience at LAE Madrid

Since I would be spending a month in Madrid – and the main reason to do that was immersing myself in Spanish – I chose the intensive course at LAE Madrid. And since I’d rather study in the morning, I opted for the morning classes, from 9h20am to 1pm. I really liked this schedule cause it gives you plenty of time in the morning to get ready, have breakfast, maybe work out (my case), and commute if it’s the case. But before the classes even started, I had to take an online level test to see which Spanish level I had. My Spanish teacher had said that I was a B2, and that was the LAE Madrid test concluded as well. The test included multiple choice questions, written questions, and even a question where you had to submit an audio. You may think that you can cheat by doing an online test. Truth, but who will you be fooling by doing that? Yourself. I mean, you want to join a class that suits your level, right?

I was really excited about my first day of classes. I stayed on an Airbnb really close to the school, which was so convenient! – and I could walk that every day. LAE Madrid is located in Salamanca, a charming neighborhood that is not touristy, with coffee shops and restaurants nearby, so you can get your caffeine and tapas fix. When I arrived, I received a warm welcome from the front desk team, and Rocco, who is a student experience coordinator, gave me a tour of the school and showed me my classroom. It’s good to mention that LAE Madrid has a kitchen with hot and cold water machines, teas, coffee, mugs, and a refrigerator. They also handed me a welcome bag with a notebook, pencil, and some more tips and resources, plus the student book.

My class had three other students, and they were super nice to me. One interesting thing that I noticed is that opposite to what happens with English, when people travel to another country to study the language for a short or long period of time, most of the people studying Spanish at LAE Madrid were foreigners who had moved to Spain. In my class, there were people from Germany, UK and Finland. I think this is one of the most fascinating and exciting things about studying abroad – getting to know people from other parts of the world and their stories.

Maite was our teacher, and I had a good time with her. During our first week, our classes were a little bit longer because of The Three Kings Day, or Reyes, January 6th, a national holiday in Spain, that fell on a Monday. Maite made sure to propose different and engaging activities for our last hour because, at that time, we were super tired. Classes involved grammar, listening, vocabulary, and a LOT of speaking – something I really appreciate. Plus, we covered so many different, fun, and exciting topics. After three days of classes, the LAE Madrid team asked me how I was feeling cause there was availability on C1, in case I needed more challenges. At first, I was uncertain cause I really liked Maite and my classmates. But after putting some thought, I realized I was there to immerse myself and take the best of this experience, so I said yes to trying C1.

So, during the following three weeks, I was in this C1 class. Honestly, after some minutes, I was convinced it was the best fit for me. Even though I make some mistakes, I can speak Spanish fluently, and my colleagues at C1 were on this level as well. For two weeks, my teacher was Haide, but I also had the chance to study with Rafa and Clara, and they were all spectacular teachers. For my last week, LAE Madrid shook things up and changed the teachers – Haide went to B2, and Maite came to C1. I think it was a clever strategy cause that refreshes the learning experience of the students (sometimes things get a bit stale after too long with one teacher!).

During my time at C1, I spoke more and explored more challenging texts and videos. I’m glad I was up to the challenge, and I’m glad LAE Madrid offered me that option. In terms of my classmates, it was a varied group, with people from the USA, Canada, Brazil, Israel, UK and Japan. Also, I think it’s worth mentioning that I saw people of all ages – from early 20s to 40s and 50s. Another thing good to notice is that the classrooms are equipped with interactive whiteboards, with easy access to the internet – such a clever tool for the teachers!. Also, the teachers always brought extra materials and exercises aside from the books we used.

Another great thing about LAE Madrid is that they offer extra activities every week – like tapas on Friday and a welcome lunch on your first day, plus “field” trips and themed classes – I remember while I was there, they hosted a class about Spanish wines and even a cooking class. So, it’s a great way to practice your Spanish and connect with other students.

Tips to improve your Spanish immersion in Madrid

When it comes to learning a new language, I really believe that courses and teachers provide an excellent foundation and guidance – but it’s also up to you to take a step further in your learning process. And, for me, being in Madrid for a Spanish immersion meant trying to expose myself to the language as much as I could. Here are some of the things I did:

Guided tour in Spanish at Reina Sofia

• Tours: I visited three museums during my stay in Madrid: Reina Sofia, Prado, and Thyssen-Bornemisza. For Reina Sofia, I booked a guided tour in Spanish, and at Prado, I rented the audio guide in Spanish. My visit to Thyssen-Bornemisza was quick, so I didn’t do any tours. I guess trying to incorporate Spanish into cultural activities is an excellent way to test your level of comprehension. If you are on a budget, you can book free tours on Free Tours By Foot, for example. 

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• Entertainment: I was really impressed with Madrid’s cultural scene – there are so many plays and musicals to see! During our first week there, I decided to buy tickets to see a play at Teatro Bellas Artes. We saw Una Madre de Pelicula, a dramedy monologue starring Toni Acosta, a famous and incredible Spanish actress. We had such a great time, and I was really happy to realize I understood like 98% of everything. Plus, I do think the prices of the tickets are reasonable – starting at €17. Another thing we did – and I say “we” cause my husband would join me in my adventures, even though his Spanish level is not excellent, lol – was buying tickets for a comedy show, and that was wild, honestly. And I say that because understanding comedy in another language requires a lot of context and background, so I would say that we didn’t get half of the jokes, but it was ok: my mantra was putting myself out there, remember? We attended Dani Rovira’s show, “Vale la pena“.

Ready for a play in Madrid

• Cinema: Another thing I did – this was by myself, lol – was going to see a movie in Madrid. I know, I know: with the streaming services, there are a lot of original movies and series in Spanish to watch, but it was about the experience itself – plus, not all Spanish productions are available on streaming platforms. Also, the tickets were very affordable – €6. I watched “Desmontando un Elefante”. And there’s another thing about watching a movie at a movie theater in Madrid: I don’t have the subtitles option. 

• Consuming content in Spanish: yes, this is something I can do from any place in the world, but I think that helps to put my ears into action by trying to identify things I’ve learned at LAE – or even bringing topics to class to discuss. While in Madrid, I started to listen to this podcast called “Dreaming Spanish” – tailored for people learning the language, covering different topics – and also “La Ruina” a comedy podcast hosted by Tomàs Fuentes and Ignasi Taltavull, where audience members share their most embarrassing and unfortunate anecdotes. I also started to watch “Envidiosa“, a super fun Argentinian series on Netflix – which was great to notice differences in words and accents. 

Fun cooking class at Kitchen Club

• Cooking class – what do you like to do? What are your hobbies? I love cooking, so I decided to look for cooking classes in Madrid, and I found Kitchen Club. They offer a variety of classes – Asian cuisine, Spanish cuisine, Japanese cuisine… – in a gorgeous environment. You not only learn how to make delicious dishes and techniques, but you also get to eat what you cook, and it’s an open bar event. We paid around €70 per person for this class called “Arroces contemporaneos”, where we learned 4 different recipes with a Spanish chef, surrounded by fun Spanish people. 
• Don’t be afraid to speak: the school is a safe space to do that, but don’t feel discouraged to do that outside. Of course, the first days, I was a little shy, but I was always putting myself out there to do everyday tasks, like grocery store shopping or pharmacy, ordering food at restaurants, and also starting conversations with Uber drivers and the doorman.
• Other resources: Airbnb Experiences, Fever, and Eventbrite are great places to look for experiences, tours, and events. I also found this article on LAE Madrid’s website about Language exchange experiences really helpful. 

Tips to get around in Madrid

If you are planning to embark on an adventure like this and study Spanish in Madrid – for some weeks or for some months – or if you are moving to the city – here are some tips that can help you to feel at home (according to my experience):

• Where to stay: since my husband would be joining me during this month in Madrid, we decided to rent an Airbnb, and when looking for a place to stay, I was ok with a short commute – like a 10-minute subway ride or even a 15-minute walk. So that was what I took in consideration when looking for a place. I ended up renting an apartment that was literally a 3-minute walk from LAE Madrid, lol, in Salamanca neighborhood. The apartment had 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom, and it was equipped with a dishwasher and a washer machine. It was super bright and quiet, and it was managed by a management company. Overall, we had a great experience, but it was an expensive place if I compare it to NYC and its size.
• Gym: since we would stay for a month, I looked for a gym in the neighborhood so we could keep our workout routine. We ended up signing up at Wifit – they have a location near the apartment and besides gym equipment, they also offered varied classes every day (I didn’t try the classes, though). We paid €50 each for a month plus €10 each for a wristband (which I think it was unnecessary). The gym was fine – you had to bring your own towel and your water (there was no water fountain). I do think they could be better with equipment maintenance. The abduction/adduction machine was broken when we got there, and it took three weeks for them to fix it.

• Grocery stores – Salamanca and Guindalera (we were between these areas) are neighborhoods with a lot of grocery stores. We used to go to Aldi (prices are really good) and also Carrefour (there are tons of Carrefour and Carrefour Express in Madrid). There was also a Mercadona – a famous grocery store chain in Spain – nearby, and I definitely recommend it! I found Al Campo a little expensive compared to these other ones. You should definitely look for La Sirena locations as well – it is a chain that sells frozen foods, ranging from fish and seafood to vegetables, meat, ready meals, desserts, and more.
• Transportation in Madrid – Madrid has an efficient and affordable public transportation system, primarily comprising the metro and bus networks. A single journey on the metro costs between €1.50 and €2.00, depending on the number of stations traveled. If you are staying for an extended time, I recommend the “Metrobús” ticket – I usually pay about €6 for 10 rides, and it is valid across both metro and bus services. You can also use Uber and Bolt for ride-sharing services – and I recommend always checking both cause the price difference can be significant. Overall, I found the prices for rides affordable (but remember: I live in an expensive city – NYC, lol).

Studying Spanish in Madrid – was it worth it? 

Absolutely! Knowledge doesn’t occupy space, and living in another place for a specific period of time is such a rich experience. I would say the classes at LAE Madrid were the foundation for me, and I got to personalize my own experience in the city by not only visiting famous spots and trying the food – I will share a post about those aspects soon! – but also by giving me the confidence to put myself out there and try other things. The course held me accountable – and this whole time in Madrid was also a period of self-discovery and self-reflection. Seeing the world out there while you learn a new language – or improve your skills in that language – will never, in my opinion, be a mistake. 

Hope you enjoyed learning more about my experience in Madrid studying Spanish at LAE Madrid and I really hope this post can be helpful for you! Please feel free to drop your questions below! 

I was so lucky to have my sister with me for some days in Madrid. She lives in Paris and she is an amazing photographer – check her work on IG @flaneriephoto

Laura Peruchi

Content creator and journalist in New York City. Here, I share lifestyle, beauty, NYC tips, thoughts, and the struggles about living in the most amazing city in the world! I’m not gonna pretend to be another person: I’m a Brazilian immigrant and I think this is my soul, it is part of who I am. I hope you enjoy my content! Follow me on Instagram!