Semester in Spain - Travel Information

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Travel Information

Flight Info

FALL & SPRING SEMESTERS:

GROUP FLIGHT INFO: Semester In Spain provides an optional group flight for the Fall and Spring semester groups. Fall and Spring group flights are arranged through Witte Travel of Grand Rapids, Michigan - (www.wittetravel.com). You will receive a Flight Application form from the SIS office that should be returned to Witte Travel with payment.

Our group flight is operated by Iberia Airlines (a partner with American Airlines) and leaves from Chicago – O’Hare, arriving in Madrid, Spain and then connecting to Seville. Witte Travel can make connections to route you to Chicago from your city. The flight from Chicago to Madrid takes about 8 hours, and the flight to Seville is about 50 minutes. There will be a layover in Madrid of about 3 hours.

Our Spanish staff will meet the group at the airport in Seville. You will board a bus and will be taken to your hosts in Spain. If you are not arriving with the group, you will take a taxi to your host’s home. We will provide you with all the information you need before you depart for Seville.

At the end of the semester, you will be responsible for getting to the airport yourself for your return home. If you are going to the airport with your roommate, you can call for a minivan taxi the day before.

TRAVELING INDEPENDENTLY: Students are not required to use the group flight arrangements. If you would prefer to make your own arrangements you may do so with any airline or travel agency that you wish to use. Plan your travel arrangements so that you will arrive and depart on the same days as the rest of the group.

Before you depart for Spain, we will provide you with information about your housing, including the name and address of your host family and the name of any roommate(s) assigned to you. When you arrive in Seville you will show the address information to your taxi driver and he/she will take you to your new home.

SUMMER TERMS:

We do not arrange a group flight for the Summer terms. You may make your travel plans with any airline or travel agency that you wish to use. Plan your travel arrangements so that you will arrive and depart on the days that are indicated in our summer term information and newsletters. See the summer calendar for more details.

Departing Sevilla

At the end of the semester or term, you will be responsible for getting to the airport yourself for your return home. If you are going to the airport with your roommate, you can call for a minivan taxi the day before.

Passports & Visas

You will need to have a passport in hand approximately 3 months before you depart for your trip to Europe. Currently, it can take as long as 12 weeks to receive a passport, so apply right away. You can find all the information you need to apply at the US State Department website - http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/get_840.html.

If you have a passport, be sure to check that it will not expire before you return from Spain. It must be valid for six months beyond your attendance period.

If you will be attending the Fall or Spring semesters, you will also need a student visa issued by the Spanish Consulate. We will help you through the process of applying for the visa. It can take as long as 8 weeks to receive your visa, so it is very important to have your passport available at least 3 months prior to your departure for Seville since the passport is needed for the student visa application.

SUMMER term students: A visa is not required for the summer terms unless you are not a U.S. or EU citizen.

Orientation

Orientation typically takes place the day after you arrive in Seville and is held at a local hotel. Your host family will have the details and will help you find the hotel on the morning of orientation. Please bring your handbooks and maps with you to this meeting.

Everyone should arrive at 9:00 AM. Students will first be introduced to the faculty and staff and then take the placement test. The Beginners will meet separately while the others take the test. More information on the placement test will be arriving in your pre-departure newsletters. You will also be provided with the forms and instructions to register with the United States Consulate in Seville.

Registration for classes will take place the day after the placement test. Our staff will highlight and explain some of the policies and procedures stated in the handbook. The entire faculty will be present to assist you in the registration process. If you are an Advanced student, be prepared to take one of your alternate choices in case one of your first choice classes is canceled due to low enrollment.

Other components to the orientation include a Sevilla Walking Tour, Safety Workshop, and a Culture 101 class, typically held within your first few days in Seville.

Orientation week culminates with a school-wide dinner, a great way to get to know your classmates and the SIS staff members. Before you depart for Spain you will receive newsletters containing more specific details on your first week in Spain.

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