Housing & Meals

Housing and Meals

Students in the Madrid Program will be housed in different local homestays within the metropolitan area. An average commute from the host family to the Stanford Center will be between 20 and 30 minutes.

Families play an integral role in the Madrid Program by providing students with an environment of cultural and linguistic immersion, as well as a safe and welcoming space. The homestay program in Madrid gives students the rewarding opportunity to integrate into a Spanish home and gain first-hand insights into Spanish life, reinforcing and facilitating students’ cultural and linguistic integration.

While there is a wide variety of homestays, all of our families must meet a strict set of standards and are carefully chosen and monitored. While in Madrid, your living situation will be one of the following:

• A single room in a homestay with another Stanford student.
• A single room in a homestay where you are the only student.

Meals at the Homestay

In line with local customs, three daily meals are included in your homestay experience- breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Additional meals and snacks are the responsibility of the student. Vegetarians and other students with dietary restrictions are welcome to participate in the program as we do have families that accept students with dietary accommodations and/or restrictions, but one should be aware that adaptations are not as common in Spain as in the U.S. We encourage students to be as open-minded as possible with regards to cultural issues, understanding that food, too, is an essential part of culture.