Frequently Asked Questions

Are there hidden costs with the program fee?
Absolutely not! Global Treks and Adventures believes in full transparency with trip costs. All costs are outlined with the details in the program fee on the school’s customized trip webpage. 

What type of emergency support is available while on the tour?
Global Treks provides 24-hour emergency support for all students and staff while on a tour. In case of illness or injury, your guide will arrange for immediate medical attention. All tours are managed with expert emergency plans in place to provide top of the industry support for all participants. Global Treks remains in constant communication with local experts and government officials to monitor and adapt for potential security concerns. 

What is Global Treks and Adventures’ safety record?
After traveling with hundreds of students all over the world in more than 40 countries, both on land and sea, our safety record is excellent! While there is no guaranteed safety in the world, safety is our number one concern at all times. Our risk management policies are far above industry standards. All Global Treks guides are trained wilderness medical professionals, carry medical kits, have emergency evacuation routes pre-planned and work alongside local experts to maintain the highest safety standards for every trip.

What type of risk management practice is in place?
All trips are personally customized to the needs of each group. Before going on a trip, we evaluate and re-evaluate the safety of each of our destinations and activities, and we always reserve the right to modify or cancel an itinerary if conditions are, or may become unsafe. All risk management policies align with the experts and certification of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), labeled throughout the outdoor industry as THE best risk management experts. While there is no guaranteed safety in the world, Global Treks puts risk management as its number one concern for every participant, on every trip, every day.

Do travelers need a Visa to visit Spain?
Participants carrying a US passport do not need a Visa to visit Spain for less than 90 days. Any participants traveling under a different passport should notify the Global Treks team for Visa assistance ASAP. Please note, any Visa costs are not included in the package price.

What should my son or daughter pack for the trip?
The packing list is provided on your group’s customized trip page.

What if I need to contact my son or daughter while they are in Spain?
If your son or daughter will not have a personal cell phone available to them on their trip with international cell service, parents may contact the Global Treks and Adventures Office at any time. The office support team is available 24/7 for any communication needs throughout the trip. Communications with all tours in the field are maintained and we will reach out to your son or daughter to have them contact home. Students will also have access to the internet daily and will be able to utilize any internet-based communication (Messenger apps, Skype, etc.)

What type of food will participants eat while on the trip?
We know how important food is to young people! We do our best to meet all culinary needs of our participants. Please be sure to fully disclose any allergies, sensitivities or food preferences on the medical form. We will make sure to honor all needs as much as possible as Spain loves food and we will have access to whatever we need! Most commonly — breakfast is typically the most simple meal of the day for Spaniards, most often taking place between 8 - 9 am. A typical continental breakfast includes: toast with jam/tomato/ham, biscuits, coffee, tea and juice. Lunch is typically the largest meal of the day in Spain. Depending on our daily itinerary, we may have a picnic in the park, eat with our host families or eat at a restaurant. Lunch options are quite varied and include vegetarian to meat-included options. Tapas in Spain includes everything under the sun! Dinner options are similar to lunch and are varied based on the itinerary, but we make sure a variety of options are available. Plus, we keep a snack box handy in case anyone gets hungry along the way. We ensure no one is ever hungry on an trip!

Where do participants sleep while on the trip?
Group accommodations are safe, clean and provide wifi access. Students sleep in single-gender rooms whether in a city centered hotel in Madrid or Grenada or at the host family homes. Each location is specifically chosen for our group. The daily itinerary on the group’s webpage outlines the nightly accommodation option selected. Students will be partnered in groups of 2-3 single gender groups when matched with their host family in Seville. To learn more about the homestay experience, please visit our Homestay Headquarters FAQ.

How do students travel?
The group will fly on global airlines to Spain. Travel between cities will be within quality air-conditioned mini-buses with a seatbelt for every passenger or on Spain’s infamous high-speed trains. Each city is easily navigated by foot and we will walk between sites within each city location.

How are families selected and screened prior to housing my child?
Families working with our students pass an extensive process of interviews, home inspections, reference checks, formal background checks, random spot-inspections and undergo constant evaluation prior/during and post expeditions. Global Treks has partnered with Centro Mundolengua, a local school based in Seville. Centro Mundolengua runs the study abroad program for several universities in the United States and has successfully housed, educated and supported American study abroad students in Seville since 2005. Harborside families will have all information pertaining to their child’s matched family a month prior to the trip. If any changes are desired by parents, they will be honored. To learn more about the homestay experience, please visit our Homestay Headquarters FAQ.

What if my son/daughter or I do not speak Spanish? Can we still travel with the group?
Absolutely! While the itinerary has been built to connect participants with host families familiar with American students learning Spanish, they fully understand the participant’s Spanish language skills could be limited or nonexistent. No problem! While we encourage every participant to give their language skills a try, Spanish language support will be provided. It’s impossible to visit Spain and come home without a few new vocabulary words. Spaniards speak clearly and are very accepting of new language learners!

What will the weather be like in Spain in January?
The weather in Andalucia Spain in January is most comparative to our fall weather in the midwest of the United States. While temperatures can fall to the low 40’s at night, they are typically 50 - 60 degrees Fahrenheit during the day.

What qualifications and experience will our Global Treks guide have?
The trips’s guide is a certified high school science teacher, paramedic, university instructor and international educator. All guides at Global Treks and Adventures must maintain their Wilderness First Responder certification, provided by the National Outdoor Leadership Medical Training Program and the Wilderness Medical Associates, which qualifies them for emergency medical management and evacuation training for wilderness trips. All trips are specifically aligned with educational standards, with multiple learning opportunities and presentations provided on a daily basis. Global Treks specifically chooses the best guide to match each group’s specific needs and educational goals. 

Should students have travel insurance?
Yes. While it’s not required, we recommend all participants get travel insurance for their trip. It’s helpful to have the Peace-of-Mind that insurance can provide. While Global Treks does not sell insurance, we use a program called insuremytrip.com and recommend them to all participants. If a student needs to drop from the trip and not participate, travel insurance would provide protection if any student may not be able to travel due to an injury/illness should he/she or an immediate family member become ill or injured preventing travel.

Are there required immunizations or medical recommendations for traveling to Spain?

Global Treks recommends all participants speak with their personal medical providers pertaining to all personalized medical questions. With that said, the CDC does not recommend immunizations above and beyond routine vaccinations common within the United States.

What happens if my son or daughter must cancel their trip?
While the deposit is non-refundable, students who cancel prior to March 15, 2023 will receive a refund on the rest of the funds received. Students will receive a 50% refund of the trip costs received (excluding the deposit) if the student cancels their trip prior the second payment date of September 15th, 2023. Any cancellations after Sept 15, 2023 are non-refundable. For more information, the cancellation policy in place is outlined on the liability form provided on the Harborside trip webpage. However, travel insurance protects any student that may not be able to travel due to an injury/illness should he/she or an immediate family member become ill or injured preventing travel. 

What if we need to change the name on the airline ticket after tickets are purchased?
Any changes to airline ticket information after March 15, 2023 will incur an airline-instituted fee, of which is the responsibility of the student.

How does Global Treks incorporate learning objectives into the trip?
All program directors at Global Treks are teachers. Therefore, the daily itinerary for every trip is specifically connected to the Harborside Academy’s learning objectives. Global Treks incorporates the teaching styles for experiential learning and programming supported and outlined by the Association for Experiential Education, of which Global Treks is a proud member.

Some examples of daily learning opportunities on this trip include: speaking and working alongside local marine life experts, hiking the rainforest with local Aboriginal guides, marine science data collection lessons while snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, conducting animal surveys while exploring the Daintree Rainforest, daily cultural immersion outings and group challenges.

Have another question?
No worries! Please reach out to your trip leader or email Global Treks at Herdina@Global-treks.com at anytime. Our office can also be reached at 507-301-6466.