Spain or Mexico for a first time teen traveler?

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Mexico, Absolutely Mexico! You can consider going to the "TECH" university , short for El Technologico de Monterrey, it is a very high ranked university in the world. 2 years ago it ranked just on top of Harvard. It is located in the Mexican city of Monterrey, full of night life and very safe, one of the safest in Mexico. Plus the school is very international open , it is the largest diverse university in the world, it houses students from Canada, U.S, France, Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Portugal and many more. The good thing about it is that it's campus is very elegant, the dorms and student live is very pleasing with restaurants on campus and pools. But the best thing about it is that if you complete your studies , your degree will not only be valid in Mexico, but also in the united states ! For example if you graduate as a doctor in Spain , your degree will be worthless here in the U.S and you would have to go back to school, but in EL tech in Monterrey , it is not like that, your degree would be valid in both countries =] plus, they offer classes in english and spanish ! =]

here is some information over the city of Monterrey:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monterrey

and some over the university that i suggest:
http://www.itesm.mx/

weechi

well....you have to think about the kind of spanish the teen wants to learn. if she will live in the US, i recommend mexico...because spanish from spain is different, and many words do not mean the same thing, and of course they use the vosotros forms.

i have never felt unsafe in mexico, except in mexico city. there are plenty of places to go there were you are safe. the lifestyle i think, is very different than spain, so it depends on how this girl feels about that as well. she must be comfortable with modest living (or perhaps very luxurious living..you never know.) also, if the girl were to get sick or have an accident, mexico is much closer to the US and her parents could get to her very quickly, or she could return home easily, and for much less money.

i just wouldn't let the safety thing get in the way...like i said, avoid mexico city and this girl will be fine. i recommend aguascalientes, guananjuato, the nice areas of guadalajara, maybe leon, and nice areas of monterry. stay out of sonora, sinaloa, and michoacan because of the drug issues they are having. and chiapas, and oaxaca because of the border violence and also drug issues.

Tinribs

Go to Mexico first. See the Colonial towns, from Spanish Conquistadores times, see Mx.City. Guanatuato, San Miguel de Allende, the towns of Independencia "El Grito", visit the Talavera ceramicas of Dolores Hidalgo near San Miguel, all from the Spanish era.Do your homework on Mexico first.
Then the next vacation go to Europe, Spain, and see the Magnificent Architecture, Moorish influence and then you'll understand the influence of Spain on Mexico. Madrid, Seville, and look up the towns of Moorish influence on the internet.
But do your studies on Mex. first. It is fascinating. As far as safety goes, just keep your shoulder bag across your chest and always CLOSED. Both places are safe, well as safe as big cities in the USA.

tomnmexico

Spain. You can travel all over Europe. I live in Mexico and most places would not be safe for you to be alone. If you do decide on Mexico I would recommend Cuernavaca or Guanajuato as the safest places for you to be alone.

Dani

If you are going to Mexico, avoid Mexico City. Puebla, Guanajuato, Guadalahara ( very large city) would be better choices. Avoid the tourist places like Matzatlan or Cancun. You won't really experience the culture because they are occupied by tourists, and they are expensive. Also, they can be dangerous.

Spain would be my choice. For one thing, you would have the opportunity to visit one or more countries nearby. Either way, you will have a wonderful summer experience to remember all of your lives.

lfortier1000

It depends on which type of Spanish you speak- Mexicans speak the type that's taught in most American schools. In SPAIN, however, they speak CASTILLIAN spanish- a totally different dialect.

Carlos

Mexico!! is the best. most places in mexico are safe. there are just a few cities that arent. mexico is very beautiful. I advise you to avoid cancun (one of the most beautiful places in the world) because there are too many tourists. go to guadalajara, monterrey or morelia. you will have a great time.

MERAJ S

I have read some details about Spain and I think trip to Spain would be an enjoyable as well as a learning experience. Some of my college mates are visiting Barcelona and Madrid this summer for art exploration. I think Mexico and Spain have quite different social settings because Spain has been ruled by Roman, Muslim, and Christine rulers. Now Spain is part of Europe, so the lifestyle of people in Spain is similar to the people of other Euopean countries. Finally it depends on what you are looking to explore.
Enjoy your stay anywhere you go.

Mesha

I think the people in Mexico are a lot kinder than in Spain. But if it is a learning experience and you have the money, I would go to Spain. There are probably a lot more learning opportunities there. Like Art for example. Although, I love Mexico, I think Spain would be the best choice. I believe it is fairly easy to travel to more places in Europe and you would have a more memorable time rather than laying on the beach drinking tequila. : )

lllmeg

You mention that her goal is to improve her Spanish -- answers to further questions may help you to answer your own question! If her desire to improve her Spanish is mainly to meet academic requirements or prove fluency for a college degree, you may want to look into highly qualified academic programs in either Mexico or Spain.

On the other hand, if her desire to improve her Spanish stems from a wish to work with local immigrant groups in the US or to use Spanish in a social work or teaching situation in the future, it would be best to study in Mexico as the vocabulary and pronunciation differ between Spain and Mexico and study in Mexico would be much better preparation for such an undertaking.

Several people have already posted helpful links and I would give a strong second to "Transitions Abroad" magazine and their related website. They are a good source to use when evaluating study programs. Also, note that Tec de Monterrey has locations throughout Mexico, including here in my home city of Torreon, Coahuila.

**Mishelly**

Chetumal, Mexico they are on the belize border so there will be some english speaking people around...As in safe I think its great I go every year...I go to my in laws though.I love it!

Good Luck and tell her have fun~

Brett

Spain and Mexico are both great. I would, however, recommend Puerto Escondido on the Pacific Ocean. Great surfing, language schools with homestays and plenty of other young travelers.

ranger_co_1_75

Definitely Spain, the standard of living and health care system is better in the event of an accident.

The Education system is considered better, although what you get from any education system depends on the amount of effort you invest.

There is the opportunity for exposure to multi cultures. Euro-rail passes are cheap if purchased BEFORE going to Europe, and you can visit any western european country during a holiday week end or break in studies. Paris, Denmark, Berlin, Rome, etc.

The danger of being harmed is considerably less in Spain, although the survival rules of any big city apply.

Bon Voyage.

redunicorn

I have had several friends that went to Spain to study Spanish. They went to Barcelona.

Mexico has a pretty unstable government. I think Spain is a lot safer.

tdcampbell

Spain

http://www.transitionsabroad.com/publications/magazine/0407/teen_taking_time_off_nepal.shtml

http://gorp.away.com/gorp/location/europe/spain/top_twenty.htm

flightpillow

Both are great, if Spain, I'd say Barcelona, and Mexico, Cancun for sure, many people do the same thing she will be doing and enjoy both places.

=)

rustyrose420

MEXICO IS THE ****, STAY IN THE TOURIST AREAS LIKE CABO, OR MATZAVLAN, I HAD HELLA FUN

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