Program Reviews

I went to Cordoba for 2 months during the summer as an au pair. It was an amazing experience, Ana was so helpful and kind before and I was so lucky to have been given an amazing host family with great parents and kids who I enjoyed hanging out with even on my off days! I made some great friends in Cordoba but also throughout Andalousia, the majority being other au pairs I met thanks to the au pair directly Ana gave us. I always felt safe and I had a great time! I highly recommend it if you want to travel 😃

I had a wonderful time au pairing in Madrid over the summer with a lovely family. It was a great way to improve my Spanish and have a more authentic cultural exchange. The family I stayed with were very welcoming and Ana was very supportive and regularly made sure I was doing well. I had plenty of time off from childcare to explore the city and travelled a bit around Spain when the family were on vacation. If you like kids and want to improve your Spanish this is a great affordable way to do that!

Overall, I enjoyed my time living in A Coruña and getting to experience the culture and language. I got to meet other Au Pairs, meet native Spanish speakers, and explore the country. This opportunity made it so that I could experience everything I've learned about in my university. It was the perfect way to spend two months. I recommend especially for Americans who want to find an inexpensive way to leave the country and experience a way of life completely different than our own. In general, this was a really good experience.

This was an experience that I will remember forever! Ana was super helpful and patient with me during the onboarding process. It was quick to match with a family and the one that I was paired with really made my experience valuable. I wanted to travel during my gap year, but in a way that was not as temporary as visiting for a week or so. Being able to form my own little life in my town in Spain for an extended period of time is something that makes saying goodbye so hard! I have gained new family, friends, and a deep appreciation for people who seek new experiences and languages. This has inspired to continue learning Spanish, not only for my own benefit, but so that when I return, I can have more conversations with people here that mean so much to me now!

I had never been an Au Pair before nor travelled alone outside the UK. Thanks to Ana at Destino Idiomas I knew I was in safe hands and that if anything were to go wrong, I would be able to trust her throughout the process. She ensured that everything ran smoothly from the offset and during my stay by regularly checking up on both me and the host family.

I was so lucky with the family I was matched with, since I had applied so late for the summer season (around June) and I am still in contact with them months later! My host family were so kind and made sure I had experienced every depth of Galicia, from the food to the cities (Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Pontevedra) to the traditions and values. To supplement my day-to-day learning I also undertook spanish lessons 3x a week which I found to be very helpful in building my confidence and which also helped with the structure of my day.

It was a life changing experience and has helped my CV thanks to learned qualities such as independence, responsibility and emotional intelligence - not to mention the improvement in my confidence in speaking spanish. I would urge anyone who is thinking about applying to do it, however to also be prepared to overcome the inevitable challenges the experience brings with it.

Going into the au pair experience I really had no idea what to expect, but from the beginning Ana was really helpful and professional, helping me sort out my CV and find the right family to spend the summer with.
I was obviously quite nervous about committing myself to spending a whole summer with a family that I had never met, but Ana made sure that I felt as prepared as possible and so the whole experience was a great success!
The family was great and I really enjoyed spending time with them, as well as experiencing life in Spain. I was really lucky that they also took me on holiday with them so I got to explore several different parts of the country and meet some really lovely people, including their family and friends which was really great!
Throughout my time in Spain, Ana regularly kept contact and was very supportive, so this was an experience that I would certainly recommend to anyone considering it and I would love to try it again in years to come!

I was an au pair for a lovely family in a small town near A Coruña for one month in August 2021.
This was my first time being an au pair and I didn't really know what to expect before I came to Galicia (I didn't know much about the region either) but from the very moment I met my host family, I was made to feel welcome and like I was part of the family and it really was an amazing experience.
My host family were incredibly kind, patient and eager to teach me about the Spanish culture which meant I found it very easy adapting to their lifestyle (which included eating dinner as late as 10.30pm!!). Outside of my 'working hours' I had a lot of freedom and independence to do my own thing, but my host family were also eager to spend time with me and show me Galicia and so we went on many day trips to places such as Santiago de Compostela, Finisterre and other sites along the Costa da Morte.
I also made the most of my weekends by organising my own travels to nearby cities such as Pontevedra, Vigo, Lugo and Ourense which meant I saw a lot of the region in a small space of time.
Overall, this really was an experience that I'll never forget. Although I was only there for a month, I've made some wonderful memories and now have a strong connection with my host family which means I can always come back to Galicia in the future!
I would really recommend being an au pair with Destino Idiomas, as Ana made sure the entire process went smoothly and I knew that Ana would be able to help with any issues I had (although I didn't have any issues during my time out there!)

Thank you Ana!

I was an au pair near Valencia in summer 2021.
Ana, who will be your main point of contact at Destino Idiomas, was extremely helpful during the entire process. For the application she made a template document which was easy to fill out. Then for the matching process she tried her best to meet my preferences, although this is not always possible. I must also say, Ana is very polite and you can never ask her too many questions, she always replied quickly and with good advice.
Being an au pair at a young age has been a challenging but very rewarding experience. I would say that, make sure you are prepared to be away from your family and friends for a long period of time, especially during covid as meeting new people (other than the host family) may be reduced depending on your host family!
Being an au pair is not easy, getting used to a completely different country and family can be scary but luckily my host family were very supportive and helped me fit in with them as quickly as possible! They have taken me to several places across Valencia. I have also improved my Spanish a lot and learnt a lot I’d have never learnt in a class room.
As well as this, I’ve formed a very special bond with my host family, especially the children which I will never forget. My host family were very helpful especially when I began to miss my family, they supported me.

Therefore, I 100% recommend destino idiomas as Ana is very helpful and there is no fee unlike other au pair programmes. Just have in mind that there will be other expenses including your DBS check, passport, flights, travel insurance etc!!

Destino Idiomas is amazing! The application process is extremely easy as Ana made a template and prompts that allow you to know exactly what you need to in order to create a great application. I recommend this programme to everyone; there is no fee and you are able to earn money without having to pay rent or for essentials!

I was able to match with a family in the exact area I wanted to stay and I loved being in Cordoba! Despite coronavirus I was still able to enjoy being in Spain, improve my Spanish and be immersed into the culture. I learnt so much and am so happy for the experience. It is completely different to the tourist experience of Spain and I was able to understand the country and Spaniards a lot better! It was a great segway to my university studies (I am studying Spanish) as I was able to improve my fluency and learn a lot about cultural customs. I was able to go to socially distanced concerts, outdoor cinema, visit Castles and Churches, historic sites, go hiking, swim in a stream by a waterfall, eat lots of paella and get to know a family really well!
Ana is very professional but also very kind, I can't thank her enough!

I stayed in Ourense for 9 months and had an incredible experience. My host family was very welcoming and helped me adjust to the differences in life here. They truly want their au pair to be part of the family, and the whole time I felt valued and loved. My host mom was very understanding and gave me a lot of freedom to go out at night and travel to other cities on the weekends. Ana from Destino Idioms also helped me when I had some small problems and periodically checked in to make sure I was doing well.
I had a unique experience because I decided to stay with my family during the Coronavirus quarantine, which was especially strict in Spain. My host family was very understanding during such a difficult situation, and my host mom and I shared the responsibilities of taking care of the kids. Ultimately, we spend 6 weeks indoors and were able to get even closer through the experience.
I feel that during my au pair year, I was very lucky in terms of finding my family and choosing to live in Galicia. The people here were all very friendly, and the surrounding country and cities are beautiful. My Spanish improved a ton, I became part of a family here, and I made memories that will last a lifetime. I would recommend that anyone considering taking an au pair year should do it!