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Consult a Travel Advisor! |
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Write your question below
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FAQs
Accommodations
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BridgeVolunteers knows that having a place to relax and feel comfortable is an important part of your volunteer travel experience. For that reason, we offer a variety of accommodation options to suit your specific needs. Please check the details of your chosen program for the specific options offered. |
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Host Families |
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 The best way to immerse yourself in the local culture is to stay with a host family. BridgeVolunteers highly recommends staying volunteers to practice their language skills and to learn more about the country's culture, people, and cuisine. Staying with a host family allows you to fully immerse yourself in the volunteer travel experience, and can be an important part of your program.
Host Family Information:
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Each volunteer will have a private bedroom and a shared bathroom. |
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Host families can provide breakfast and dinner, or breakfast only, depending on the location. |
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All of our host families are middle-class by local standards, and live in apartments or homes in typical neighborhoods. |
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Many host families are individuals living alone, but some are couples with or without children. Very few families have young children, but some have grandchildren around quite frequently. |
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Distances to the schools and program sites vary from 20 to 60 minutes by public transportation. |
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All families are carefully screened and visited to ensure that the accommodations are suitable for students. |
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Many families have been working with the programs for years and have consistently received excellent student evaluations. |
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Some families host several BridgeVolunteers participants at the same time. |
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Volunteers may come and go as they please, but are asked to respect the routine and wishes of the host family. |
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Hostels |
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Hostels typically offer shared rooms and shared bathrooms; in some locations you may request a private bedroom. Breakfast is almost always included and a kitchen is available for volunteers to cook their meals. |
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Volunteer Houses and Camps |
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 Designed specifically for volunteers, residences are houses or camps located close to the volunteer program site. All volunteer residences are very comfortable and many offer an on-site cook as well as laundry and cleaning facilities. The houses generally have large living and dining areas, several bathrooms, gardens, and satellite television. All residences have electricity, hot water, locked cupboards, and safes. Staying in a volunteer residence during your program is an excellent way to meet other volunteers. |
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Airport Pickup and Orientation: |
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After arrival in Buenos Aires, you will be picked up by a shuttle service and transported to your accommodations for the first night. The following morning, you will begin your volunteer program with an extensive orientation. During this time, you will learn about living and working in Buenos Aires, using public transportation, and volunteering at your program site. You will meet your program coordinator to discuss the details of your work and your responsibilities as a volunteer. Your program coordinator will accompany you on the first day and also on subsequent days if possible. |
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Spanish Language Classes: |
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To complement your work in the community, you will be taking Spanish language classes at BridgeArgentina, our affiliate language school in Buenos Aires. For more efficient placement upon your arrival, we ask that you take our Online Spanish Placement to determine your language proficiency. If this is not possible, we will test you upon arrival at the school. You will be placed according to your language level in a group of four or fewer students, learning conversational Spanish for four hours a day*. After your class hours, you will go directly to your organization for your volunteer experience.
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TEFL Teacher Training: |
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All volunteers in our Teach English Programs receive teacher training before going abroad. By completing our online teacher preparation program, you will earn your certification in TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language), which will give you the skills and confidence needed to teach English overseas. Read More. |
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Transportation: |
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BridgeVolunteers will arrange your airport pickup in Buenos Aires and transportation to your host family. Volunteers pay for transportation to and from the program and other activities. |
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Accommodations: |
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Volunteers can choose to stay in either a hostel or with an Argentinean host family. Hostel accommodations are typically shared rooms and bathrooms and include breakfast. Host family accommodations include a private room and two meals per day (breakfast and dinner). Commute time to the program varies, but may be up to 30-60 minutes, depending on your placement. If you opt to stay with a host family, you will be glad to know that our host families are carefully screened and must meet BridgeVolunteers' requirements before being accepted as a host family. You will be given a key to your host family's home to come and go as you please. |
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Meals: |
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If you choose to stay in a hostel, you will be served breakfast only. If you would like to prepare your own meals, you will have access to a kitchen in the hostel. Host families provide two meals a day: breakfast and dinner. |
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In-Country Support: |
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Volunteer coordinators will provide support during your time in Buenos Aires. You can also expect help from your fellow volunteers and the staff of both BridgeVolunteers and our partner organization. |
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Argentina Excursions: |
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Although you will be serving the community for most of your time in Argentina, there may be time for some sightseeing. Below are a few of the trips that BridgeArgentina organizes for students and volunteers, schedule permitting. Volunteers are expected to pay their own transportation costs and entrance fees.
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The Recoleta |
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One of our most popular excursions, this trip takes you to the beautiful Recoleta neighborhood known as a "slice of Paris" in Buenos Aires |
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The Rosedal |
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The Rosedal is Buenos Aires' most famous and most visited park, filled with bridges, piers, ponds, sculptures, and abundant vegetation. |
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San Telmo |
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A walking tour of this artsy neighborhood offers a chance to visit antique shops and the San Telmo Market, where you can find antiques, crafts, and artwork made by local artisans. |
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La Boca |
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Colorful houses characterize the lively waterfront neighborhood of La Boca. The area is also home to the country's most popular soccer team, the Boca Juniors. |
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The Plaza de Mayo |
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This plaza is the epicenter of Argentina's political history. This tour of the plaza also includes famous buildings nearby, such as the Casa Rosada, the Metropolitan Cathedral, and the Cabildo. |
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Puerto Madero |
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This port city has converted its old brick warehouses into first-rate restaurants, movie theaters, and office complexes. It is now Buenos Aires' newest, most exclusive, and fastest-growing district |
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Insurance for Volunteers: |
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BridgeVolunteers provides emergency travel insurance for participants. For more information, please read our Insurance page. |
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