Vacation planning - Spain - YouLookFab Forum

Vacation planning - Spain

elpgal

I am looking for suggestion for planning a trip to Spain. We'll be traveling with kids ranging from 5-10. Things we/kids like - mountain drives, vegetarian food options, outdoor markets, generally hanging out. The kids don't have much patience for too many museums and the grow ups don't want to spend all the time at the beach watching the kids although some time at the beach is good.Everybody is good with long drives and frequent hotel changes.

Given these parameters, do you all have suggestions for where we should visit in Spain. Portugal is also an option but we have about 9-10 days including flying time.

7 years ago

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13 replies

Latest reply was from

crazyone

Veteran

oh, fun! I've been to both Spain and Portugal on three separate trips so I can give some recs. How much walking energy do the kids have?

I went for a 7 day trip to Portugal and did: a day in Lisbon, a day in Sintra, a day in Marvao (tiny fortified town near Spanish border), 2 days in Porto (with a train ride on the tracks down the river Douro), a day back in Lisbon again (focusing on the Belem, with pastries and the Jeronimos monastery), and then back to US.

On my more recent trip to Spain I went to Granada and Madrid. Granada is amazing and you must go to see the Alhambra. In Madrid we went to a bunch of museums, but we also did a day trip to Toledo that I think would be fun for kids.

Personally I'm not sure driving is the best way to go in either country--lots of fast and clean trains/public transport in Spain and Portugal, and I remember the parking situation in Madrid being utterly miserable. But if you have a big group then trains start to get a bit expensive.

Honestly I struggled with food in both countries, as a vegetarian, though both Madrid and Lisbon have vegetarian buffet restaurants like this one: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Sh.....Terra-Lisb
I mostly ended up eating eggs and potatoes in both countries. If you don't eat eggs it will be extremely difficult. Probably best to hit up local supermarkets and buy your own food before going to smaller towns and locales.

7 years ago

Joy

Veteran

We took our sons to Spain for a week as teens. They were too young to go to the tapas bars and did not want to wait until late to eat. The eating may be hard with children. Also, it is the custom for everything to close up in the afternoon. Plan to go back and relax at the hotel. We liked the royal palace in Madrid and we're lucky enough to be there for the elaborate changing of the guard, complete with horses and cannon fire.
You may be surprised that the children like the art. Mine could not get enough.

7 years ago

Elle

Veteran

You might think about going to Barcelona. The Gaudi houses and Park Guell are so unusual that you will probably all enjoy them. There are two public markets that are worth seeing. Plus there are beaches if you need to relax. We ate mostly vegetarian tapas with some seafood but Spain, in general, has very late dining house - with tapas at 8pm or later and an early dinner would be 9:30pm. I wouldn't assume that children wouldn't like art - mine did in small doses.

We also went to Madrid, Seville, and Grenada (Alhambra is amazing) - all via train. But we were two adults - no kids.

Have a great trip!

7 years ago

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

I am leaving for Spain on Saturday with my daughter. She is 17, and generally very flexible as to activities, but she is vegan, which I expect to be problematic in Spain. We also both like to eat dinner early. I am hoping that having a rental apartment will make it easier to eat at our preferred times, though I have no intention of cooking.

We are renting an apartment in Malaga, and planning to do a bunch of long day trips. I am likely going to rent a car, but have not committed to it yet. On our list, but will not all fit in since it's only a week, are: Granada, Sevilla, Cordoba, Tangier, Marbella and Nerja.

If she were younger, I would probably have stayed at a beach resort to have that as the end of the day relax option.

If any of this sounds interesting to you, message me after the 13th and I will fill you in on how it went.

7 years ago

Angie

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We went to Barcelona in April, which was a great time of year. The siesta times are HECTIC though. UmmLila is dead right to have rented an apartment if eating early is your thing. It's hard to be a vegetarian there - and a vegan even harder. But easy if you eat seafood - which I do.

7 years ago

Joy

Veteran

About renting a car. Think twice if you are going to a large city. We had a rental car that we picked up at the airport. Even though all of us had studied Spanish, the traffic signs made no sense. We had no idea if we were on a one way road or what. We parked that car and ended up taking trains.
In Madrid, it is a sort of free-for-all with lots of honking. Below our hotel room we watched six lanes merge into 2. Crazy and lots of close calls.

7 years ago

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

thanks Joy

7 years ago

Jane

Veteran

Sounds exciting! Seville, wonderfully elegant and outside there is an amazing place where there are red caves and excavations. I will find the name. Barcelona, good fun and young and vibrant. Amazing Gaudi architecture.

7 years ago

RobinF

Veteran

We spent a day in Valencia and really liked it. There is a great indoor market and best for kids, a long park through the middle of the city. At one end of the park is a science museum and at the other is a zoo. We didn't see the zoo but it is supposed to be a really good one. We were also in Barcelona and loved it but it might be harder with kids.

7 years ago

Anonymous

While we were in Barcelona, we took a day trip out to a pretty beach town, Sitges. It was an easy train ride from the Praia de Gracia station in Barcelona. It's a relaxing place to spend the day. The kids can run around on the beach, you can wander around the small, very walkable town, and have a meal or snack along the beachfront. There are some nice small shops, too, and good spots for ice cream!

7 years ago

ClaraT

Veteran

It might be helpful for you to view these comments: http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....-barcelona
I *loved* Barcelona and agree with the comments of Xtabay and Jane. (Gaudi and beaches for the win with the kids). You can take the lovely Montjuïc cable car from the beach and see the Fundació Joan Miró (a small museum with a great small cafe)(or just eat at the top of the cable car ride for a beautiful view). If everyone is game, it is a sweet walk down through the gardens past the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya to the metro station.
Food-wise, there is tons of fresh fruit and fresh fruit juice for snacking. You do have options other than ham sandwiches.
We loved our "free walking tour" of the Gothic quarter of Barcelona--super funny energetic guide (too long for a 5 year old I think; my 15-year-old loved it). (Google "free walking tour Barcelona".)

7 years ago

elpgal

Veteran

Arghh! We had settled on Marid and the south of Spain for a few days except I realized that our trip would coincide with the Easter celebrations. Turns out the southern parts will be packed and it will be difficult to find accommodations, visit Alhambra or even get around town. We are shelving this for a different time of the year.

7 years ago

Anonymous

If you want to visit the Alhambra, be sure and make your reservations ahead of time on line, otherwise you run the risk of not being able to get in. (The web site is https://www.alhambradegranada......etsale.asp) We made ours about 3 or 4 months before we went there. It is a VERY special place, and well worth spending a whole day there. I'd love to go back and see it at night.

Good luck with your travel plans!

7 years ago

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