momof2girls

I'm planning two weeks in Spain in August 2015 with my partner and two daughters (the girls will be 9 and 14). Having learned from overdoing it on our last Europe visit, I'm seeking a balance of down time and sightseeing. I'm thinking we'll spend a couple of days exploring the urban area we fly into (Madrid seems to have good airfares from Chicago, but family members want to go to Barcelona). Then go to a rented house or apartment (with a pool, if we can afford it), where we can all sleep late and relax, and go on short trips in the surrounding area when we've had enough of sleeping late and swimming. Here are my questions:
1) Madrid or Barcelona, if I have to choose one?
2) Is there an area I should aim for, for the second part of the trip, which we can use as a place for relaxing and a home base for interesting sightseeing? I'm hoping to find a house or apartment in a town where we can go for walks, shop for our food at a local market, and relax. Also a place that is close enough to interesting things so we can see them on day trips. Will it be necessary to rent a car for this second phase of the trip?
I've never been to Spain, and I've started looking at postings and travel guides, but I'm lost because I don't yet know what areas to focus on. Any advice would be appreciated.
Thank you!

kimhe

August in Madrid is extremely! hot, so I would suggest Barcelona. Both are fabulous and very different big cities. Barcelona is both medieval, Gothic and very modernistic, a world of fun and experiences for people of all ages: http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/

For the second leg of your trip, I suggest plain fantastic Belle Epoque San Sebastián on the Atlantic coast, recently voted #5 city in the world by Condé Nast Traveler. Fly to close by Bilbao from Barcelona in 90 minutes, or go by train in some 5 hours. San Sebastián is the food capital of Spain if not all of Europe, European capital of culture 2016 and some of the finest city beaches on the continent: http://www.sansebastianturismo.com/en/

CNN, "The world's best cities are...": http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/16/tr...er-top-cities/

San Sebastián beaches: http://www.sansebastian.co.uk/beaches/

Sassafrass

Kimhe is right on, exactly what I was thinking.

momof2girls

Thank you! I was thinking of the Atlantic coast, this helps me focus. Any suggestions on what to do in the area besides eating and beaches?

Robert2533

What are you interested in? Culture is huge, but the area is great for being outdoors.

http://tourism.euskadi.net/x65-18805/en/
http://www.asturiaspicosdeeuropa.com

kimhe

Thinking of the 9 and 14 years olds, San Sebastián is - as all of Spain - very child-friendly, lots of kids out and about all day and long into the night.

In San Sebastián you have the quite impressive Aquarium and the old world and extremely charming fun fair up at Monte Igueldo in the western part of town. The funicular up this hill is an event in itself.

- The Aquarium: http://aquariumss.com/
- The Fun Fair up at Monte Igueldo, with spectacular views of the city, the bay and the rugged coast: http://www.monteigueldo.es/en/index_en.php
- The funicular: http://wonderfulwanderings.com/monte-igueldo/

Lots of organized tours, including boat trips along the wonderful coast: http://www.timeout.com/barcelona/tra...-san-sebastian

I recommend the Sam Telmo Museum, dedicated to Basque culture and history: http://www.santelmomuseoa.com/index.php?lang=en

I could go on and on about my favourite city on the planet since the late 80's, also famous for some of the oldest and most prestigious film and jazz festivals in Europe, but I leave you with this impression: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2zTb7Eg9Lk

ribeirasacra

Madrid could be too hot and Barcelona certainly very very busy.
If the children and you are the outdoor types then The Picos is a good suggestion.
Unfortunately it is not in English...I get very frustrated for visitors on this point.
http://www.picosdeeuropa.com/index.asp?ZN=2
Beaches in Asturias
http://asturplaya.es/blog/
UK Newspaper article
http://www.theguardian.com/travel/20...ain-food-drink

sandralist

Eating and beaches is pretty much the main attraction of San Sebastian and much of that area. The "Fun Fair" up in Monte Igueldo is a kiddie park which is so retro and weentsy it is kind of amusing, but hardly a destination. I skipped the aquarium in San Sebastian, but I doubt your kids will spend a full hour there.

As much as I have enjoyed San Sebastian (I would be happy to live there), with kids your age I would go to area of greater cultural density, and I think I might pick the southernnost area of Galicia where it is possible to visit both Portugal and Spain. That is to say that I would put myself somewhere between Pontevedra (Spain) and Viana do Castelo (Portugal).

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/portugal...ana-do-castelo

http://www.galiciaguide.com/Pontevedra-index.html

There are regular non-stop flights from Barcelona to Vigo, near Pontevedra and the border with Portugal.

I would try very hard to find a rental that had good access to an interesting town where I and my family could be part of the night life of the town. One of the outstanding features of Spanish life is the very, very long period of downtime in the middle of the day, especially in summer, when visiting towns is hardly enjoyable at all, no matter how pretty -- but if you visit them in the evening, they are exceptionally enjoyable and filled with life. So I think your plan to sleep in and swim is a good one, but you have to remember how very late in the day the real fun begins.

kimhe

In mid August San Sebastian celebrates Aste Nagusia/Semana Grande/Big Week. An week long fiesta dedicated to music, song, dance, food and the proud Basque culture in general.
http://tourism.euskadi.net/en/agenda.../x65-12375/en/

Spectacular fireworks at the La Concha bay every night at 10.45, some of the best pyrotechnic teams in the world come here: http://www.lacunza.com/events/intern...ompetition.php

And here's info about the Aste Nagusia in close by Bilbao the following week. Gives more detailed info about what kind of cultural activities etc: http://www.euskoguide.com/basque-cul...na-grande.html

I use to take first time visitors to the area to lunch in pictoresque Donibane/San Juan just east of San Sebastian. You can walk here in about two hours over the Monte Ulia hill in the eastern end of town and along the beautiful coastline. You finish with a 60 meters boat-trip from San Pedro over to Donibane/San Juan. The boat leaves all the time and is a fine end to a great, little walk. http://www.euroresidentes.com/eurore...s/san-juan.htm

Several excellent seafront restaurants in Donibane, some of them with bargain lunch deals. A couple of the best known:
http://www.restaurantetxulotxo.com/index.html
http://www.casacamara.com/

We use to take the bus from Donibane back to San Sebastian . Leaves every hour and takes some 20-25 minutes.

Of course fabulous food shops and markets in food crazy San Sebastián. La Bretxa is the oldest and most famous: http://www.hlondres.com/en/concierge...-market-bretxa

Things to do with children in San Sebastian: http://www.sansebastianturismo.com/e...-with-children

sandralist

I think it is worth gong to Tripadvisor and looking up reviews of these pay attractions in San Sebastian for children and see if you think your kids will get anything out of them and whether you want to spend your time and money traveling doing these generic entertainments.

If you click on kimhe's name you will see that literally thousands of his posts are exclusively devoted to encouraging people to visit San Sebastian and San Sebastian alone (occasionally Barcelona). Like I said, I would be happy to live in San Sebastian, but Spain is filled with wonderful destinations of great cultural interest beyond surfing and being food crazy. If you worried your last trip was too much go-go and not enough downtown, I wouldn't necessarily absolutely swing the pendulum the other way. San Sebastian is a beach resort town and foodie destination that works hard to draw the tourists year round with festivals because, for a beach town, it has a very poor climate.

If you want beach and eating for a week, it is great and maybe the other things that kimhe has provided are everything you think will be enough and more for a great family vacation. But whatever the escalation, San Sebastian simply can;t hold a candle to much of what the rest of historic Spain offers when it comes to unique cultural treasures.

kimhe

<If you click on kimhe's name you will see that literally thousands of his posts are exclusively devoted to encouraging people to visit San Sebastian and San Sebastian alone (occasionally Barcelona)>

San Sebastián is a favourite since the late 80's (studied and lived here), but even sandralist should know that "thousand" of my posts are encouraging people to visit other of my favourites such as Bilbao, Getaria, Pamplona, Madrid, Alcalá de Henares, Córdoba, Sevilla, Cádiz, Málaga, Antequera, Nerja, Axarquía in general, Alhama de Granada, Las Alpujarras, the Pyrenees etc. etc. according to people's interests and likes.

and a bit of flamenco...

ribeirasacra

only a bit though ;-)
Kimhe. Nothing about the North coast except The Basque country???
I would disagree with the suggestion for Galicia. That part of eh world gets very very busy during August. Hardly anything for kids to do except beach and more beach. Unless they are ugly interested in history.

kimhe

ribeira,

I would very much recommend the rest of the North coast, but I've still not made it west of Llanes and as such got no first hand info. Galicia has been high on my list for years, but all this flamenco seems to come in the way all the time...

But fabulous Rocío Molina was given free hands and months to develop her Cuando las Piedras Vuelen by the Teatro Laboral in Gijón a couple of years ago, and she seems to have won a big crowd up here. So I may be at least approaching Galicia in not so distant future ;-) http://www.sadlerswells.com/screen/video/679828817001#

nytraveler

Spain - esp southern Spain - is incredibly hot in August In the south 120 degrees happens every summer. If I were you I would visit Barcelona and then rent a house on the northern Atlatic coast (San Sebastian or similar), which is much cooler - but plenty warm enough for summer beaches/swimming.

Actually the Andalusia area in the south is IMHO by far the most interesting - but just should not be contemplated in the summer due to the truly awful heat.

ribeirasacra

I love flamenco, the misses less so. I am also strangely attracted to banda de gaitas too.
Now a fusion with Gaitas and Flamenco what would that be like?
I have seen Flamenco in the Isle of Wight UK so it travel everywhere! But not Galicia ;-(

SS is is it not more on the Golfo de Vizcaya (Bay of Biscay)?

kimhe

Gaitas and flamenco, could it perhaps be something in this direction? Rocio Molina in 2006 dancing to a popular Verdiales band (from 3.50): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ct4snqKGdZY

She's anything but afraid of experiments. First time I saw here, in Antequera in 2007, the only music accompanying her dance and the cante a palo seco was a gaita gastoreña: http://elpais.com/diario/2007/09/09/...46_850215.html

lincasanova

I would definitely get a car for the northern Spain portion to be able to either rent a casa rural ( www.toprural.com) .. and also have the freedom of visiting the small towns, their festivals and the fabulous beaches/ surrounding mountains.. Plenty to do and see all over Spain but hopefully you will have a calmer atmosphere and less heat up North than anywhere around the crowded, expensive Med in August.

ribeirasacra

kimhe. Thank you for the links
For anyone who dose not know Toprual is part of Trip Advisor. So the same can be said about the reviews It seems to have lost it's "direction" after the takeover too.

momof2girls

Thanks everyone. I'm busy researching your suggestions.