tulip07

My husband and I are planning a trip to Spain - he is going to Madrid for work and we will join him before or after his work trip.

So far we are thinking about being there for about 8-10 days either about Feb 25 - Mar 6 or from about Mar 10 - 20. We will be going with our kids - 8 year old twin boys. We are thinking of either doing

Option 1:
Madrid with a day trip to Toledo - about 3 days
Seville, Granada - about 3 days
Barcelona - about 3 days

or Option 2:
Madrid - 3 days (day trip to Toledo)
Barcelona - 3 days
Rome - 3 days

So far everything is just "ideas". Our dilemma is mainly because we have young kids travelling with us. What is a good plan to visit Spain with kids, making sure that we are enjoying the culture, while making sure the kids have something fun to hold their interests and enjoy the country as well.

Also are there any festivals or events during these time frames that we can include in our trip and experience with the children?

Please help!!

Robert2533

You will be too early for Holy Week, so we'll have to consider what the children are interested in. Any ideas?

Bedar

I would do option #1 but substitute Valencia for Barcelona. The big Fallas Festival takes place around March 19. The kids, and you, would really enjoy that.

kimhe

Las Fallas goes on in Valencia March 15-19, should be great fun for all ages: http://www.spanish-fiestas.com/festivals/las-fallas/

More about cutting edge Valencia with the Science Park etc etc. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/de...eak-guide.html
http://www.theguardian.com/travel/20...lete-itinerary

And anything can happen in the main food market ;-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ds8ryWd5aFw

Robert2533

Fallas happens during the day, so you don't have to worry about keeping the children out late at night as with Semana Santa, Holy Week.

tulip07

Thank you so much for the suggestions about Valencia. I will research that further - the Las Fallas looks like a fun festival.

To answer the question about what the kids like - I think they are typical boys, they probably would like to walk less and do more. See less, touch or feel more. They haven't traveled to Europe yet (I have barely visited London myself) so this is a completely new experience and we don't know what to expect from them yet.

We along with the kids plan to learn basic Spanish in the next few months as something that will keep them excited for the trip and also learn something new from this experience.

I hope that help you a little bit in helping us with our itinerary .

Thanks again!

bilboburgler

bumped into this website recently

http://www.gomadrid.com/activity/children/

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTop...23-Madrid.html

http://flyanddine.boardingarea.com/g...ies-in-madrid/

Christina

Given you are in Spain and your entire trip isn't that long, I wouldn't even consider option 2, going to Rome for a couple days instead of staying in Spain. Especially with two small children.

kimhe

In Barcelona, you could take the Teleferic (cable car) up to the castell at the top of Montjuich almost right in the city center. The castell has got a dramatic history, and there are excellent views of both the city and the sea from up here: http://www.telefericdemontjuic.cat/en/
The Castell: http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/wv3/...-montjuic.html

Carrer Montcada, just behind the Gothic Santa Maria del Mar Church in the medieval and vibrant Born district, was the most important street in the city from the 12th century on. You'll find some great old mansions and tapas places here that could be great fun for both kids and grown ups alike: http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/wv3/...-montcada.html

Three excellent and very different tapas bars within 20 meters at the start of Carrer Montcada:
Xampanyet: http://www.worldsbestbars.com/bar/ba...r/el-xampanyet
Tapeo: http://www.tapeoborn.cat/
Euskal Etxea (serves Basque pintxos): http://www.euskaletxeataberna.com/co...etxea/?l=en_en

About the medieval and vibrant El Born: http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.c...s/el-born.html

And perhaps go and see the archeological site of Barcelona anno 1700 in El Born Cultural Center, 200 meters from Carrer Montcada: http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/wv3/...-cultural.html
http://elborncentrecultural.barcelona.cat/

The Museo de Xocolata is also very close to El Born:
http://www.museuxocolata.cat/?lang=en
http://www.barcelona.de/en/barcelona...te-museum.html

The Aquarium is also in Port Vell close to El Born: http://www.aquariumbcn.com/?lang=en

Close by you also find the Plaça del Rei where queen Isabella and king Ferdinand is believed to have greeted Columbus when he returned after the "discovery" of America: http://www.aviewoncities.com/barcelona/placadelrei.htm
Here is also a very interesting History museum with excavations of the more than 2000 year old Roman city Barcino: http://www.fodors.com/world/europe/s...-ciutat-164627

And you could take both a train, a tram and a funicular up to the city's famous and old world Tibidabo amusement park: http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.c...barcelona.html
http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/wv3/en/page/618/.html

And a very good idea to learn some Spanish before you go, will for sure add much to your experiences!

tulip07

Given all the awesome suggestions now I have given up the idea of going to Rome and instead we are down to these two options:

Madrid (day trip to Toledo) - 3 days
Barcelona - 3 days
Valencia - 3 days (during Las Fallas festival)

Or

Madrid (day trip to Toledo) - 3 days
Seville, Granada - 3 days
Valencia - 3 days (during Las Fallas festival)

I wish we had more days because I hate that we have to choose between Barcelona and Seville/Granada.

If you had to make a choice, which one would you choose? What is a better or more practical option with kids?

tulip07

And thank you so much for all the links and suggestions! I am making note of everything and will make a detailed plan in the next few days.

They are very very helpful!!

PalenQ

Are you going by train or car? for cities trains make sense as cars are rather useless and Spanish trains are not as good as the best anywhere on main lines to those cities, including Toledo.

www.renfe.com is the Spanish Railways site - you can get nifty discounted tickets if booked well in advance - check these sites for lots of great ideas for Spanish trains - www.seat61.com - good info on discounted tickets; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com for general info.

Trains go up to nearly 200 mph - driving would take much much longer and the scenery in between say Madrid and Seville or Barcelona IME is nothing great.

Seville area will have warmer weather - Madrid at high elevation can be rather cool then.

If you want to give kids a real experience take the overnight train that I believe still runs between Seville and Barcelona - a Hotel Train with some private compartments even with WC and shower - bring your own food aboard or dine in the luxurious dining car.

Bedar

Spain is glorious all over, but were I to choose, I'd go for Seville and Granada over Barcelona. And, the south, Andalucia, will be warmer.

tulip07

Yes PalenQ - we plan to travel between cities in trains. We think we will travel within Madrid and Barcelona (if we go) by cabs/uber. And where necessary we will get a rental car. We are considering the night train as well. Thanks for bringing that up!

Thanks Bedar - I want to incorporate Seville and Granada as well! Do you have any suggestions on what we can visit with children in these cities?

About night trains and train schedules in general - I went to many websites regarding buying or looking at train schedules but it seems like we cannot buy this ahead of time? Is that true? Am I missing something? Or is the night train from Seville (or is it from Granada) to Barcelona not available anymore?

kimhe

<they probably would like to walk less and do more. See less, touch or feel more>

Then Barcelona miles before Sevilla/Granada. For most people Sevilla and Granada are typically walk much, see much cities. Barcelona is more of a cutting edge (and medieval) loads of fun big city (and easy to travel from Barcelona to both Valencia and Madrid).

Granada with kids (most of the suggestions are tens of miles out of town or much walking): http://www.granadaspain.co.uk/ten-th...ds-in-granada/

Sevilla with kids, some good suggestions here: http://devoursevillefoodtours.com/10...lle-with-kids/

chapla

I think that Toledo holds little interest for 8 year olds. I suggest Segovia-they will love the castle,full of armored figures and they will enjoy the walk up to the top of the castles.The aqueduct should also hold their interest.
In Madrid and Barcelona I would take advantage of the on/off tour bus.

Bedar

No where in Spain is child-centric. It is not Orlando. In Seville I would take them to see Columbus's tomb in the cathedral, the bullring, and a trip on the river. Plus all the other attractions. If you had time, to Jerez to see the riding school, perhaps to a bull ranch, but you don't have time for those. In Granada, beyond the Alhambra, a visit to the tombs of Ferdinand and Isabella in the cathedral and the Albaicin district. You might like to take them to an ancient pottery, Fajalauza, to see the famous ceramics being made. If they've never seen snow, a trip to the Sierra Nevada might be in order.
Yes, Barcelona is a big city, but I fail to see how something "cutting edge" would attract 8 yr olds. It won't be beach weather so that's out. You could drag them around to all the Gaudi stuff. The Sagrada Familia church, at least, should be interesting. So, beyond trying not to bump into all the tourists, including cruise people, all the pickpockets, and drug dealers, I don't see much to do for them. Suppose this would be giving them an "urban experience".

PalenQ

Are bullfights family fare?

Bedar

Who mentioned bullfights ? Are you high again ? Go replay the MI football games. Know you like that violence. Corridas and flamenco are a part of Spanish culture, so get over it or stay in Amsterdam.

Christina

I don't think train schedules are always loaded this far ahead of time, they seem to do them by quarters (and not just in Spain). But if you just can't find an overnight train and no other runs, I think the problem is there aren't any. YOu can certainly see train schedules on bahn.de for next March, however, but of course you wouldn't buy them on that website for Spain. I think they will have the schedules for March up on Renfe in December sometime, they have them through February now.

The high speed train between Seville and Barcelona takes less than 6 hours, so don't know why you'd want to spend so much time at it or pay for a sleeping car. It made more sense before they had the high speed line to Barcelona from Madrid. There is no overnight train there AFAIK, usually they do away with those lines when they don't make sense any more due to high speed trains. The only overnight routes you see will involve leaving Seville in the evening and going to Madrid or Zaragosa, for example, then waiting all night until early the next morning to catch a train to Barcelona. All night in a train station.