Natlove007

Flight from the states on April 16th to Madrid.. I have two kids so I booked the entire time at the Novotel hotel because they have a pool... Kids love the pool..
I would love some inexpensive day trip ideas. The kids are pretty good with traveling. I would love to visit Barcelona or Morocco if possible...
Is it better to book tours online or wait until we get there.
I would love some itinery ideas for our nine days.. It's our first trip to Europe and we are super excited...!

monica71

I would suggest a trip down to Seville via the high speed train. Barcelona and Morocco are too far ... You won't be able to do a day trip.

monica71

Here are a few other options. Also, I would do an overnight in Seville if possible. it's a 2 1/2 train ride and might be worth a longer stay.

El Escorial, a gorgeous monastery. Valle de los Caidos, which is very close, may be interesting as an example of fascist architecture and symbolism.

2. Toledo - a medieval city with a rich Moorish and Jewish heritage.

3. Avila - a walled medieval city. Can easily be combined with El Escorial.

4. Segovia.

ribeirasacra

Try this place
http://www.parquewarner.com/

librarychica85

I actually wouldn't recommend El Escorial for children. I know the original poster had said her children were good with traveling but I really don't think there's much enjoyment to be had by making a trip there. It's not like Versailles that offers younger visitors the enjoyment of the gardens and maze. It it's still in operation (not sure on this) I would recommend taking the tren de la fresa (strawberry train) to Aranjuez which is site of a stunning palace of the Spanish monarchy, and does have gardens. Check out Renfe (Spain's train system) for more details. I believe it departs from the Atocha station which is in the city center area.

Parque del Retiro would be a great spot for younger children, especially in April when I feel Madrid is at its prettiest.

There is also a cable car-teleferico Madrid. Here's their website: http://www.teleferico.com/

I def. agree with Monica about making at least an overnight to Sevilla. It's too gorgeous and fascinating of a city to only visit for a couple of hours.

HTH!

traveltalesfromtheredheadedtraveler.blogspot.com/
(My travel writing blog!)

librarychica85

Sorry, you asked more for day trip ideas. Segovia would also be a great spot, especially if your eldest is a girl and loves anything Disney princess related (Segovia's famed palace inspired Walt Disney to recreate it in his signature Disney emblem).

Natlove007

Wow! Everything sounds great! My daughter is excited about Segovia because she is into Disney a lot.. We are definitely interested in Seville.. Well it seems that my hotel booking was not processed so I guess that's a blessing because now we are able to move around. but how should we do travel between Seville and Segovia from Madrid.. I definitely want to see Toledo..
We arrive in Madrid on the Morning of the 17.. I'm thinking we should rest and stay bin Madrid for at least a day but then which city first??

Thanks in advance to everyone for all you suggestions.. We really appreciate it,

cova

Which Novotel have you booked? If it is the one, just off the N-1 and Sanchinarro, think about changing it. Public transportation is quite bad, only buses and traffic jams. It is not bad located when you have to work on places along the N-1, but for a visit to Madrid ... specially with young children ...

I would rethink it and find someplace in town, even forgetting about the swimming pool. Also weather can be iffy for swimming on those dates, it could be hot or it could be cold, not like in summer.

Bye now, Cova

Natlove007

Cova, I am so annoyed right now because it seems the reservation is set at that hotel and if I cancel I loose the money...I chose that hotel because where I read reviews were good.. Now that I have booked it seems I'm seeing not so good reviews.. What do I do?? I booked with way too much excitement but now it's down down down...

MFNYC

Unfortunately, most hotels with pools, tend to be on the outskirts of European cities. There are some centrally located in Madrid, but will be pricier. Sometimes the saving is not as good as it may appear because of cab fares, inconveniences and time spent traveling back and forth.

That being said, how much do you loose if you cancel? The entire amount or just a day? Is one of the other Novotels in a better location? Maybe you can change the reservation that way. It would be worth investigating. Maybe if you call and explain your dilemma, they will waive penalties.

On another topic, Retiro Park is great. You should definitely plan a picnic or 2 so the kids can do a little running around. Bring a ball along. We used to travel with a football, so we could take park breaks with the kids and throw the ball around.

Make sure you have a sturdy stroller for those areas with cobble stone streets and sidewalks.

I agree to spend a night or 2 in another area. I haven't been to Seville, but would love to go myself. I love Barcelona, but it's definitely not a day trip. 9 days in Madrid is a lot, so you certainly have plenty of time for some of the day trips mentioned, and possibly a night or 2 elsewhere.

cova

I think that the one in Puente de la Paz could be slightly better than this one. Also, I have friends who live nearby, and they told me that the swimming pool is supposed to be open only in summer. You should check that.

I wondered if you had booked the one in Sanchinarro, because they usually have great rates. It is OK if you are driving, but due to its location, you can forget about coming back for naps or just to rest a bit before going out again. I pass along every day on my way to work, and I really would try not to stay there, specially with kids. Check the street view in Google Maps, with "sanchinarro 15 madrid" ... you will get an idea.

And talking about other things, kids will love the Retiro Park, and also the temple of Debod, an authentic egyptian temple in Madrid. Get the high-speed train from Chamartin to Segovia, it includes almost 20 minutes of tunnel and Segovia is quite nice for a day trip. And if you are in Madrid on a Sunday, think about the steam train of La Poveda, really good fun :
http://www.vapormadrid.com/
And you can get there by metro ...

Bye, Cova

Natlove007

Thank you very much for all your help..

Sassafrass

If at all possible, change your hotels so you can stay a few days in Seville, or on the coast. They have horse drawn carriages in Seville. The kids might enjoy that. They park near the cathedral, so are easy to find.

I think the kids will like Segovia a lot. The castle is small, but lovely. The central plaza is pretty.

It has been awhile since I've been there, so you will have to see if these things are still available.

Retiro Park used to have boats you could rent and row around. You might enjoy that with the kids.

I don't know what time of year they start doing it, but Toledo used to have a little train that went from the central plaza around into the mountains so you got great views of Toldeo at night. It would be worth having dinner in Toledo and doing the train with the kids. It took about 45 minutes.