Our family of 4 (me and him, plus 2 twenty- something kids) is thinking of visiting Barcelona in early July. We have a week or 8 days. Since we will be in the North, suggestions about where to go after the first 3 days in Barcelona would be greatly appreciated. We hear San Sebastian is great for eating, but I have not seen any interim itinerary between Barcelona and SS. Perhaps we should instead head a bit south of Barcelona - Is there a beachy /resort area we could feasibly hit in our timeframe?
Daughter is a Gaudi/art history lover, so Barcelona is non-negotiable!

Your advice, please. And many thanks.

I'd split my time between Barcelona and San Seb. - plenty to do in those locations for the time you have. In San Sebastian besides food, which is beyond amazing, there are other entertainments for your fam. They have a user friendly city wide bike rental and there are 2 long, sandy beaches, one of which is a surfer beach where your children would probably enjoy watching or participating. I know there are nearby places for daytrips - we only stayed 3 nights so spent our time in the city. Have a wonderful time!

San Sebastián is fabulous food, some of the finest city beaches on the continent, beautiful landscapes and a culture people take great pride in etc etc. Fly to Bilbao from Barcelona in one hour with low-fare Vueling. Direct bus from Bilbao airport to San Sebastián in 80 mins.

About San Sebastián in New York Times:
http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/08/07...pain.html?_r=0

Video presentation of San Sebastián, European capital of culture 2016: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUdOeA0GeEg

I would spend more than three days in Barcelona. We had about four, and it wasn't enough. After Barcelona, we went north to La Garrotxa and Costa Brava. It was fabulous.

We stayed in a wonderful old manor home in Santa Pau called Mas Can Batlle for about four days, then moved on to Cadaques (with a stop in Figueres to see the Dali museum) for two nights and then we stayed in Palafreugell further down the coast -- because I had read about the walk between the different towns and beaches, and was very glad that we stayed there as well.

I suppose you can do Barcelona and San Sebastian, but there is plenty to do just in Barcelona and Catalonia. Our vacation was the perfect blend of scenery, architecture, art, and outdoor activity.

Thank you all! I will use your tips to try to plan. Feel free to keep sharing anything else you remember!

We spent 4 days in BCN before hiring a car that took us to Sitges for a lunch stop, 2 nights in Zaragoza, 6 nights in SS, loved it all. Could have spent longer in BCN but it was our second visit...

Plenty to do in BCN esp since your daughter loves Gaudi. Great tapas & beaches too. The promenade along the front is long making it great for walking, cycling, rollerblading, Segway too. Barri Gotic great too for walking and getting lost! A great mix of indoor and outdoor activity...

Beautiful cathedral in Zaragoza and museums. Its city centre is rather compact which is great for sightseeing on foot. We were there during Easter so Semana Santa celebrations added to the colour and atmosphere.

SS is great for walks, cycling, water sport. Great walks up Mt Igeldo and Urgull - panoramic views. Getaria (great seafood) and Bilbao (amazing Guggenheim Museum) very close by - public transport or hire car.

Have fun, Spain is a wonderful country!!