Hello all! We want to take our daughter on her first trip to Europe and she is interested in Spain...as we are! I would love to go to Barcelona and really feel she would enjoy the Gaudi architecture. I am also interested in perhaps spending some time in the coast as well. Our travel style is to typically stay put in one or two places and really soak in the the area we have chosen. I get dizzy when I see all these itineraries that include 2 nights here, 3 nights there etc. Plus with a child I feel that's too much packing up and going. We would like to spend 10-14 days and am looking for some guidance. I want to soak up the culture...see sights but also relax and enjoy our time away as a family. We are by no means wealthy...I am a Social Worker for heaven's sake...lol...so are budget minded. I love the idea of renting apartments in neighborhoods and being near the center of attractions, shopping etc. The guidance I seek is whether to stay in Barcelona a few days and then take a train to a nearby coastal area/town for a week or so...and if so ..where to begin selecting this idyllic Spanish town I have in my head! Lol Or...do we base ourselves in Barcelona with a 9 yo?!? Or of course we can just go to some ideal coastal area and stay put and do some day trips .. ughh...so overwhelming yet so exciting! Any thoughts on the best way to introduce a European vacation to Spain with my little one? Thank you!

Hi, welcome to Fodors, as a new poster you will find you have some access restrictions for the first day or five. Don't panic, just come back and ask a bunch of questions when you've had a bunch of answers.

1) Barcelona is a port, so it is on the coast and you can swim and go on the beach there.
2) Barcelona is on a slow coast train line that goes mainly north along the coast to cool places like Girona. There is some good swimming along the way and some pretty towns here.
3) The whole apartment/AirBnB thing in Barcelona is a bit sticky at the moment. So if you go this way try and find out if the place they are renting is legal. I'm not sure how to advise, others will, I'm sure. https://theculturetrip.com/europe/sp...-in-catalonia/ gives you an idea of opportunities. For me, I would stay out of town and commute in to see the sights. What you will find is June is becoming high season and prices go up, but out of Barcelona prices are still low.
4) The most popular beaches and closest beaches south of Barcelona by train are Gavamar, Castelldefels, Garraf and Sitges. The train line for beaches south of Barcelona is R2 or R2 Sud (R2 South) Take these lines from stations Barcelona Sants, Barcelona Passeig de Gracia or Barcelona Estacio de Francia
5) https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2...pain-catalonia


In terms of keeping costs down a flat offers a real saving but you will also find lunches during the working week that turn in at E12/10 two or three courses with wine is possible, just not in tourist-town.

With 10-14 days I would consider renting an apartment in Barcelona for a week and then maybe taking a train to somewhere pretty near by like Castelldefels, Sitges, etc. (only around 20 minutes by train) if you want to stay in the Barcelona area. Another really nice beach town is Roses (in the direction towards France) which is about 2 hours or so by bus or train. June will be beautiful anywhere along the coast. Roses is very family friendly with a shallow wide beach great board walk and lots of pedestrian areas and restaurants, and you could also make a trip up into the hills to see the Dali museum-easy to do by bus or taxi.

But you might also look at whether you can create an open jaw flight (coming into one place and departing from another) and essentially spend 1 week in 2 places like Barcelona/Madrid or some other combination depending on where you will be coming from.

And finally, last but not least, you might even consider taking your trans Atlantic flight in and out of Barcelona but then catching a flight transfer on your way in to somewhere else like Seville-spend 5-6 days there and then fly back to Barcelona to finish with a week in Barcelona.

In Barcelona we like the Eixample neighborhood and also the Vila de Gràcia neighborhoods. They both essentially sit behind the much more touristy Gothic quarter. Gracia is likely to be a bit cheaper but Eixample will put you more in the middle of all the beautiful architectural neighborhoods.

Another vote for Barcelona and a town on the Costa Brava. Get the Michelin Green Guide. And even though I moved around more than you would like, you might find some useful ideas in my trip report -- the places I saw in and around that area could easily have been seen with just two bases.
Four Awesome Weeks in the North of Spain and Catalunya

BTW, I personally wouldn't say that Andalusia is a "more real Spanish experience" than Catalunya -- Spain is a country made of multiple areas that were once separate and distinct kingdoms / realms. JMO.

Thank you for your wonderful and thoughtful reply! I have been interested in the Eixample area also and will focus my search there. As for the other areas I will now focus on the Costs Bravo area and look further into the towns you suggested. Thank you so much!

Eixample is a large area. If you end up looking there personally I'd want to be at the end closer to Placa Catalunya. OTOH the Gothic quarter is nice. It'll be closer to the beach and most of the points of interest.

Look for a hostal to keep things affordable.