Help planing trip with teens France, Spain,Italy summer 2012
 

Our family of 4 (kids14 and 12 yrs old) is planning a trip to Europe for a month from end of June to end of July. Its the kids first trip to Europe. My husband and I have been several times but never to Spain so we definitely want to go there. My top priority's are Granada, Barcelona Madrid and Toledo.
In France I have family in Paris so we want to go there at least a week.(Must go see Parc Asterix for 12 yr old) My husbands family in Rome and South of Italy are hoping we will go there too. Can we fit this in? Is this CRAZY? we really like to SEE a place, not 1 night per city types. I was thinking of flying into Madrid and out of Paris, what to do in the middle is the question. Suggestions would be great. This being my kids first time I want them to see some of the major sights. We love food, culture, Architecture, Nature .
Thanks.

I suppose it is not crazy to just fly to the 3 areas you want to see - you do have enough time. I'd reverse it though and fly into Paris so that you can do a solid week without traveling around, see your family, get on Europe time. Then fly to Madrid and do a circuit for 2 weeks, ending in Barcelona. Fly from BCN to Rome and stay there for a week.

But since your kids are at that great age for traveling, what about making this first trip a month in just France & Spain and promise the Italian relatives that you'll see them next year. Italy all on its own makes for a wonderful 2-4 week trip, depending on next year's schedule. You'll also be able to concentrate more on France/Spain - maybe the week in Paris, then drive South seeing other things for 7-10 days, ending in Barcelona. After that you have another 10-14 days to see the 4 cities you want, ending in Madrid.

Maybe others can do multiple cities/countries/languages - but for us it starts to run together if we can't focus on the history of only 1 or 2 countries at a time. We seem to get much more out of a single country stay per trip.

You need to factor in that at the end of July it is going to be VERY hot in Spain and Italy. So as much as you want to expose your kids to cultural sightseeing, I would go easy on it.

Were it me attempting this trip, I would spend at least 15 days in Spain to get done all the sightseeing you've lined up without collapsing. Then fly to Italy and simply go to the family and just CHILL. Let the family show the kids the local history and culture. Everybody should just have fun, eating the great food, swimming where you can. You will see plenty of art and monuments without even trying. Don't push it unless the kids beg for it.

Then go to Paris and the Parc Asterix and have a great finale.

I was thinking of Spain first for exactly that reason (July heat) So, good point Zeppole. AtlTravlr I tend to agree with you as to try just two countries, I will feel out how that would go over with the family! Also flying from Barcelona to Paris or Rome (depending what we decide)sounds great. But in Spain what would be a good itinerary? I guess for 2 weeks starting in Madrid. We were considering a car for part of the trip since we are 4 I think it would be cheaper than by train. We also like to rent apartments since we feel more part of the city that way and can save some money by eating a few meals there.So if you have ideas about any of this please let me know.

Spain - esp southern Spain in July will be absolutely hellish. Days are often more than 100 degrees - for long periods of time. So if you go there (we love Andalusia - but go in late April for nice weather) plan your trip to allow for the incredible heat in the middle of the day. Also - if you are headed to Granada and Cordoba definitely don't miss Seville - which IMHO has more to see than either one.

To see anything much of Spain will require a full 2 weeks - so you might do 5 or 6 days with family in Paris and the same in Italy. But recognize that in those cases what you see will be very limited - and mainly family-focused.

I have to disagree with the comment that your family will inevitably behave like somebody else's family. Just doesn't seem to have any basis in reality. Relatives often do more to show visiting family the cultural highlights of their region than you can discover on your own, even with guidebooks. Italian families can be very keen to be tour guides. When I lived in NYC, I took visiting relatives all over town.

It doesn't change my advice that if you have an ambitious cultural sightseeing agenda for Spain that you don't plan to follow it up with one in southern Italy. But there is no truth to a generalization that visiting family abroad means what you see of the foreign country will be limited.

For what it's worth, I found Sevilla far less interesting than Cordoba and the Alhambra. And when I was in Sevilla in late April, it was broiling, in the 90s, and hellish. Plenty of people travel to Spain in the heat and get a lot out of it, including Madrid. Attitude as well as planning has something to do with it.

aricr,

I meant to add that I think your idea of apartment rentals is the right one, especially when it comes to meals, because the Spanish dinner hour for restaurant service is extremely late in the evening -- 9pm is really the earliest, and it is more commonly later than that. An apartment will also be larger and more space, and a nice place for some downtime away from the heat provided they are air-conditioned.

As for itinerary, access to Toledo is easy by train from Madrid, and the high speed train from Madrid goes to Cordoba. But good and comfortable public transportation connections to the Alhambra -- which I think is the queen of Spanish sights -- are problematic, so I think a car comes in very handy there.

Thanks for your imput it's very appreciated, I have to talk with my family about maybe not going to Italy this trip and then re evaluate. I'll re post when I have that figured out.
Thanks again.

aricr,

i might make the other decision, and jettison spain [at least Madrid and andalucia] because of the heat in July.

fly into Barcelona [desireable because of the sea] and explore, then fly to the south of Italy to visit your rellies. follow this by a trip to Rome [A/C a must] and end in Paris. Parc Asterix is great - our kids loved it when they were about the same age as yours are now.

Given the time of year, IMHO that's probably as much as you could comfortably achieve.