Spain with Kid?
 

My husband and I are considering taking our six year old daughter to Madrid in August. She travels pretty well; I took her to Sweden and Poland last year. However, we would stay in a hotel in Madrid, not with friends. Anyone know of any kid friendly hotels within walking distance of interesting things and food?

topping...

I wouldn't do Madrid in August with a smaller child - but you don;t say how old.

It's VERY hot with a big city atmosphere (loud, dirty with a lot of late night revellers - clubs close at 5am typically so that's when the streets are full of people going home). And it's really too hot during the day to do much that a child would be interested in (the Prado? the Royal Palace?).

For me - a kid belongs at the beach - or the country in the summer - not the center of a boring hot city.

You can do many things with your daughter in Madrid (Retiro Park, Zoo, Amusement Park, eating chocolate and churros..) but I agree absolutely with nytraveler when says Madrid is terribly hot in summer, I wouldn't go there in August and I like Madrid a lot :)

August is a really hot month, but there are people who live there and manage.

What does "kid friendly" mean? Most hotels will supply you with an extra cot if that is what you are looking for (there is usually a supplemental fee) and if they include breakfast, the fare will normally have some things that kids like (cereal and yogurt, fresh fruit, etc).

As for interesting things, I find the Puerta de Sol area to be a good start, but it is loud at night. Maybe finding something near the Prado is a better idea. You will be able to do quite a lot while you are there, but the attractions are not really centralized (except for the museum area where you can do the Prado, the Reina Sofía, and then up to the Thyssen easily). Check a few maps online and see what most interests you all. And remember that you will probably want to use the metro while there, in which case being close to a metro stop is more important than being in the middle of everything.

oh, yes Claire..they manage...that's why every coast in Spain is full of them :))
Seriously, it's not you can't do it, sure you can. It's just is not the most perfect moment to visit Madrid with a little kid.

kenderina- one of my favorite memories of Madrid is walking down the Gran Vía at noon and not seeing anyone on the sidewalk in front of me (about 3 city blocks) because the sun was high and it was really hot. It is sort of abandoned and I thought it was a neat time to be there. I might think differently, though, if I had kids.

That said, where are you from, Frederika? I am from Dallas, TX and the heat in Madrid does not hold a candle (no pun intended) to what we get in Texas.

We stayed in the Best Western Carlos V. The location was great, near Plaza Mayor. We were there with our kids (who were 12 & 14 at the time), but this hotel would definitely be kid friendly for younger kids as well. It was very relaxed and low-key.

Definitely go to Retiro Pack. There's lots to do with a 6 year old there. Bring a picnic lunch and spend a day there.

a google will bring up many options.

if you only have august for vacation.. like many.. you have no option. just understand it will be hot and dress accordingly, and get AC for hotel /apt.

here is one of the websites for you to glance at.

enjoy your precious time.

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

If you're interested in Spain but it doesn't have to be Madrid, you might consider Barcelona instead. It will be a bit cooler and you'll be close to the beaches.

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