Thinking of a fall trip to Barcelona and elsewhere in spain with young kids - advice?

[twobone]

Hi,

I'm thinking of going to Spain with my wife and two boys (10 and 5).

I think we will start in Barcellona and rent an apartment.

If we stay for 2 weeks, where else should we go while in Spain?

[Christien]

We're planning a similar trip this summer, but without kids. We did our honeymoon on the Costa Del Sol 10 years ago, so we're going back for our 10 year anniversary. I'm not sure I'd want to take kids.

We stayed in a small town about 10 minutes west of Torremolinos. I don't think that area would be much fun for kids. It reminded us of the big beach cities in Florida, like Daytona. The small towns were fun, but lots of walking, much of it uphill, and driving between them. We did day trips to Gibraltar, Seville and a few other places, driving through the mountains, etc. Most of the beaches along the southern coast (at least where we were) aren't great sand - it's very pebbly. We're used to the shores of Lake Huron, which is about as nice a beach as you can get.

When I was 12 my parents took us to Portugal (my sister was 9). I hated it. I remember being really bored, sick of looking at old churches, eating weird food. Of course, I'd love it now. The parts of Spain we saw struck me as being similar. I'm not sure kids would enjoy it. That said, we didn't get to Barcelona, which we'll rectify this time around, so maybe that would have more stuff kids might be interested in.

[Paco Anton]

Barcelona is a great city and there are a lot of places to see there:

- The Sagrada Familia cathedral by Gaudi - Modernist architecture at its best
- The Ramblas - The liveliest place in the city, full of activity (beware of picpockets!!)
- The gothic quarter and the cathedral - old city with narrow streets and alleys
- The modernist architecture along the "Passeig the Gracia"
- The parc Güell - A nice park with modernist furnishings, worth a walk
- The beach - Never been there, but there is a beach in Barcelona proper near the Olympic village
- Soccer!!! - If you like soccer try to catch a game of Barcelona FC to see some of the best soccer in the world and the best player (argentinian Leo Messi)

You can take a day trip and drive the coast to see the small fishing villages (all more tourist oriented than fishing villages now). You can follow the steps of Dali and Picasso in places like Cadaques or Figueras

To the south the coast becomes even more tourist oriented and full of vacationing Germans and British. Worth a visit is the Port Aventura amusements park near Salou. Not Disney quality but probably the best in Southern Europe. You can stay there if you like (as in Disney).

You can also see some old architecture if you go inland, but I cannot provide recommendations. 3 hours away is the small country of Andorra. Great skiing and some shopping (all the country is duty free). Can be a nice adventure for your kids.

Other places worth a visit in Spain are:

- Madrid: Great museums and sighseeing. 2,5 hours by high speed rail
- Toledo: Old medieval city near Madrid
- Seville: Down in the south, amazing buildings and a city with its own character
- Granada: Holds a 15th century palace/fortress ("La Alhambra") which is amazing. the old quarter is great too
- Valencia, Bilbao, San Sebastian, Santiago, ... all cities worth a visit but far from Barcelona

- You could also take a day trip to Southern France. If you can get to Carcasonne it is definitely worth visiting the old walled city. Takes you back to the middle ages

I am from Madrid, so this guide is far from complete. I guess Jordi, who is from Barcelona but now lives in the US will chime in with more recommendations.

Feel free to PM or email me with questions and more questions. More than glad to help.

Saludos!!!!!

[imcarthur]

Paco gave you a great overview. Barcelona is a big bustling city. The Ramblas has a reputation for petty crime - pickpockets etc - so beware with the kids. Nice beach areas to the north - Costa Brava - with wonderful villages everywhere & Greek/Roman ruins at Empuries. South of Barcelona, more beach in Sitges & more Roman ruins in Tarragona.

Further afield, the AVE trains can provide fast & easy transport everywhere. Madrid is museum central for Spain with some of the world's finest but not much else for kids imho & it bakes in the summer. Andalusia is my favorite part (and one of my favorite parts of the world) with mountains & plains & endless miles of olive trees & hundreds of beaches along the south coast. Alhambra in Granada is stunning & worth the effort to get to but not so much for kids. Ditto Sevilla.

Ian

[Erakad]

I can't beat the info Paco gave, but I had a great time in Malaga in Nov. Was close enough to also visit Gibralter, Sevilla, and Granada. Beaches were nice, saw water parks, and usual tourist stuff. That part of Spain really reminds me of Southern California.

[FLYGEEZER]

The Spanish med. around Cadiz. Oh wow! No political climate, just nice beaches, great resturants and wonderful people. Haven't been there for a few years but going in July.

[LWJ]

Paco gave great advice. Spain is a kick. I particularly liked Granada and the Al Ahambra. It is tbe most beautiful man made thing I have ever seen. The room where Chris Columbus pitched Ferdinand and Isabella is there. How cool is that?

Also, drink the local wine. Very good and not expensive. You will love it.

Larry

[davidbir]

This may not be the best place for kids but hey, you and they need one evening apart!
Los Caracoles (sp?) It means "The Snail" in spanish. Just off Ramblers. When I was about twenty years old and working on a mechant ship we went into Barcelona and I had one of the dining treats of my life at Los Caracoles. Very special. Seafood oriented. Allow about three hours for either lunch or dinner.