First Time Family Itinerary

To my mind, you have time for only one additional city. Now, it might be a city from which you want to make a day-trip, but a good chunk of Day 11 will be spent getting to that next destination, then you have just two full days there. All of the possibilities on your list are worth the full time you have.

One thing I'd do at this point is go to Skyscanner and check flight connections from your possible destinations to Lisbon. I don't think there will be a problem getting to all of them from Paris, but conceivably you'll run into gnarly connections into Lisbon, and that might cause you to strike one or two places from your list of potentials. Which would make your decision a bit easier, right?

Since you're interested in destinations that are different from home, you might take a hard look at Budapest, which is somewhat less visited by American tourists and has that extra "used-to-be-behind-the-Iron-Curtain" history. But I'm sure you'd have a great time in any of those places.

Having visited both Paris and London in the same trip with my own teenagers, I really would encourage you to think about adding a day to London. We found London to be fascinating and wished we had spent significantly more time there. Overall we actually liked it a little better than Paris. Just my two cents!

I agree that your best bet would be to not add in more than one city more. Have you thought about Amsterdam? That might make sense from Paris and then fly to Lisbon.

Good luck with your planning!

I'm just a little confused by your statement about Lisbon being "the least expensive flight back to Toronto". Are you booking it as a multi-city flight? That would be cheaper than two one-way flights. Remember that any time you change locations, you are going to lose at least a half-day to travel and associated tasks (packing, checking out, waiting for the transportation, getting oriented in the new place, finding your hotel, etc.). I would be more inclined to only do one additional city, not two. Since it is your first trip, you don't know how much longer it can take to do "ordinary" things in an unfamiliar place where you don't speak the language (using public transportation, getting yourselves fed, finding your way around, etc.). You will enjoy your trip more if you aren't rushed from place to place. For what it's worth, London is only "most like the US" because they speak English there. Otherwise, it is very different than here.

Rdaniel..

If you are flying out of Toronto ., are you flying Airtransat.. because they do multi leg flights at a very reasonable price.. backtracking is not a good use of time or money.
Fly Toronto to London..then perhaps home from Rome or Barcelona.. !! Travel in a line !

I totally understand your initial take on London. .I felt exactly the same way( I live in a tourist city in Canada that many consider "little England" ) .. but I was wrong. I agree.. give London an extra day.. there really is tons to see there.

Paris is my favorite city and you can not spend enough time there.. there is so much to see.. and side trips out of the city too.

I think Romes a good third point for your visit. Anicent history and ruins all around you.. its another world all together. Plus its easy to get transatlantic flights home from Rome.

London to Paris by Eurostar, Paris to Rome by some cheap inter europeon airline. I have used Vueling and Easyjet to Rome, and then fly home from Rome.. its a very common first trip to Europe itinerary for a reason.. its a good one !

Amsterdam is both a worthy destination and so different that I would choose it, also for its proximity to London and Paris. You can fly from London City Airport to Amsterdam, then train to Paris, then on to Lisbon.

London might not interest you as much as Paris does, but London is huge in comparison to Paris, so getting around to see what you want to will take more time and energy.
Since you will lose most of the arrival day in London due to exhaustion, I'd suggest adding one more day to London and losing one day in Paris.
The things that most people want to do and see in Paris are concentrated in a rectangle of about 6 x 4 km - easily walkable if you break it up into sections, and very easy if using public transport.

If you want to go to Venice from Paris, it only takes about 90 minutes via EasyJet out of Orly. There are often special prices, too. Make sure to check about the "acqua alta" before you decide to go - this is really a miserable experience!!!

Hi,

Keep in mind that not every one gets jet lag upon landing in Europe after a transatlantic flight or feels exhausted. Good choices Prague and Budapest for experiencing something totally different. If choosing only one, I would take Budapest for a variety of reasons.

I would recommend eastern Germany too, very different. You can be sure you won't be addressed in English even if you are recognised right away as tourist....to give you that "world away from the US" feeling. You'll also be the only anglophones visiting a place, except for Dresden.

Since you're flying out of Lisbon, I'd suggest just taking the relatively new fast train from Paris to Barcelona. It's 6 1/2 hours duration, but as quick as flying because you're going from downtown to downtown. It's easy to fly from Barcelona to Lisbon on Vueling, the Spanish budget airline.

You asked about visiting Prague & Budapest on the same trip. Both cities are so much alike (at face value) and I'd choose one or the other. Rome & Venice are completely different, however.

"...our goal is to safely put ourselves in locations that feel a world away from the US."
"Is it possible to see both Prague and Budapest in that time frame without killing ourselves? Rome AND Venice? I loathe the idea of losing so much time to travelling between destinations..."

• You will probably think you're in the USA and wasting your time if you spend so much of it in airports. There's little cultural experience in security lines or flight gate waiting areas, or at luggage carousels. Announcements are in English. Coffee is in Starbucks... You're already committed to using airports in London, Paris, and Lisbon. That's enough IMO - I cannot see adding two more airports in a stay of 2.5 weeks. Any single place you travel to is worth 3 nights.

• The smaller and more remote the destination, the smaller the chance you'll be surrounded by tourists, fellow Americans, US fast-food chains, and English-speaking waiters and hotel staff. Big cities have a lot of similarities anyway no matter the culture. Pick a small place with a mix of nature, history, and outdoor opportunities if you want some variety in your trip. What about the Belgian Ardennes? WW II sites, old-world towns, lots of hiking, castles. What about rural Germany? There are direct trains from Paris to the German border that take less than 2 hours. The Mosel River offers incredible scenery, biking, hiking, and a cultural experience in small towns where families have stayed over several generations. Rent a vacation apartment at a farm or a winery - there are lots of places like this 400+-year-old home/winery in the town of Kroev: http://www.die-mosel.de/mittelmosel/Kroev/kroev-dreigiebelhaus_e.html Then visit some other places of interest - http://www.mosel-reisefuehrer.de/17-highlights/556-moselhighlights-englisch - and get in some hiking or take a river cruise - http://www.zughalt.de/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/DB11321.jpg

• You could take the train from Paris to a destination like one of those above - then fly to Lisbon. Using European trains is a cultural experience of sorts in itself and takes you outside the urban landscape for a change of pace.

Why not make it easy on yourself and follow the obvious route from Paris to Lisbon via Spain. You could also go to small cities/towns in Portugal. Prague, Budapest, Berlin, etc I would save for another trip, too far out of your way for a short visit.

London is only "most like the US" because they speak English there.
Otherwise, it is very different than here.

I would agree with that, and think you're cutting it too short. As mentioned, the many attractions are somewhat spread out versus concentrated in one 'historic' center, and there are also any number of day-trip opportunities from there. For instance, Windsor Castle - the oldest, continually occupied castle in the world - is a short, easy trip by train.

As budget seems to be a concern here - as far as mention of least expensive cities to fly in/out of - consider also that the more big moves you make to destinations within Europe, the more time/money you'll be spending on transport. No, I don't think you can add more than one more city, and with the relatively short amount of time you have, I'd be more inclined to spend longer in Paris and London and take day trips from there. But if London isn't high on your list (and it's an expensive city aside from lots of free museums) skip it altogether and start somewhere else that would be a good base. By the time you add up costs traveling from a lot of A to B's, you might find that the price of airfare to another destination instead will be a wash. Also consider that the price of budget flights between European cities can escalate quickly unless you're aware of extra costs, such as for checking luggage.

Amsterdam and Barcelona are great suggestions. My two cents is to NOT add a third stop. By all means add at least one more day to London (add two for a day trip outside of London). And another day in Paris is never bad. London and Paris ---two of the GREAT cities of the World --- deserve and need lots of time.

As it is said very often on this site - a day of travel to your next location take a lot of time. And although the Eurostar train under the channel is kind of a non event the time above ground is very pleasant. And riding trains to anywhere is a rare experience for many people from the USA So the Eurostar to Paris ends up being a lot of fun and a great travel experience.

Sometimes LESS is more and better. You say you have been lurking around here for a long time. So you have read it hundreds of times that people recommend to "slow down" and enjoy and really see the places where you stop. We know it is hard on your first trip not to want to see and do everything but try and believe us.

Remember "You'll be back!!!!! So save those other places for the next trip. Just my opinion.

Hi,

After visiting Paris, skip Lisbon, fly eastwards to Berlin, Prague or Budapest. If you fly to Berlin, then take the train to some of the smaller eastern German towns, such as Weimar, Naumburg an der Saale, Meissen, Schwerin. Tourists you see there are exclusively German. You'll absolutely be off the international tourist radar, particularly the American tourist radar.

Lots of American tourists in Prague, fewer in Budapest. If you skip eastern Germany, then focus the rest of the itinerary after Paris on Prague and Budapest. Going into smaller towns in Czechia is where you also get away from international and American tourists.

To begin with, I would not add another city. I'm afraid that would involve "wasting" too much time getting from place to place. As you stated, "I loathe the idea of losing so much time to travelling between destinations...". I would suggest adding two days in London and deleting days 12 & 13 from ????. That would give you four full days in London and Paris -- and truth be told one could spend even more time in either one. Any extra time could be devoted to Lisbon. One thing for sure, get the daughters involved in the planning and get their ideas about where to go. Being teenage ladies they just might surprise you with their input.

We took our kids ages 15 & 12 on our first Europe trip a couple of years ago. We loved Rome!!! We started in Rome 3 days...drove to Florence...(kids loved Florence - 2 days)...drove to Venice - 1 day (plenty of time). Flew to Paris...we absolutely loved Paris and found lots to do...(3 days)...train to London (3days). We move pretty fast but loved our trip! I think you should consider Rome...

Whatever you decide, make sure your kids have some input.

I would recommend staying longer in the cities you already have, and taking daytrips to places nearby (Chatres or Reims from Paris, for example).

I have to agree with not adding another city. London is NOT like the USA/Canada. And there are some great day trips you can easily do yourself by train. (Windsor- full or half day, Bath, Cardiff Wales, Stratford-upon-Avon, Canterbury, Dover, Winchester, Brighton, and many, many more.) Add all (or most) of the ????? days to London or split between London and Paris. This will save time and money by reducing travel.

PS- I've been to London more than 40 times and stayed anywhere from 2 nights to 8 nights there. I'd go again in a heartbeat if I could. Many things I want to repeat and loads that I haven't been able to do yet. We did a one day trip to Paris once and did not like it, but many others love it as much as we love London. We haven't visited Lisbon.

Thanks so much for all the responses!

I wasn't terribly serious about adding another city in the middle, and your responses confirmed that my gut feeling is the right one. In fact, I'm strongly considering eliminating that third leg entirely, and changing things up to:

London-5 days
Paris-6 days
Lisbon-3 days

I especially appreciate the idea that London deserves more time. I guess I hesitated because of the advice of a good friend who just felt that his London experience wasn't all he had hoped. But hearing from people who love it there renews my enthusiasm.

So many other questions to ask, but I'll separate them into appropriate threads and do more research. Thanks again to all!

"I guess I hesitated because of the advice of a good friend who just felt that his London experience wasn't all he had hoped."
I would be interested in hearing specifically what was disappointing to your friend about his trip to London. I have been to London many times, and have never been disappointed, so I am a little curious as to what he was expecting that he did not find.

One way not to be disappointed is to read up on London long before you get there. That way, you will be more knowledgeable about what is available to you to do and see. I suggest that you buy the Rick Steves London Guidebook soon and read it thoroughly. It's too bad to miss out on something you'd love, just because you didn't know it was there. It's not too early right now to start reading guidebooks about your chosen cities.

What about considering the Loire Valley of France, Normandy or Burgundy to get a countryside feel between the cities? It would be an easy train ride out of Paris into the countryside and then rent a car for 3 days and explore. There are tons of small villages and it will give a different feel than the cities. France is really wonderful for that.

We've been to London twice, and there are wonderful sites, and you should see them, but I think 3-4 days is enough. I agree that you really want an experience vastly different from the USA.

For 17 days be careful you try to see too many places, especially so far apart.

London to Paris is easy, the Eurostar is great. Getting from Paris to Lisbon, Prague and/or Budapest is another matter. A rail trip would cost a lot and take a lot of time.

It is easy to do a week each in Paris and London. Still, you don't have to do a week. I say five days for each. Then, pick another location. If you did Venice and Rome that would be plenty. You could do Prague and Budapest, since they are rather close together. Just don't try to do London, Paris, Venice, Rome, Prague and Budapest.

You need to take into account the jet lag when you arrive in London. Try to stay up as long as you can the day you arrive.People always try to do too much the first day but it's much easier to just concentrate on a few things. By the time you get through the airport "stuff" and get into the city,it will be close to noon.

As for the comment about London being like a US city,that's totally a pile of nonsense. Your daughters will love it. Try to take in a live play. And they will love shopping on Oxford Street.

It's easy to get from Paris to Barcelona. Again,your girls will love it there. You can take the TGV from Paris. You could stop along the train route and do some touring. Provence is a wonderful experience.Lots of small tons where you really get a feel for life in France. Based on your schedule and interests, I would also suggest Prague. It's good for 2 full days (at least) of touring around.Again,a place the young people love.To me,going all the way to Italy is a bit much. You need to realize that every travel day ends up taking longer than you think so you end up losing a good part of it. And do allow plenty of time to do security at Pearson. The lines can be really long and it's not all that efficient.

Does anyone in your family speak French - even minimally? If so, I would join in on the recommendations to add more days to that part of your itinerary and take a day trip outside of Paris. The train system is easy to navigate. Our family has visited Giverny and Fontainebleau and Versailles as part of tours when the kids were smaller. Part of that trip was an excellent Loire Valley tour.

More recently, we visited Chartres with some dear friends who live near there - and experienced the very special lights displays on many of the buildings and the cathedral in Chartres. There was a little train we rode through the streets at twilight - unique and memorable. We found that many of the people we encountered in Paris spoke some English - but we were very warmly (and patiently) greeted when we tried our French with them. It was encouraging to us to keep on trying our French, and really enriched our experiences. (Two of the five of us know French - so it wasn't like we all knew much - but we kept trying!)

You have so many options - but I would definitely recommend some time outside of a major city, as some other have said. After a while, we found that we needed some wide open spaces that were quieter that the hustle and bustle of London and Paris. It became a bit of a sensory overload. Last summer, we chose Switzerland instead of Barcelona for our second part of our trip after Paris. That was for two reasons - serenity and snow (instead of crowds and sweltering temps!).

Have fun planning! See what your daughters are interested in doing - they will surely have some ideas. Our kids were old enough last summer to plan and have a dinner and adventure on their own while we had a special dinner date together. That was one of the favorite Paris memories for all of us!

Laurie

Hello again all!

So I think we've revised our itinerary a bit and have arrived at the following:

1. Drive to Toronto, check into Park and Fly hotel.
2. Relax at hotel pool, airport by 4:00 PM. Flight to London leaves at 9:30 PM.
3. Arrive London 9:30 AM to start day one in Europe.
4. London
5. London
6. London
7. London
8. 9:30 AM Eurostar to Paris. Arrive Paris 1 PM
9. Paris 10.Paris
10. Paris
11. Paris
12. Paris to Barcelona
13. Barcelona
14. Barcelona
15. Barcelona to Lisbon
16. Lisbon
17. Lisbon
18. Lisbon back to Toronto

Some of the "challenges" that we have will involve insuring that everyone has specific things to look forward to. Our older daughter could spend half the trip in museums and be perfectly happy. Our younger daughter would prefer to never see the inside of one in lieu of every shopping opportunity. My wife and I are pretty flexible, but I insist on an approach that focuses as much on history as anything else.

As of right now, our list of "hope to do's" include:

London:

Westminster Abbey
Buckingham Palace
Kensington Gardens
British Museum
National Gallery
West End (definitely a show or two, depending on budget and availability)
Tower of London
Portobello Road Market
Harry Potter tour

Paris:

Eiffel Tower
Louvre
d'Orsay
Notre Dame
Sacre Coure
Versailles
Montmartre
Le Marais

Barcelona:

Beach
Sagrada Familia
Parc Guell
Gothic Quarter
Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria

Lisbon:

Alfama (hoping to stay here)

We aren't the type of people that feel like we have to accomplish everything on the list, by any means. And we will definitely change plans midstream on a whim when we find ourselves in a place where were want to stay. In fact, I could easily cut half of the stuff off this list and still consider the whole trip to have been highly successful as long as we filled our time leisurely and happily. Actually, if that happens, it really doesn't matter what we see, right?

I'd say the only "must do's" are Westminster Abbey, Harry Potter, British Museum, West End show or two, Notre Dame, Versailles, Eiffel Tower (really only because you gotta, right?), Montmartre, the beach, Sagrada Familia, and the Alfama.

Thoughts/suggestions?

Your current itinerary seems pretty good to me (but see note). You will get a good introduction to all 3 cities.

I would investigate (via books videos online research) day trips from, especially Paris. Getting out of the city in June will add texture to your experience. Popular day trips include any of the nearby Chateaux (not just Versailles!), the town and cathedral of Chartres, Rouen, and Monet's garden at Giverney.

There are many others feasible by rail (sometimes with a cab ride at the end). You may find that one of these makes an appealing alternative to some of the sights on your list. I mean only that you should consider it.

Now: If Barcelona is a priority, then by all means. But if you just wanted a change of pace from Paris, you might consider Lyon, which is 2 hours from Paris by train, or some of the smaller cities in Provence (3 hours). Fly to Lisbon from there, as an alternative. Why? These (like Barcelona) are great destinations but are easier to get to from Paris than Barc. Great shopping in Lyon btw.

As noted above you can take the train between Paris and Barcelona, but you'll want to buy those tickets as soon as they go on sale (assuming you're comfortable locking down the itinerary at that point). Otherwise, you'll really pay a fortune.

Barcelona to Lisbon probably needs to be a flight. There's a 15-hour rail routing that includes the night train running between Madrid and Lisbon, but you can save money by flying, again assuming you buy your tickets early.

In Barcelona you might enjoy the tourist office's Barri Gotic walking tour. It's a painless way to get a bit of history. It doesn't attempt to cover the entire Barri Gotic, so you'll still have plenty ground to explore on your own. I was in Barcelona in early August, and my tour group wasn't large at all, which was a plus.

You'll need to get tickets to La Sagrada Familia and Parc Guell ahead of time. If you just show up, you'll be stuck in long lines. A lot of people think it's a good plan to book the first time slot at La Sagrada Familia, because that gives you some time before the church gets crowded. If you want to go up one of the towers, that's a separate (timed) ticket.

Looks fun!

Get Harry Potter tickets WELL in advance.... it sells out! The day we did this, we split and husband took little son to Harry, and big son and I went to Wicked....

Get tickets in advance for Sagrada Familia - book the opening time and then get in line at least 1/2 hour earlier than that. This will buy you about 20 min in there almost alone, SO WORTH IT. Get your tower climb around 45-60 min after arrival.

We also booked our Eiffel Tower tickets in advance - they open at ... I can't remember, but you literally have to get them the MINUTE they open, because they sell out that fast. There was some trick about the phone number or something that holds people up, but do research it in advance and try to get them. The line when we went was sooooooo long even lining up at opening, but we literally walked right in. Felt like royalty! We were first to the top! :)

Hi Neighbor ( I live outside of Albany). A few thoughts I would like to share:
Paris: Sacré Couer is located in the Monmartre district and should be combined in the same visit. In my opinion the basilica is unremarkable. The best thing is sitting on the steps and looking over the rooftops of Paris so it is worth a visit. Much more enjoyable is to walk around the area behind known as Place du Tertre watching the artists and exploring the cobbled streets.
I also definitely would recommend renting Velib bikes and riding through the city. It seems intimidating at first but is actually very easy once you get the hang of it.
Barcelona is one of my favorite cities. I was there the past 2 summers. I would recommend spending more time there. The beach is awesome for a day of rest. The Gothic Quarter is beautiful and you can wander for hours (don't miss the Cathedral!). Sagrada Familia tickets should be booked in advance but if you have a problem just go to the TI on Plaça Catalunya and they can sell you tickets. La Boqueria while worth stopping in doesn't require more than hour. I would recommend a day trip to Montserrat if possible as it is awesome. I hope this helps. Enjoy the planning and the trip!!

"Some of the "challenges" that we have will involve insuring that everyone has specific things to look forward to. Our older daughter could spend half the trip in museums and be perfectly happy. Our younger daughter would prefer to never see the inside of one in lieu of every shopping opportunity. My wife and I are pretty flexible, but I insist on an approach that focuses as much on history as anything else."

I like your latest itinerary. If your girls are self sufficient, you may find that splitting into groups from time to time solves the who wants to do what problem. Our girls were 17 and 19 during our trip last summer. Both girls did a couple half days on thier own and our 19 year did a daytrip and an overnight to Berlin by herself. They had traveled with us to Europe three years earlier and were comfortable with how public transport works and navigating, but your girls will figure it out quickly.

If your focus is history, you will love London. The British War Museum and The Churchill War Rooms are not to be missed. The Military Museum in Paris is very fine too. Our youngest is not so enamored of history and visited art museums and churches during some of our history museum time. Our eldest went to Berlin for two days just to visit WWII sights.

If you are worried about splitting up, look for different museums close to one another. For example The Military History Museum is an easy walk from The Rodan.

I didn't see any provisions for shopping in Paris : )
Here's a suggestion for combining things you want to do:

Day 1 - The Marais - in particular, rue des Francs-Bourgeois - is full of small shops and name brand outlets, like Uniqlo. Most shops are open on Sundays in the Marais.
Sainte-Chapelle is near Notre Dame, and a great option if it's a sunny day.
You can combine a visit to Notre Dame, the Marais and the Louvre on the same day, if you start early. I recommend taking a nighttime cruise on the Seine, from the dock nearby. The whole city is illuminated and it's a gorgeous sight to see. http://vedettesdupontneuf.com/tickets/

Day 2 - As was mentioned, Sacre Coeur is in Montmartre. You can walk or take the Metro to the grand department stores, on boulevard Haussmann - Printemps and Galeries Lafayette, other smaller name brand shops - good for the shopping-deprived.

Day 3 - Versailles will eat up at least 8 hours, including round-trip transportation - in the Summer, it will be hot, and you'll probably be exhausted by the end of the day. When you walk through the town, you could buy a picnic lunch and eat in the gardens. You can also rent bikes at Versailles. The grounds are immense, and this is a good way to see as much as you can.
Perhaps take the Seine cruise, if you're not too tired.

Day 4 - You can visit Musee d'Orsay and the Eiffel Tower on the same day. If you get the Paris Museum Pass, you can go back to the Louvre to see anything you missed - or just make this the "museum day".

You'll need a good map, so you can see where these places are grouped together.
You can plot everything using Google Street View, to find out how long it will take to walk everywhere.

Enjoy your trip, and your trip planning. We and our adult children (21 son and daughter turning 18 this week) have enjoyed all of those locations, except for Lisbon, which we have not yet been to. If if were me, I would leave out Lisbon, and stay with your other three cities, with perhaps more day trips from each location or two nights outside of Paris in the Loire Valley. If you did that, you might be flying back from a more expensive city, but then on the other hand, you would have one less flight or train trip within Europe to fit into your budget.

Note that many hotels in Europe fit two people only. There are some 4-person rooms, often called family rooms, but not every hotel has them. So you may end up booking 2 rooms in each hotel; it depends on your budget and how much room you want to have.

Your older daughter, and your younger daughter if she turns 18 before the trip, will be of legal age to drink. That matters to some people, so just an FYI.

For people who are less interested in museums, visiting places like churches and cathedrals is a good option. You can see great art where it was intended to be, experience great architecture, and be "done" with the visit before the non-museum people gets tired of the visit.

You won't have time to visit every place you have on your list (really, there's never enough time), so make a list of the top places your group wants to see or visit, and then add on other things as you have time during your trip.

You can book family rooms in chain hotels in Paris - Ibis, Accor, Mercure are inexpensive, clean, comfortable and have what you need. Sometimes free breakfast is included for kids under 12, but you'll have to check on that when booking.
Adagio and Citadines are legal apart'hotels in Paris, especially good if you need a kitchenette. Family rooms are available.
The only caveat is that you must state how many people are staying in each room, regardless of age.
If you book with a third-party website, like booking.com, you should make sure to confirm your reservation directly with the hotel. Sometimes, things get lost in the shuffle.

Our plan is to us Airbnb exclusively. We already have several options picked out in each city, a couple of which friends have stayed at previously. So much less expensive, and they'll be in actual neighborhoods rather than tourist districts. :)

London, Paris and Barcelona are great choices. I brought my kids ages 17, 21 and 23 to those cities 3 years ago and we had a great time. London was a really big hit. We stayed 4 nights and actually wished we allotted a couple more. Are you talking about the Harry Potter play or the studio tour? Both require advance booking esp the play which seems to be booked a year ahead already. We loved London because there was so much to do and quite a variety of food. We had pub food, Indian, Chinese, pasties, had afternoon tea everyday and Nando's which is a grilled chicken chain restaurant. Paris was wonderful for the museums and the scenery, also the crepes and pastries! Try to plan a day trip to Monet's garden in Giverny. In Barcelona, our highlights were Parc Guell, Sagrada Familia, Bouqueria and the beach. Plan a downtime day , pick up food at Bouqueria and spend the day at the beach. We stayed at airbnbs in all 3 places. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions. Enjoy the planning!