2 week family trip to Spain - itinerary suggestions?

Candy, I don't have particular suggestions but you may want to read through all the posts here in the Spain forum. There is a lot of good information already here that might help you decide what your interests are. Coming back with specific information such as whether your flights are already booked, or if you can fly multi-city, and exactly how many nights you have would be helpful. Good luck and happy traveling!

I don't have children, so I step in here with considerable trepidation, but these are places I think might appeal to teenagers:

• Segovia: Aqueduct! Like walking into a calendar photo. The historic area is very attractive in general. This is an easy day-trip from Madrid. You don't have to buy the train tickets way in advance because the price is always the same.

• Montserrat: Side-trip from Barcelona (also does not need to be booked in advance) that comes equipped with good walking opportunities. Should be a bit cooler than your other destinations because of the altitude.

• There are lots of beach opportunities around Barcelona, but someone else will have to give you specifics; I don't do beaches.

• If your children are into soccer, check out the Camp Nou Experience in Barcelona. In the same city, the Barri Gotic has interesting small shops (if kids are shoppers).

• If you think the children will probably be good for one modernista site in Barcelona, I'd probably choose La Sagrada Familia (maybe including one of the towers), Parc Guell (since it's outdoors), or--if you think really uncrowded conditions would be a big positive factor--Sant Pau. You can have a very enjoyable time looking at just the exteriors of some modernista buildings if you don't want to brave the mobs. This also saves a lot of money, because the entry fees (for adults; I don't know about children) tend to be over 20 euros.

• The San Miguel market in Madrid and La Boqueria in Barcelona are fun for making a meal off of tapas.

I don't think you really have time to do justice to all the places you've mentioned. I'd drop the southern coast and stick with a beach near Barcelona. Monitor the ticket situation for the Alhambra to be sure you don't plan a trip there (getting there's a bit of a hassle) and end up not being able to go to the top sight. Those tickets do sell out.

I love Toledo, but if you're going to try to get down to Andalucía, Toledo may need to be cut--unless you are not art lovers and want to, in effect, substitute Toledo for Madrid.

Cordoba is a very worthwhile stop on the way to Seville if you don't have time for an overnight stay.

Keep in mind that, though Barcelona may be hot, it's likely to be more comfortable than your other destinations. Take that into consideration as you divide your time.

Day
01. Arrive Barcelona - 4 nights
-Day trip to Costa Brava ??
05. Fly to Granada - 3 nights
-Day trip to Nerja ??
08. Train to Sevilla - 3 nights
-Day trip to Cordoba for Mezquita
11. Train to Madrid - 4 nights
-Day trips to Toledo & Segovia
15. Depart Madrid

I am going to focus on some pragmatic aspects of this journey and leave others to help guide with destinations (my vote would be heavilly weighted in the Barcelona area due to the huge menu of varied opportunities).

You are going to be overwhelmed by tourist crowds everywhere you go. Spain has become unbelievably popular and crowded. Crowds + heat = a hot mess. Do the following to reduce stress:
Rent apartments which are a great value, offer additional space to spread out, have kitchens to stock a fridge with drinks & treats and often have a clothes washer (refer to formula for "a hot mess" and consider need for washing sweaty clothes). Suggest you seek a higher floor unit w ac where the rooms face an interior courtyard (reduces noise) and a terrace is a nice option. Don't feel like you must stay in the center ofa tourist area (especially in Madrid and Barcelona, where excellent metros offer ez access) as there is something to be said for stepping away from tourist meccas and the accompanying crowds.

Respect the siesta. There is a lot to be gained by removing yourself away from the heat of the day. Btw: proper hydration commences the day before you venture into the heat. Fyi: el corta engles department stores (think macys) is your new friend as these stores are prevalent throughout spain and offer the following: air conditioning!, step in and cool off with a bit of browsing, bathrooms! Commencing on the third floor and in the corners and many offer a full grocery store located in their basements (instant picnic grabbings). You are traveling during a season when days are longest for sunshine so beat the heat with a siesta and then do stay out later.

Immediately adapt your tummies to local feeding habits. This means eating liter fare in early evening (tapas), a bigger meal later in the evening, a breakfast to fit your needs (a big reason why we rent apartments is the benefit of having a kitchen to prep a breakfast of our choice at a time of our choice), and we typically eat a light lunch to avoid over eating throughout the day. Btw: be big time adventurous with trying foods and also step into meat/produce markets. A great investment can be with a tapas tour. Jamon, jamon, jamon - you cannot overtry or overspend on jamon. Tip: to save money and gain a bit more of a local perspective we always strive to get out of a tourist zone to eat. Amazing how much cheaper restaurants can be in local neighborhoods and translation devices greatly ease concerns about what you are ordering. Also, stay out late when the heat dissapates and the streets come alive with a variety of activities. Btw: we have traveled w our daughters during these same ages and allowed them leeway in finding things they liked once in the country. Allow them to purchase clothing to wear back home when they return to school, shoes are everywhere and often a great buy, let them track down the wifi hot spots so they can communicate with friends back home and challenge them to figure out websites to determine the best way to buy tickets with time entries.

Timed ticket entries are a huge benefit and well worth the effort in research and do significantly cut down on waiting times, especially when you are standing in the heat. As you define an itinerary do the research on ticket expense and how to beat the lines.

Make time to go to a park and have a picnic as it helps to slow down and make a family memory.

Slow down and enjoy a journey creating great memories and avoid having a "trip". Trips suck. There is no way you can do everything so pick some priorities and still allow time tonrest during your journey. Keep in mind, "glitches" will happen so be prepared to call an audible and adjust priorities in order to enjoy the journey.

Finally, do not be luggage pack mules. Seriously, being a luggage pack mule really sucks. Pack lite and keep in mind everything you think you need already is available over there.

Have fun!

Safe travels!

You don't mention how long your vacation may be, but my family with kids similar ages (15, 12, 10) is going to Barcelona, Granada and Sevilla and (one night) in Madrid. We are flying home from Madrid only because that is what I could get with frequent flyer miles. Anyway, we are:
Flying from Barcelona to Granada - there are train options but very long and did not want to spare the time.
Taking a bus from Granada to Sevilla (can also take a train or even drive, but we are choosing the bus).
Train from Sevilla to Madrid.

If you don't have your flights yet I would say try to fly into Barcelona and out of Seville or even Malaga if you decide to do some beach time (like Nerja).

I have apartments booked in each location but Madrid (doing a family room here with bunk beds since it's just one night). Originally I thought I would do AirBnB, but I found all on booking.com.

I was in Spain in July a few years ago and Barcelona wasn't terrible heat wise. Madrid was pretty hot (100) and I imagine Granada and Sevilla would be as well (actually, maybe worse?), but it is what it is. If it's an adventure in the summer or no adventure....so be it!

Similar questions to this come up periodically and I almost always recommend Valencia and it's Citys of Arts and Sciences. These museums provide something for entertain kids of all ages. Valencia, about 90 minutes from Madrid by fast train (out of Puerta de Atocha Station) has arguably Europe's best aquarium, The center also has a wonderful mathematics museum and a superior science center.All this, plus Valencia is the birthplace of Spain's trademark paella ... What's to think about?

Valencia's City of Arts and Sciences is now becoming more increasingly known by its components ...
The Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, and the Príncipe Felipe Science Museum.

I would consider keeping your schedule flexible. Seville is a frying pan in the summer, 100°F for consecutive days. Granada is probably a little cooler. The beach towns were often about 20°F cooler than Seville in July 2016.

Seville, July 2016

Barcelona, July 2016

Malaga, July 2016