30-day itinerary help with 2 kids

I can't help with advice about what to do with young children or playground locations. But I will try to help with your itinerary.

I think 10 days is not necessary for Barcelona, Madrid, and Lisbon; however, I understand your desire to stay a long time in each location because you have a lot to bring with you. Here are some suggestions:

I think 6 or 7 nights is perfect for Barcelona. And then add 3 nights for a roadtrip along the Costa Brava, just north of Barcelona. You would have to rent a car for this. Two nice overnight stops are Cadaques and Girona. If you don't want to rent a car, you could take the train to Girona and stay there for 3 nights and possibly sign up for some tours to see Dali's house and museum, if that interests you. If you do rent a car, you can go to the beach at Cadaques, which the children might like. OR spend the 10 days in Barcelona, and do day trips to Girona and Montseratt. I know people go to Sitges for the beach but I'm not sure how far this is from Barcelona.

There are lots of day trips from Madrid, such as Toledo, Segovia, etc. But I think 10 days is a lot for Madrid, too. Perhaps 5 or 6 nights in Madrid, a few nights in Toledo, and maybe Segovia. Would this be too much checking in and out of hotels for you?

Lisbon is wonderful, too! A small and manageable city. You could spend 5 nights in Lisbon, and then perhaps 5 nights in Cascais, which has beaches, so would be nice for the children. Or fewer nights in Cascais, and spend a night or two in Sintra. All of these are very close to Lisbon by train.

A nice neighborhood in Barcelona is Eixample. That's where we stayed; it's very pretty and very convenient to many sites.

I hope this helps. I love all 3 cities you are visiting. Haven't been to Salamanca yet, but I hear it's beautiful!

Thank you so much for your help. This is amazingly helpful!!

Salamanca isn't enroute to your other cities. It is several hours from Madrid. A long day trip if you only visit your friend not the city. Would they be willing to come to you in Madrid, or meet part way?
I was recently in Sintra and Caiscais. I wouldn't recommend Sintra with a stroller....old town is very steep. Caiscais is flat and easy to get around.
I would suggest shortening the stays and add Seville. I understand fairly easy to get to Lisbon from there. Flat, pretty city and I think has some kid's amusement park nearby.
It would behove you to get a travel guide for Spain with Kids....if such exists.

There are some fast trains to Salamanca from Madrid (about 90 minutes), but then, as noted above, moving onto Portugal is going to be tricky. There is a sleeper train which would be ideal - your older child will love it - but unfortunately it leaves Salamanca at 0100 hours which is less then ideal! Though, I suppose if you're visiting a friend it might be practical. There is also an Alsa coach service to Porto, but its over 5 hours (and longer to Lisbon).

Don't forget it will be hot in July, especially Madrid could be oppressive where there's no seaside to easily visit. So, your days are likely to be morning activities, lunch, rest during the afternoon heat and then out early evening.

There are big amusement parks near both those Spanish cities - and possibly Lisboa too. Google has the details I'm sure.

Hi!

We are going to be staying in Salamanca this summer for 6 weeks (June - July) with two kids (2 and 4 year old). We got an apartment close to Parque de la Alamedilla. I did a lot of research to find the best park in Salamanca and this is it. It has a pond where you can feed ducks, there's a splash pad, and also two play areas. (One for little kids like your 2 year old and another for your 6 year old). There's also a Sports complex and pool nearby. I'm not sure how it would work to join. Also, per Google maps there's a toy store just north of the park. I've heard from others that Salamanca is an easy city to walk, which is what we'll be doing. Good luck!

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g187493-d10341073-r456940057-Parque_de_la_Alamedilla-Salamanca_Province_of_Salamanca_Castile_and_Leon.html

Thank you all of you for your helpful suggestion and ideas. They are really great. I love Europe (I lived in France when I was young) but then since my first child was born I have been putting off any big travel (mostly going to Mexico, Florida, California - easy place to travel with kids). So all your ideas and thoughts really help me. :-) I hope I can contribute back when my trip is over..

Please let us know what you decide for your final itinerary. You will have an awesome trip!

For Barcelona (a city that I love)
There are plenty of things to do with kids and the city has a kid-friendly infrastructure - avoid the zoo (old and expensive) and Las Ramblas (overcrowded). Nice places to take kids are Park Guell (plenty of playgrounds on the free area), Cosmocaixa (there is even a rainforest inside), and the beach. You can find more tips about traveling to Barcelona.

For accommodation, I would suggest Eixample (close to everything and plenty of squares with playgrounds plus nice cafes) or Gracia (laidback atmosphere)

I would also suggest going north with the light rail (Maresme - nice and quiet beaches like Caldes d'Estrac or Costa Brava - a bit further, and you need a car but more beautiful)