Itinerary - one month in Spain (with kids)

Spain is pretty hot in the summer, especially for youngsters. For that reason, I'd be inclined to suggest option #3. It would be cooler. If you wanted to do #3, you might consider flying into Barcelona, then go to Madrid, Bilboa, San Sebastian then Paris. You could take a train (or bus) from San Sebastian to Bordeaux and then a high speed train to Paris. You might have to change buses/trains at the Spain/French border.

Hi,
Second vote for option three! Bilbao and San Sebastián will be far more interesting for the kids than Zaragoza and Valencia, too. And indeed flying into Barcelona is more time efficient.
Also, a week in Madrid can feel a bit long, you can safely remove a day and spend it, say, on the beach in San Sebastian.

I agree that a week in Madrid is long. Also you will find lots to do in Barcelona/Catalunya. From Madrid, I think your kids would probably love Toledo and Segovia day trips. (I think Toledo is best as an overnight, but with kids, maybe sticking to sleeping in Madrid is better) If you still want to do Zaragoza, that could also be a Madrid day trip. Madrid is really pretty and lively, and I bet there are things to do there for kids, but I think you'd find more for them in the other locations. In Catalunya, you could consider a day trip to Montserrat and Girona. Madrid is a great city, but I think there are so many more interesting cities in Spain. The caveat is if you have interest in the world class art museums.

I do not have children, so my opinions about what might appeal to young children are worth less than zero.

I agree with Jules; the heat in Andalucia would eliminate Option 1 for me. Remember that Madrid itself will probably be seriously hot, just not quite as intolerable as Andalucia. I think 3 scorching cities is way too many. And none of them have beaches.

Zaragoza is, unfortunately, also a very risky summer destination. Check its weather stats. I would describe my 2016 experience there (I think it was July) as "oppressive".

Valencia was pleasant in early May, but to me it's not one of Spain's most distinctive cities. However, it may have sights appealing to your kids (the aquarium is quite expensive, though), and the weather may be tolerable in the summer. I haven't checked that data. And it's on the coast, so there would be beach possibilities.

I really like the small regional capital of Teruel, which is on the secondary rail line between Valencia and Zaragoza, but it, too, is likely to be frightfully hot in the summer. And it's really too long as a day-trip from either direction. But the mudejar towers are really neat. Maybe on a later trip you can see Teruel and Albarracin.

Cuenca's on the AVE line between Madrid and Valencia. It has a bit of elevation so is probably not quite as hot as Madrid (but I haven't verified that supposition).

There are lots of possible day-trips from Barcelona. My favorite is Girona. The Dali Theatre and Museum in Figueres is weird enough that it might appeal to kids. That's doable as a day-trip if you don't mind the train time and buy promo tickets on the AVE early. Figueres isn't terribly exciting aside from the Dali site. Besalu has a cool fortified bridge. I understand there's bus service from Barcelona to Besalu, but I traveled there while based in Girona, which made it a considerably shorter trip. Figueres is also faster and cheaper if you are based in Girona, so there's a lot to be said for spending some nights there.

There's also Montserrat, which would probably be cooler than Barcelona, with some walking/hiking opportunities. Of course there are beaches in Catalunya, but I don't know which ones would be the best family day-trips from Barcelona.

In the Basque Country, Hondarribia is fairly small and not as touristy as San Sebastian. It's on the coast practically on the French border. The three coastal towns of Zumaia, Getaria amd Zarautz can be combined into one day-trip; you can even walk one of the legs. Those are all former fishing villages now become tourist destinations. I remember seeing beaches. Otherwise, they seem to be just cute little places with restaurants.

The interior Basque capital of Vitoria-Gasteiz isn't super-small, but it doesn't seem to get many tourists. Its historic district is picturesquely situated on top of a hill; there are outdoor escalators to assist with the climb.

Such great input; thank you. How does the heat in Andalusia compare to the deep south USA? We live in south Alabama so I'm used to very high heat and humidity, but then again I'm also used to abundant air conditioning and driving everywhere. I want my kids to see Granada and meet my host family, but I don't want to be miserable in the heat.

Would Girona and/or Tarragona be good places to spend a few nights? I think I will bump down the number of nights in Madrid to spend elsewhere.

Besides meriting a visit of their own in both cities, Girona and Tarragona...

• Think Girona as a base also for escapades to the quaint sea towns of Costa Brava (ie. Cadaques) and/or the mountains of the Catalan Pyrenees (ie Vall de Núria) among many other options.
• Tarragona can also be another good base for day escapades: Delta de l'Ebre, Ports de Beseit, Tortosa...

While you can still do a lot without renting a car, it might be more convenient to do so, especially when going to more rural areas as it'll give you the freedom to set your own pace.

It'd be useful to have a detailed list of tastes and preferences in order to pinpoint specific places that could be of interest here in Catalonia.

Regarding the Andalucia heat, it is closer to the dry heat of the American Southwest - think Tucson, Arizona, perhaps not quite as hot

The issue with summer in southern Europe is that a/c just isn't as prevalent as in the US, and it's often not as powerful. Many museums, cafes, restaurants and sights are not air conditioned; sometimes your hotel room is your only refuge. Outdoor cafe tables shaded by umbrellas can be pretty comfortable if there's a breeze, but that is the smoking area, and Spain has a high number of smokers, especially in Andalucia.

Although inter-city buses and trains usually have a/c, the places where you wait to board them may not be cooled.

I do not recommend Andalucia, the area around Madrid, Zaragoza, Teruel, Extremadura or the Cerdanya Valley during the summer. I'm sure there are other problem areas I'm not aware of.

We stayed 3 nights in Girona. LOVED it. If you stayed there you could easily take the bus to Besalu. Tiny, medieval, beautiful little town. The train from Barcelona to Girona is about an hour. There is a bus to Besalu from Girona and that is about an hour. Both offer some pretty scenery.

I'm sure you can handle heat better than I can. (Minnesota girl) But, traveling and sight seeing is different than living somewhere. At home you can take life at a slower pace jumping from one A/C place to another. Also, Spain does not have A/C as powerful as the U.S. I spent a summer week in New Orleans that was even hotter than normal. The locals were complaining. We had a fabulous time, but every morning we'd get up, check the weather and make a strategic plan to cope with the weather. It was mentally exhausting.

Hello, while weather could be an important factor in trip planning, it should not be the only factor to consider, it seems like you a very much interested in showing Granada to your family, so I say go for it, remember Madrid may be just as hot as Granada on any given day during the summer.

Granada is usually slightly cooler than other parts of Andalucia due to its proximity to the Sierra Nevada, rest assured the summer will still be quite hot and dry. Since you will be there a week you will have more flexibility to follow the local's summer schedule and do most of your activities in the early morning or evening, take things slowly, and avoid direct sun whenever possible.

However I would recommend to save the rest of Andalucia for a later spring time visit. Also the Madrid-Granada AVE line should be open by the time you are traveling.

I propose you do something along these lines:

Fly in to Madrid
Madrid (one week)
AVE high speed train to
Granada (one week)
Fly low cost to
Barcelona (one week) - kid-friendly day trip to PortAventura
Bus to
Tossa de Mar (half week)
Bus to
Girona (half week)
Catch the Renfe-TGV train to Paris from Girona

Hope this helps :)

So much food for thought! I didn’t realize the AVE would be extended to Granada; that makes me reconsider skipping it.

The last portion (Barcelona - Paris) isn’t changeable because my husband’s parents are planning to come to do that with us.

Re: preferences and dates, the Catalonia portion would be the first few weeks of July. I am now considering staying for 2 weeks in Barcelona; there is so much to do and it would serve as a home base for day trips. We could even keep our Barcelona apartment while doing a night here and there in places like Girona. We are interested in a mix of history and kid-friendly activities like parks and swimming. We are not into nightlife and we aren’t “foodies.”

Focusing more on eastern Spain and Catalonia is becoming more and more appealing. I am considering a stay in Tarragona for the ruins and its proximity to Port Aventura World. My kids would appreciate that after viewing cathedrals and historical sites. :)

Thoughts on:

-Madrid (5-6 days) with day trips

-Ave to Granada (6-7 days with day trips to Córdoba and Seville?)

-Fly (?) to Tarragona (5-6 days including 2 at Port Aventura)

-Train to Barcelona (10-12 days), day trips or one-nighters around the area)

-Train to Paris

Or:
Same as above but skip Granada and add more time in Barcelona

I am so grateful for all of your help!

You might stop at Cordoba for a night on your way to Granada. I personally feel that Sevilla is too far for a day trip.

Agree with Jules, Sevilla would be impractical as a day trip from Granada, consider Málaga or Nerja for closer day-trips/beach days.

Since you will be focusing more on Eastern Spain/Catalonia, consider these sites that I think your kids would like:

Miravet Castle
Tibidabo
Les Ferreres Roman Aqueduct (now a medieval bridge)
Platja del Garraf (coastal village)
Tossa de Mar
Poblet Fortified Monastery
Vall de Nuria
Montserrat Hiking
Side trip to Zaragoza (1-2 days)
Dali Museum
Castellfollit de la Roca or Rupit (medieval mountain villages)
Empúries Ancient Greek Colony ruins

One of the posters above mentioned "missing beaches." I think that is key with kids and hot weather. Wherever you choose to go, make at least one stop something with water and sand.