Hi! I'm just starting to plan for our fall trip. I (40f) am taking my twin sons (16m) to Spain. We're flying in and out of Madrid and have eight nights. I'm thinking the first two (or three?) nights in Madrid, three nights in Barcelona, then maybe back to Madrid? Maybe a night in Toledo or maybe a coastal city? (No car. All rail.) Either way, my brief search of the Marriott hotels (I only looked bc I'm a Bonvoy member with some points saved) turned up expensive rooms with no real configurations for a party of three. That didn't surprise me, so we'll likely save the points for stateside traveling. AirBnBs seem much more accommodating. The boys will share a large bed if needed, but they are of the age where they would prefer at least twin beds in a shared room. I thought I'd check and see if anyone had smaller hotel recommendations that would be good with more of a family-style suite...whether that's with larger beds or multiple twins? Or if you have stayed in great AirBnBs in either city that you highly recommend, I'd like to view them. The caveat is I don't want to stay higher than an (American) second floor without an elevator. ;)
Posted by
Massachusetts, USA
1700 posts
I can't answer your specific question about lodgings. But I would like to suggest, if you have not made your airline reservations yet, that you purchase open-jaw or multi-city tickets: fly into Madrid and out of Barcelona, or vice versa. This will save you from backtracking and wasting time.
Posted by
Phoenix, AZ
333 posts
We have a son and daughter who were much younger than your boys when we visited Spain, but they still prefer to not share a bed if possible. We stayed at the Hotel Francisco in Madrid and Hotel Continental Palacete in Barcelona, both with 1 double bed and 2 twins. Both hotels have a variety of rooms but we loved these configurations. The Francisco was in a great location and was very new and clean, although I don't particularly love modern decor. The Continental Palacete was an old home with gorgeous but somewhat faded decor. (Actually, our room there seemed to be a living room of sorts (with the twin beds) and then a closed-off bedroom with an attached bathroom. I think they divided up the home as they could!) It had a fabulous location and a buffet, which could save you a lot of money with teen boys!
I agree with the previous poster about flying in one major city and out the other, if at all possible!
Posted by
Washington DC
28083 posts
It's not the same as a personal recommendation, I know, but booking.com makes it easy to see the bed configuration in rooms it suggests. After indicating that you are looking for lodging for one adult and two 16-year-olds, you can set filters related to costs, locations, Wi-Fi air conditioning, etc. It does list apartments as well as hotels.
I'd be careful about apartments in Barcelona, where there has been a great deal of local unhappiness about the impact of Airbnb on local rental costs. However, I don't know whether there are local regulations that could cause a problem (as there are in Paris).
Three nights is extremely short for Barcelona. That would be only 2-1/2 days in the city by the time you get settled in. I'd make 4 nights the minimum there if you don't plan to take a day trip.
Although I love Toledo and think it's a great place to spend the night, on a short trip like this I'd be inclined to treat it as a day trip from Madrid. Checking into a hotel for just one night is such a pain, and I don't see that you have two nights to give to Toledo.
Your last full day is going to be seriously chopped up if you have to take the train back to Madrid from Barcelona. If you're locked into a Madrid round-trip rather than a Madrid/Barcelona or Barcelona/Madrid multi-city flight (check with the airline to see whether you can change at essentially no cost), it would be great to head straight to Barcelona on the day you arrive in Madrid. The tricky part of that tactic is the difficulty of figuring out what train you'd actually be able to catch. Flights don't always arrive on time, and the cheapest flavor of train ticket locks you into a specific departure date and time.
Posted by
OP
Omaha, NE
134 posts
Thanks, I'll check out the recommendations and Booking.
We're locked into arriving and departing Madrid as the tickets were so unbelievably cheap that the three of us are flying for the cost of one person. That's the only way I can afford to take them on an international vacation as a single mom. :)
Posted by
Barcelona + Sweden
4180 posts
What you could consider is taking the AVE train directly after you land in Madrid to Barcelona, spend 5 nights there, then take the AVE train back to Madrid for the last 3 nights in order to maximize your time. You could also spend your first night in Zaragoza, a charming city on the AVE line halfway between Madrid and Barcelona, before continuing on to Barcelona.
Posted by
Fairfax, Virginia
348 posts
Triple rooms are pretty common. Not suites, but rooms with usually 3 single beds.
Posted by
429 posts
One big city is enough per trip. I would pick Madrid if the choice was between Madrid and Barcelona. However, with two 16 year olds I would think Granada, Cordoba and Seville would suit them much better. Leaving from Nebraska I'm guessing you will connect in New York and from there Madrid or London first. Madrid has a great armor display that any 16 year old would love at the royal palace. Granada on the weekend is made for a 16 year old ( and any cool granny too), the buskers are such fun to watch. Cordoba is like a time stopped and you get to see and feel what it was to live 700 years ago. Seville is amazing and 16 year olds would really enjoy Carbonara for the flamenco, its filled with 20 somethings and everybody in between. It's always Airbnb for me as when I travel with family I am not looking for a bedroom I'm looking for a place to connect and relax have coffee in the morning, a home away from home. Enjoy your trip J