Hi all,
We are going on a last family trip before our son graduates from college, and have chosen to travel to Spain, travelling January 2 - 14. I would like advise on our itinerary and have some questions. We are a group of 7, my husband and I, our two children (23 and 20) our son's longtime girlfriend (23) and her parents. This trip is a bit shorter than I would like for some of the cities, but we really can't spend more time at the moment.
This is what our itinerary is looking like.
Jan 3 - arrive in Madrid 7:00 am (arriving on a direct flight). Staying in Catalonia Puerta del Sol. Plan to go to Congreso de los Diputados (if we can secure tickets for 12:00 pm), and then a guided tour of the Palacio Real y Catedral de Almudena scheduled for 2:30 pm (already have tickets). I know it's risky for the first day but we're willing to deal with that.
Jan 4 - Toledo day trip. Trying to decide if we take the 9:15 or the 10:15 train. The idea is to take a cab to Mirador Del Valle, and then have them drop us off at the Mirador Puente Alcántara. From here walk to Alcazar, walk to Cathedral, and see some of the other sites close to Cathedral before returning to Madrid on the 7:25 pm train.
Jan 5 - See the Museo de Arte Reina Sofía at 10:00 am. Go to Corte Inglés or other shops for a bit of shopping. Have lunch like around 3 pm and pick up a picnic for later. Try to find a spot to see the "Cabalgata de Reyes". How early would we have to line up for this?
Jan 6 - Visit Museo del Prado (open with reduced hours). Walk to Puerta de Alcalá and then Plaza Mayor. Return to hotel in late afternoon for a rest and packing. Have 8:00 pm reservations for "El sobrino del Botín".
Jan 7 - Depart for Granada on the 9:35 am train, which arrives at 1:11 pm. Staying at the NH Collection Granada Victoria. After bag drop visit the Cathedral and the Royal Chapel (if not enough time, leave one for the next day), and some of the marroquí monuments.
Jan 8 - Visit Alhambra (Tickets already purchased). Arrive around 9:00 am, and have tickets to the palace for 11:00 am. Dinner at Atelier Casa de Comidas (Celebrating a Birthday). Any other restaurant suggestions welcome.
Jan 9 - Leave for Seville on the 10 am ALSA bus, arriving at 1:00 pm. Staying at the Soho Boutique Catedral. After bag drop off, see "La Giralda". Flamenco Show this night.
Jan 10 - See the Alcazar, Plaza de España, and any other sights we might fit in.
Jan 11 - Train to Barcelona. Staying at the H10 - Universitat.
Jan 12 - Parc Guell in the Morning, Sagrada Familia in the afternoon.
Jan 13 - Trying to decide if we do a trip to Monserrat. Would this be pleasant in the winter?. Visit to Camp Nou.
Jan 14 - Fly back home.
I have a few questions:
- How important is it to have reservations for dinner at this time of year?
- How early would we have to line up for the Three Kings Parade, and are there any areas along the route you would recommend?
- There is a possibility that there will be an FCB game vs Atletico de Madrid on the 11th. I have already signed up to be notified about ticket sales. How far in advance to they go on sale, and how fast do they go? Would I be able to purchase 7 tickets? We'll only go if we can find reasonably priced tickets. If we can't. we'll just go to the stadium and museum.
- Any restaurant recommendations, or anything that I am missing? Suggestions are welcome.
- Will most restaurants be closed Jan 5 at night or on January 6?
Thank you for reading if you made it this far.
PS Spanish is our native language, and Three Kings Day is a big deal to us. This has greatly influenced our itinerary.