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We are trying to schedule a vacation the end of April for one week. We are already living in a Balkan country. We have thought it might be nice to explore Spain while we are here. Anyone care to share their experience in visiting Spain? What part of Spain is a good choice? We have an 8 y.o. child that will be going with us. Thanks.
Depends what you like. If you want warm, dry weather, you'd probably go to the south? Maybe land in Madrid and head on south to Jerez de la Frontera, Andalucia. There are lots of different parks (amusement parks and regular) and interesting playgrounds for children. Hot chocolate with churros would be a must, and some places show the churros being made.
Barcelona has La Sagrada Familia and there are other sources for interesting Gaudi architecture, not all of them in Catalonia.
We spent last Christmas following the spectacular coast of the north of Spain, from east to west. We flew into Toulouse, France and trained it to San Sebastian, which I cannot recommend highly enough. We then rented a car and traveled all the way to Santiago de Compostela. That took about 10 days. There were several smaller towns along the way that we truly enjoyed, along with the Picos de Europa.
Hope this helps just a bit.
BTW: Which Balkan country are you in?
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For 8 y.o., consider this
Quote:
We flew into Toulouse, France and trained it to San Sebastian, which I cannot recommend highly enough. We then rented a car and traveled all the way to Santiago de Compostela. That took about 10 days. There were several smaller towns along the way that we truly enjoyed, along with the Picos de Europa.
(add Carcassonne for SURE) and stay in Agritourismos (Dairy is nice for excitement and helping on farm)
Very fun and pretty! good memories. For a 'couples' trip, do Barcelona, when kids older do south of Spain. When kid is 20... they can enjoy Barcelona on their own !!!
Spain is Very big and diverse country, and not one to be enjoyed QUICKLY or en-whole. VERY seperatist, and you will enjoy your trips to understand and appreciate why.
have a great time. plan fun things for child and enjoy being a child yourself for a while. Plenty of time (too much) to be grown up and miss the special eyes / interests of a child. We lived in Spain when kids 8-10 and let them shop daily for food and manage menus and currency (b4 euro), Roller Blades were IMPORTANT to them in Barcelona. So we skated. They were good troopers as we traveled every week but a few. They were happy to get home, but hardly ever complained (just of sore bottoms from riding in car / train)
enjoy the journey. Wild Flowers and Basque region hillsides will be very pretty. Enjoy the variety of foods and EAT local places, not hotels. (We always share meal with locals if possible and travel via 'home-stays').
Hey,
It depends how long you are planning to stay in Spain.
If you have a month then I would recommend two weeks in the South and two weeks in Catalunya. It is sensational. If you have less than a week, I owul prioritise the North of Spain. The climate is gorgeous, when are you palnning on going?
The Spanish love family and are children oreintated. I have been to Spain many times, Madrid the south Malaga and Majorca and now live in the Barcelona. I highly recommend this area as there are many great resorts within easy reach, Sitges, Zarzgona and mcuh more.
If you get Gaudi overload then venture out to some Dali treats. He has a great surrealist vibe that your 8 year ole will love!
There are some great properties on Divino Villas which will make a remarkable holiday, sensational!!!
[url=http://www.divino-spain.com/villa_rentals_catalunya/grid/rating/list.htm]Villas in Catalunya[/url]
Madrid's capital is more affordable compared to Paris and London for budget travelers if you stay at hostels and take advantage of menu del dia....while Barcelona is possibly the most expensive Spanish city.
Southern Spain is even cheaper and Spaniards are somewhat more friendly down there.
I was in Spain for 18 days in May 2008, traveling alone from Barcelona to San Sebastian to Madrid to Granada to Tarifa...
With only eight days, you'll have to limit yourself to a part of the country. I would recommend either the Basque Country (my favorite) or Andalucia (warmer weather). I would not recommend Madrid (although I have a grudge against that city for some reason) or staying too long in Barcelona, although Gaudi's architecture is a must-see and the trip up Montjuic in the cable car is also unforgettable. Your kid will probably enjoy both of them (you can walk up a spire in Sagrada Familia). If you can afford it, I would strongly suggest renting a car for a few days to explore the countryside and small towns (but not San Sebastian, Granada, etc., where having a car would actually work against you). I wish I did when I was there.
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We lived in Spain when kids 8-10 and let them shop daily for food and manage menus and currency (b4 euro), Roller Blades were IMPORTANT to them in Barcelona. So we skated. They were good troopers as we traveled every week but a few. They were happy to get home, but hardly ever complained (just of sore bottoms from riding in car / train)
