Barcelona and San Sebastian Must Dos

[Anonymous]

We are going to Spain this summer (5 days in Barcelona and 5 in San Sebastian) and I would love a sample itin or just recommendations on things to do with four kids (14yrs, 14yrs, 12yrs and 11yrs).Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Great visit! We've done the MAD-SS-Barca trip several times.

Assuming it's your first time in Barcelona, I recommend:

- Parque Guell
- Sagrada familia
- Montjuic
- La Pedrera/Casa Batllo
- Boqueria market

I would then just stroll gothic quarter, Born, raval neighborhoods.

I would avoid Ramblas if at all possible. Barcelona is a city of 3-4 days so you might get bored at the 5th day. If you are game to try something different, rent a car and head out to La Costa Brava (about a 45 min drive) and cehck out the little beach towns. Really nice for a day trip.

San Sebastian:

La Concha beach is great
Mt Urgull hike
Monte Igueldo funicular
Old town for pinxtos

The one thing I'll stress about SS is that it's a foodie's paradise. Please seek out the Txuleta (beef cut - similar to rib eye). Bar Nestor has an excellent one but it's been a few years. The food is outstanding and it's just great to stroll from bar to bar eating pixtos (note, it is a much better food experience than your typical tapas bar).

Also, SS is small so if you want to venture out, I recommend a day trip to Biarritz. It's a 45 mins drive.

Good luck - I love SS.

[Anonymous]

This place is great. It is very close to the La Sagrada Família. The architect who designed it was Gaudi mentor. It is never very crowded.


Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau

A city within the city. Sant Pau is the world’s largest Art Nouveau complex, as well as being the most important work by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, the architect of Modernisme, the Catalan Art Nouveau.
Declared World Heritage by the UNESCO in 1997 for its singularity and artistic beauty, the Art Nouveau Site comprises an architectural complex of 12 pavilions set in green space and interconnected by a kilometre of underground galleries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Great visit! We've done the MAD-SS-Barca trip several times.

Assuming it's your first time in Barcelona, I recommend:

- Parque Guell
- Sagrada familia
- Montjuic
- La Pedrera/Casa Batllo
- Boqueria market

I would then just stroll gothic quarter, Born, raval neighborhoods.

I would avoid Ramblas if at all possible. Barcelona is a city of 3-4 days so you might get bored at the 5th day. If you are game to try something different, rent a car and head out to La Costa Brava (about a 45 min drive) and cehck out the little beach towns. Really nice for a day trip.

San Sebastian:

La Concha beach is great
Mt Urgull hike
Monte Igueldo funicular
Old town for pinxtos

The one thing I'll stress about SS is that it's a foodie's paradise. Please seek out the Txuleta (beef cut - similar to rib eye). Bar Nestor has an excellent one but it's been a few years. The food is outstanding and it's just great to stroll from bar to bar eating pixtos (note, it is a much better food experience than your typical tapas bar).

Also, SS is small so if you want to venture out, I recommend a day trip to Biarritz. It's a 45 mins drive.

Good luck - I love SS.

I agree with all of this.

Another day trip from SS is St Jean de Luz - just wonderful.

https://www.saint-jean-de-luz.com/en/

Consider a food-focused tour of Barcelona - this company gets wonderful reviews:

https://devourtours.com/destinations/spain/barcelona/



https://devourtours.com/

[Anonymous]

Montjuic for sure.

In San Sebastian there's a little amusement park (very small, old, fun) which my kids liked. We also really enjoyed the aquarium. It has a lot about shipbuilding and fishing too.

[Anonymous]

If the kids play soccer, then you should add Camp Nou stadium and museum. Hordes of Barca fanatics, but my kids loved being able to run on the pitch and visit the locker rooms and imagine being a pro. And the beach - Barceloneta - is a blast with some fantastic restaurants (and some awful ones) right on the sand. Adventurous teenagers may enjoy the El Raval. Mine liked the graffiti and hipper vibe but others could be put off by the rougher aspects of the neighborhood. We borrowed a friend's house in a quiet upscale neighborhood (Sant Gervasi) to get a feel for everyday life and let the kids free-range to the market and make friends with other kids on the street. Our best days were away from the tourist core along Las Ramblas but Palau Guell is stunning and a morning of human statues and the pet markets can be fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Great visit! We've done the MAD-SS-Barca trip several times.

Assuming it's your first time in Barcelona, I recommend:

- Parque Guell
- Sagrada familia
- Montjuic
- La Pedrera/Casa Batllo
- Boqueria market

I would then just stroll gothic quarter, Born, raval neighborhoods.

I would avoid Ramblas if at all possible. Barcelona is a city of 3-4 days so you might get bored at the 5th day. If you are game to try something different, rent a car and head out to La Costa Brava (about a 45 min drive) and cehck out the little beach towns. Really nice for a day trip.

San Sebastian:

La Concha beach is great
Mt Urgull hike
Monte Igueldo funicular
Old town for pinxtos

The one thing I'll stress about SS is that it's a foodie's paradise. Please seek out the Txuleta (beef cut - similar to rib eye). Bar Nestor has an excellent one but it's been a few years. The food is outstanding and it's just great to stroll from bar to bar eating pixtos (note, it is a much better food experience than your typical tapas bar).

Also, SS is small so if you want to venture out, I recommend a day trip to Biarritz. It's a 45 mins drive.

Good luck - I love SS.

I agree with all of this.

Another day trip from SS is St Jean de Luz - just wonderful.

https://www.saint-jean-de-luz.com/en/

Consider a food-focused tour of Barcelona - this company gets wonderful reviews:

https://devourtours.com/destinations/spain/barcelona/

https://devourtours.com/

Great advice from these PPs. Enjoy! I love SS.