Spain spring break- can’t decide

[Anonymous]

I bought tickets back in March for myself and my kids (5&8) to Spain-in/out Madrid for spring break.

7 nights with late night arrival/departure. I originally booked us to spend half the trip in Madrid and 2nd half in Valencia but then air bnb cancelled our rental in Madrid maybe a month ago.

I had been considering Malaga instead of Valencia… but I’ve had a really rough 6 weeks and haven’t had the emotional energy to think about it like I normally do. I haven’t thought about travel at all and travel planning is my hobby :/ I need to make new reservations before prices shoot up more.

I love adorable towns/cities that have beautiful architecture and are easy to navigate with kids. I may bring our travel stroller for my younger child because I’m solo and he gets tired (he’s tiny!!).

Help me just make a decision and what neighborhood should we look at?

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Madrid:
Ocean Drive or Bless Hotel

Marbella (near Malaga):
Boho Club

Malaga:
La Zambra (promotion for 4th night free)?

[Anonymous]

Seven nights isn’t very long. If your flights are in/out of Madrid, I would just stay there, perhaps pairing with trips to nearby places like Toledo, Segovia and/or Ávila. You don’t have time to go to Valencia or Malaga and then get back to Madrid, especially with children those ages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seven nights isn’t very long. If your flights are in/out of Madrid, I would just stay there, perhaps pairing with trips to nearby places like Toledo, Segovia and/or Ávila. You don’t have time to go to Valencia or Malaga and then get back to Madrid, especially with children those ages.

This. Visit Sevilla for a couple of nights, and that’s it other than Madrid.

[Anonymous]

Valencia is my least favorite city in Spain, it smells like swamp and is ugly. Many people will disagree with me, but i said what I said.

Girl, go to Barcelona. Yes. The whole week. Just book a flight on iberia's hourly "puente aereo" (air shuttle) from barajas to el prat, and book an airbnb or nice hotel in BCN, and go live life. Enjoy the architecture, your kids can dig in the sand on the beach, bask in the sunshine and palm trees, eat pan amb tomat, etc.

When you have only 6 days and two kids solo traveling, do not bother with second rate coastal cities like Malaga (overrun with tourists now), Valencia, marbella, etc.

Have a solid back up plan in terms of credit cards and phone etc in case you get pick-pocketed. With juggling two little kids as a solo traveler mom who will probably be taking the subway etc, I highly recommend a money belt or something similar under your clothes.

As others have said, you can also stay in Madrid. There are a lot of pros to Madrid--no extra travel, super efficient and clean metro, lots of parks and plazas and playgrounds. But Madrid is kind of a perpetually dreary city, and if it rains, it makes it a lot harder to entertain little kids because there are very few indoor kid-friendly activities in the city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Valencia is my least favorite city in Spain, it smells like swamp and is ugly. Many people will disagree with me, but i said what I said.

Girl, go to Barcelona. Yes. The whole week. Just book a flight on iberia's hourly "puente aereo" (air shuttle) from barajas to el prat, and book an airbnb or nice hotel in BCN, and go live life. Enjoy the architecture, your kids can dig in the sand on the beach, bask in the sunshine and palm trees, eat pan amb tomat, etc.

When you have only 6 days and two kids solo traveling, do not bother with second rate coastal cities like Malaga (overrun with tourists now), Valencia, marbella, etc.

Have a solid back up plan in terms of credit cards and phone etc in case you get pick-pocketed. With juggling two little kids as a solo traveler mom who will probably be taking the subway etc, I highly recommend a money belt or something similar under your clothes.

As others have said, you can also stay in Madrid. There are a lot of pros to Madrid--no extra travel, super efficient and clean metro, lots of parks and plazas and playgrounds. But Madrid is kind of a perpetually dreary city, and if it rains, it makes it a lot harder to entertain little kids because there are very few indoor kid-friendly activities in the city.

Ugh, no, Barcelona is way too touristy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Valencia is my least favorite city in Spain, it smells like swamp and is ugly. Many people will disagree with me, but i said what I said.

Girl, go to Barcelona. Yes. The whole week. Just book a flight on iberia's hourly "puente aereo" (air shuttle) from barajas to el prat, and book an airbnb or nice hotel in BCN, and go live life. Enjoy the architecture, your kids can dig in the sand on the beach, bask in the sunshine and palm trees, eat pan amb tomat, etc.

When you have only 6 days and two kids solo traveling, do not bother with second rate coastal cities like Malaga (overrun with tourists now), Valencia, marbella, etc.

Have a solid back up plan in terms of credit cards and phone etc in case you get pick-pocketed. With juggling two little kids as a solo traveler mom who will probably be taking the subway etc, I highly recommend a money belt or something similar under your clothes.

As others have said, you can also stay in Madrid. There are a lot of pros to Madrid--no extra travel, super efficient and clean metro, lots of parks and plazas and playgrounds. But Madrid is kind of a perpetually dreary city, and if it rains, it makes it a lot harder to entertain little kids because there are very few indoor kid-friendly activities in the city.

Barcelona is a disaster. Are you kidding me?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Valencia is my least favorite city in Spain, it smells like swamp and is ugly. Many people will disagree with me, but i said what I said.

Girl, go to Barcelona. Yes. The whole week. Just book a flight on iberia's hourly "puente aereo" (air shuttle) from barajas to el prat, and book an airbnb or nice hotel in BCN, and go live life. Enjoy the architecture, your kids can dig in the sand on the beach, bask in the sunshine and palm trees, eat pan amb tomat, etc.

When you have only 6 days and two kids solo traveling, do not bother with second rate coastal cities like Malaga (overrun with tourists now), Valencia, marbella, etc.

Have a solid back up plan in terms of credit cards and phone etc in case you get pick-pocketed. With juggling two little kids as a solo traveler mom who will probably be taking the subway etc, I highly recommend a money belt or something similar under your clothes.

As others have said, you can also stay in Madrid. There are a lot of pros to Madrid--no extra travel, super efficient and clean metro, lots of parks and plazas and playgrounds. But Madrid is kind of a perpetually dreary city, and if it rains, it makes it a lot harder to entertain little kids because there are very few indoor kid-friendly activities in the city.

Ugh, no, Barcelona is way too touristy.

Maybe BCN is touristy because it's AWESOME? If you don't believe me, read this lovely write-up of a DCUM'ers trip to BCN in august
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/15/1055110.page

[Anonymous]

Barcelona is the most overrated city in Europe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Barcelona is the most overrated city in Europe.

💯
Marbella witg little kids and Madrid

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Barcelona is the most overrated city in Europe.

+1 went there for the first time at 20 years ago hated it, again 10 years ago hated it, and now I have to go 1-2 times a year for work and dread it.

[Anonymous]

She’s got tiny babies. They’re going to want to swim and have lunch and roam / walk around. No one is going to museums and the like.

Temper expectations for this trip

[Anonymous]

All the major cities in Europe are packed to the gills with tourists this fall, with no signs of slowing down. I suggest picking a secondary or tertiary location and parking there for the week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She’s got tiny babies. They’re going to want to swim and have lunch and roam / walk around. No one is going to museums and the like.

Temper expectations for this trip

Umm, 5 & 8 aren’t tiny babies. I spent two weeks in southern Spain with my similarly aged kids last year and we did the Alhambra, cathedrals, multiple museums, a cooking class, a tapas tour and a flamenco show among other activities. They had a great time. (And yes we also factored in plenty of pool time, ice cream breaks and visits to toy shops). I don’t understand why so many dcumers are bent on infantilizing elementary school aged children and avoid exposing them to cultural sites.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She’s got tiny babies. They’re going to want to swim and have lunch and roam / walk around. No one is going to museums and the like.

Temper expectations for this trip

+1. Temper expectations. It’s a short trip and long flight likely with a little jet lag. When traveling with little kids, particularly solo, you’re just parenting somewhere else.