Spring break with your family: Spanish highlights

Though it might seem early to start thinking about how to spend your family’s spring vacation, it’s actually the perfect time to start planning. Prices are low, lines are nonexistent and temperatures are cool without being cold- it’s a great time to bring your family to explore Europe!

As you are getting ready to start preparing for the holidays and all the hectic fun that comes with the end of the year, taking on vacation planning can seem like a crazy idea- and that’s why we are here to help! An expert travel planner takes the stress and worry out of organizing your dream family vacation.

It’s smart to start planning a spring break trip as soon as possible, for all the reasons listed above and also another- getting through the holiday stress gets a little bit easier when you know you have a special vacation coming soon after!

There are so many great European destinations for families in the early spring, but this week we will be focusing on an all time favorite for families with kids of all ages- vibrant, beautiful Spain.

Starting in Spain’s capital, Madrid, is a great stepping off point for your Spanish holiday. It’s easy to find direct flights, and the historical center provides a wealth of options for tours with kids. Our Madrid city tour pairs an expert, kid friendly guide with an examination of the history and sites that make Madrid- and Spain- so important. The royal palace will have kids of all ages dreaming about long ago (and current) kings and queens. The plaza mayor is another interesting site to get kids thinking about life in Madrid centuries ago, and keeping tours interactive and visual insures that no one will get bored, and they will be learning without even realizing it. We can also provide kid friendly (and time friendly) tours of some of Madrid’s most famous museums. Though the city is world famous for places like the Prado, museums can be a tough sell for little ones. Keeping a tour active, short and specially targeted to kids means that you’ll get to see the art you wanted to without boring the rest of the smaller ones.

Beyond the sites and history, Madrid offers many gastronomic adventures for family, many of them foods your kids might already be familiar with- who wants to try and find the best churro in the city? A gastronomic tour of Madrid’s markets and a hands-on Spanish cooking class is always a favorite with our budding mini-chefs.

From Madrid, you are also positioned perfectly for a day trip to the city of Toledo, only 30 minutes away by train. Though it’s so close to Madrid, Toledo couldn’t feel more different. It’s an amazingly preserved walled city and full of interesting pieces of a history that mixes Muslim, Jewish and Christian influences. Kids of all ages love the walls and walking the old streets of the city. For budding knights, you can also see sword making being done at a few of the shops in the city- Toledo is famous world wide for the quality of their handmade sword, armor and metal products. Older kids and their parents who are looking for a bit more adventure might also like to try the zip line from the old town wall to the other side of the river. It’s not for the faint of heart, but is certainly a whole lot of fun!

After a few days exploring Madrid, your family might enjoy a change of scenery by heading south to the charming city of Seville. A few hours by high speed train makes it quite easy for you to arrive in this Andalusian gem. Seville is a small city that is full of beautiful streets, open squares, and lots of car free places where your kids can roam without worry. It’s also very walkable and mostly flat, which is great for a stroller. A fun, easy day can be spent exploring Seville’s main park, Maria Luisa, and Plaza de España. The park itself is full of lots of lush greenery and fountain which makes exploring particularly fun for little ones, and the lake in Plaza de España is also a special treat. You can rent a small boat to paddle around the lake, and the whimsical arched bridges are a blast for kids to burn off steam running up and down.

Seville is also famous for its amazing Alcázar. We can organize a half or full day city tour with one of our expert child-friendly guides that can also include advance tickets, so it makes getting in to this incredibly popular site hassle free. Once inside, your guide will be able to show you the highlights (and help you spot some peacocks, perhaps)!

If time permits, an easy side trip from Seville can bring you to the town of Córdoba, once one of the most important cities in Europe and now a charming, colorful site worth a side trip. The Mezquita has the unique distinction of being both a mosque and a cathedral, and its whimsical red and white “candy cane” interior entrances visitors of all ages. The old streets of town, especially the Jewish quarter, are fun for kids to “get lost” and explore, and you never know when a left turn will lead you a beautiful white and blue alleyway full for foliage and flowers starting to bloom.

Does Spain sound like your ideal spring destination for your family? Contact us to learn more about what tours we can offer your family and how we can help you put together a tailor made itinerary for your dream Spanish vacation!