Get off the well-trod tourist path and experience the Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia that local Spanish families see; with discounts for kids and grandparents.
Spain is bursting at the seams with delicious food, mid-day siestas and notorious late-night partying. For a multi-generational family vacation, however, you might be in search of a little more than the world’s best paella (although you can never go wrong with the traditional Valencian rice dish!). Here’s how to make the most of your visit with school age children.
Barcelona for Kids
Parc Guell
Ronder General Mitre 226
08006, Barcelona
34 (0) 93 413-2400
This park, now a World Heritage Site (designated by UNESCO), was designed by Antonà GaudÃ. The stunning architecture pulls visitors into a different world. Be sure to check out the famous mosaic dragon. Also keep an eye out for the Room of a Hundred Columns, with 84 crooked pillars of glass and ceramic mosaic, and the Gran Placa Circular, a balcony of brightly colored mosaics that also offers a spectacular view.
Poble Espanyol (Spanish Village)
Av. Marques de Comillas, 13
08038, Barcelona
34 (0) 935 086-300
The Poble Espanyol was built in 1929 as part of the Barcelona International Exhibition and can still be visited today. It includes a 12-acre open-air museum with architecture from Andalusia, Catalonia and Aragon. This “museum” depicts a Spanish village – with 117 buildings, streets and squares it is a “village within a city.” The Children’s Village has craft workshops and kid’s shows games and storytelling; check the website for a calendar of events. Reduced admission for seniors, students with ID, and children ages 4-12. Ask about family discounts as well.
Tibidabo
Pl. De Tibidabo, 3-4
08035, Barcelona
34 (0) 93 211-7942
This famous amusement park sits on top of a hill at the highest point in Barcelona. It can be accessed by the last remaining trolley in the city, the Tramvia Blue. A four-dimensional movie theatre, amusement park rides and Robot Museum are sure to provide hours of entertainment for the family. Reduced children’s admission based on height. The Tibidabo is open daily from 11 am between early March and early December.
Toy Museum of Catalonia
Carrer de Sant Pere, 1
Hotel Paris Figueras
17600, Catalonia
34 (0) 97 2504-585
The Toy Museum of Catalonia boasts more than 4,000 objects, including dolls, puppets, miniature theatre sets, tricycles and more. You can chart toys through time, and many are accompanied by old photos showing children playing with the toys. Several objects in the museum had famous owners, such as Salvador Dali, Federico Garcia Lorca and Joan Miro. This fun museum has extended hours in summer.
Madrid for Kids
Parque del Buen Retiro (Retiro Park)
Plaza de la Independencia, s/n
Madrid, 28001 Spain
34 (0) 91 588-8790
Family members of all ages will be delighted and amused by the street performers in Retiro Park. Here they can also ride in horse-drawn carriages, rent a rowboat to go out on the lake, or watch the puppeteers perform shows. This is the most popular park in Madrid, so it is a great opportunity to immerse yourself in the local environment and get a feel of what life is like there.
Museo del Prado
Ruiz del Alarcon 23
28014, Madrid.
34 (0) 91 330-2800
Housing European art from the 12th through 19th century curated by notable scholars including Pablo Picasso himiself, the palatial Museo del Prado was founded as a museum for paintings and sculpture. Today it houses thousands of drawings, prints, coins, medals, and decorative art. Entrance to the permanent collection only is free Tuesday-Saturday from 6-8 pm, Sunday from 5-8 pm and on certain Spanish holidays. Children under age 18 are always free.
Madrid Zoo and Aquarium
Casa de Campo
s/n 28011, Madrid
34 (0) 90 234-5014
The zoo has more than 5,000 animals from 5 different continents, and the aquarium has more than 500 species. A big crowd-pleaser at the zoo is the panda collection; two baby pandas arrived in December 2010. If you’ve got antsy young travelers with you, check out some of the great hotel/zoo package offers that grant families a room and breakfast, plus free admission to the zoo, aquarium and nearby Warner Bros. theme park.
Safari Park at Aldea del Fresno
Carretera de Extremadura N-V
KM32, Madrid
34 (0) 91 862-2314
The Safari Park offers an opportunity to see animals like elephants, rhinos, hippos and giraffes not native to Europe. Its prime location is close to a lake and the Alberche River. The safari aspect – viewing the animals from a car – offers a different experience than the typical walk-around zoo and makes for a fun day outing. Reduced admission for children ages 3-10; under 3 free. The park is open daily year round from 10:30am to sunset.
Madrid SnowZone
Puerto Navacerrada (Xanadu) 4
28939 Arroyomolinos, Spain
34 (0) 902 361-309
For a day of winter fun (even in the summer), check out Madrid SnowZone. The adventurous among you can tube down 800-foot slopes, and the calmer in the bunch can play in the snow. Building snowmen, making snow angels and even having a good ‘ol-fashioned snowball fight is a great way to relax from the stress of your travels and bond with the family. It’s also totally refreshing in Madrid’s humid summers. Staying in town awhile? Sign the kids up for their ski racing team.
Valencia for Kids
L’oceanografic at City of Arts and Sciences
Junta de Mars i Valls
Valencia 46013
34 (0) 90 210-0031
Europe’s largest marine park has 500 species of animals and 45,000 fish within a large science center complex. There are seven aquariums with different environments, underwater tunnels with sharks, and a dolphin aquarium. A contact pool allows you to get into the water and touch some of the animals. Regular activities such as Saturday morning music classes aimed at parents with children up to 4, in which music and stories about the sea are shared, as well as Shark Sleepovers, can be found on their website. L’oceanografic also has several restaurants where you can stop in to reenergize before you check out the rest of the facilities. This futuristic “city within a city” also has a Hubble telescope and rotating exhibits, a planetarium, science museum and performing arts center. Reduced general admission price for kids ages 4-12; group rates available as well.
Terra Miticia
Autopista A7, Exit 65A
Benidorm, Alicante
34 (0) 90 202-0220
Located on the Mediterranean coast south of Valencia, this large theme park offers a variety of rides and nearly 80 shows a day. Count on hours of family-friendly entertainment, including water rides for those notoriously hot days. Major rides have smaller replicas for young children. Grab the kids and go for a ride on the Magnus; Colossus, the longest wooden coaster in Europe! The attractions are divided into themed areas representing Rome, Greece, Iberia, The Islands, Ocionia and Egypt, so get ready to explore! Inquire about their reduced admission with the Family Pass; open seasonally.
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Hi, the Ski and Snow Vacations for Families article it is well written and is very useful.
I love spending time in London. I think if you want to spend time out of the city, Brighton is also a great place to visit, especially as it’s close by. There are a number of family-friendly hotels, too, like The Brighton Hotel:
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It’s a steam excursion train, shorter ride, probably many kids on board. This would be better suited to younger children. Much better choice for the under-12 set.
Ralph
Originally created as a recreation area for employees of the Hershey Chocolate factory, today Hershey Park boasts plenty of chocolate paraphernalia, as well as roller coasters and a water park. Tickets include admission to the nearby ZOOAMERICA. Originally owned by the Knott’s jam producers, Knott’s Berry Farm amusement park is one of the older parks in the US, Knott’s Berry Farm is a classic for those looking for thrill rides, water rides and family fun.
Hi Ralph, thank you for your reply. I haven’t booked it yet as I had similar reservations that since it’s an 8-hr journey, it will not be wise to take the kids at this age but would love to take them on a shorter train tour, I’m currently looking at the Jacobite express (here in the UK).
Hello Zeb,
For children under 10, It would simply be too long a day in too confined a space for them, might get a little boring for them after the first 20 minutes; it’s an eight-hour journey.
If they are active, there isn’t a lot of room to run around on the train, which is smaller than the ones we are used to here in the U.S.
If you have already booked a space, and will have toddlers or young children, suggest you bring lots of things to keep the little ones entertained.
Ralph
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Have been to Switzerland but missed the Glacier Express, I’ve heard it really one of the best train journeys in the World with amazing mountain/alps view. Is it good to travel with kids 7 and 4 years old) too, since it’s 8 hours long?
Sunlight, particularly in late summer and fall, sets off the production of anthocyanin. Cloudy weather dampens production and leads to less colorful displays. Many scientists argue that warming temperatures do not have much to do with the intensity of color, only with its timing: when it appears and how long it lasts. But Howard Neufeld, a professor of biology at Appalachian State University in North Carolina, said climate change could eventually affect the complex processes in leaf senescence and lower anthocyanin production, dulling the autumn reds.
Gladiator School – My new favorite thing to do in Rome. We did this on our last trip to Rome and both kids and adults absolutely loved it. Instructors are great. Highly recommended. Book far in advance. (Pictured above.) Walking Tour: Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill – Excellent guided tour of Ancient Rome. Skip the line to enter all three sites. Very kid-friendly.
Deer Valley caters to families with kid-friendly skiing, child care programs and a limited child-to-instructor ratio. Because Deer Valley sells a limited number of daily lift tickets, tiny tots and pint-sized groms have plenty of room to work on their pizza wedge and French fries. Other amenities include a Children s Center, Adventure Camp and furry mascots on the Adventure Trails. I grew up skiing here and learned to love the mountains and snow at this resort. The amenities are top notch and the food is amazing. As a young kid, when the skiing got tough, I would always head inside and get delicious food and hot cocoa. See more Deer Valley reviews here .
Fall is very busy in the mountainous regions with the influx of leaf peepers from the New England area, around the United States and the world. In these extremely popular areas, you ll want to make lodging reservations at least several weeks ahead, especially on weekends. Columbus Day weekend (Oct 7-9, 2017) is another time in which advanced booking is advised throughout the region.
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Traveling to other cities with your kiddos? Don’t miss Curbed’s maps of the best family activities
Good to know : West Valley is open daily from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Apples are $0.85 a pound. Follow their Facebook page for updates on U-pick apples. And be sure to bring containers for their popular juice pressed right on site!
Minneapolis, Minnesota is a great pick for outdoor-loving families thanks to kid-friendly (and free) favorites like the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, home to more than 40 outdoor works of art
You can’t go wrong with a safari and I would recommend booking with a company like Timbuktu Travel. Have a look at their safari travel tips – .
The K Bar S Lodge, built in 2006, is located a short distance from Mount Rushmore. It is quietly secluded on 31 forested acres and away from busy streets. Battle Creek winds its way throughout the property and the large meadow in front of the Lodge is often a playground for deer and turkeys. As a single traveler it was so fun to be with this group. It s much nicer to be with others when you share a great experience or see something wonderful. And, it s safer than traveling alone. I m hooked on Road Scholar.
Rockefeller State Park offers seasonal activities including hiking, running, bird-watching, fishing ( New York state fishing license required), picnicking, horseback-riding, carriage-driving, photography, painting, and geocaching (park permit required). Sleepy Hollow and neighboring Tarrytown have a deep immigrant history resulting in a rich mix of cuisines: Italian, Greek, Mexican, Indian, French, Portuguese, Irish, Japanese, Dominican, Chinese, Ecuadorian, Thai, Moroccan, and Chilean. Foodies should not miss the Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow farmers market at Patriots Park where you ll find fresh Hudson Valley produce, meat, bread, and wine.
Speaking of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, don t miss out on seeing the Rockettes show-stopping leg kick precision chorus during the holidays at Radio City Music Hall.
Jimmy Buffet s restaurant is a short walk from the Comfort Suites Paradise Island Hotel and Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island. What could be better than eating a literal Cheeseburger in Paradise? Pairing it with a yummy margarita, of course.
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Make sure you check out the new sustainable Christmas Market in Berlin!! Its located by Hacksnshiremarkt!
What s more exhilarating than seeing the city from 108 floors above the world-famous Las Vegas Strip? Jumping off it. Strap in and face your fear as you jump off the side of SkyPod at The STRAT.
Have you ever dreamed of creating your own ice sculpture? The Quebec Winter Carnival has just what you’re looking for! Bring your group to our Ice Sculpture Workshops under the guidance of a team led by none other than Marc Lepire, chief sculptor of Bonhomme’s Ice Palace! During this one-hour event, you will learn the workflow of master sculptors and enjoy the unique experience of carving your own solid ice block with your group of 2 to 4 people. Free all-you-can-drink hot chocolate will keep you warm throughout the frosty fun.
When you’re travelling with your kids, indoor-fun options are a must no matter what the season. Montreal saves the day with all kinds of activities, from adventurous physical feats to skill-testing games and educational entertainment.
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We have traveled through several airports in Germany but never Munich. We will keep Munich on our list for the next trip through Europe since it sounds like the best place to have a stop over with kids. Thanks for the review and the information for kids to do in Munich Airport.
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