Madrid precruise,Barcelona family of 5

[Emma1]

We are sailing on disney 7/9/2011 from Barcelona for 11 nt med cruise. I thought of going to Madrid first for a few days and then a few days in Barcelona before the cruise. We are a family of 5 and would appreciate your thoughts:

-how many days in each place?

-do we figure on day in between to be a travel day? Or can we time it not to lose a full day?

-train or plane from MAdrid to BArcelona?

-hotel/apt for a family of 5(kids are 11,14,15)

-do we do a private tour for one day in each place or on our own (keeping in mind that we are trying to be economical as we have the cruise excursions to pay for - but I don't want to tire my family out before the cruise even starts).

-any other recommendations/thoughts ( restaurants/shopping/etc)would be most appreciated

[CruiseLiz]

Hi Emma,

We were on a Disney transatlantic this April and we stayed in Madrid for a few days after the cruise. I prefer Madrid over Barcelona (of course that is just my opinion) so I would spend more time in Madrid and maybe 2 days in Barcelona.

 

We are sailing on disney 7/9/2011 from Barcelona for 11 nt med cruise. I thought of going to Madrid first for a few days and then a few days in Barcelona before the cruise. We are a family of 5 and would appreciate your thoughts:

-how many days in each place? It depends on how much time you have. I think 3 or 4 days in Madrid and 2 days in Barcelona are good. Also, you can take a day in Madrid and train out to other towns like Toledo - there are not really a lot of day trips from Barcelona that you can take.

-do we figure on day in between to be a travel day? Or can we time it not to lose a full day? The train to Barcelona from Madrid is only 3 hours, so if you take an early train you can have a full day in the other city.

-train or plane from MAdrid to BArcelona? Train. Book your tickets approximately 60 days before your travel date and they should be on sale. Last year we were able to get tickets for only 45 Euros per person. This is cheaper and more pleasant than a plane flight - especially when you consider that they don't limit your luggage on the train.

-hotel/apt for a family of 5(kids are 11,14,15) We like the Hotel Europa. It is in a great location and the bakery on the square outside is fantastic for breakfast each morning.

For a family of 5, I would do a triple room and also a double. The two older children can sleep in the double and mom, dad and the 11 year old can sleep in the other....or all kids in the triple and mom and dad in the double.

-do we do a private tour for one day in each place or on our own (keeping in mind that we are trying to be economical as we have the cruise excursions to pay for - but I don't want to tire my family out before the cruise even starts). We do not speak much Spanish but were able to do Madrid on our own. Just know some basic phrases and learn how to use the Metro there. Highly recommend the Prado museum and the Palacio Real, also Retiro Park is great.

In Barcelona I would hit the Sagrada Familia and Casa Mila, also the Gothic Cathedral.

-any other recommendations/thoughts ( restaurants/shopping/etc)would be most appreciatedHighly recommend getting Rick Steve's Spain guide - either buy it or check it out from the library.

Also, make sure you time your meals right in Madrid. The locals there eat dinner very late - like 10 or 11 in the evening - so be prepared for that.

 

I hope that helps! :)

[Emma1]

Thank you for your input - very helpful. The train definitely sounds better than the plane. Now to start budgeting!:o

[riffatsea]

If the cruise ends in Barcelona , perhaps do a few days in Madrid before the cruise and a few days in Barcelona at the end. I just LOVE Barcelona!!!

There is enough to see and do there for several days depending on your interests. IF there are soccer fans then a visit to Nou Camp is a great idea even if you don't actually watch a match.

There a good hop on hop off bus with 2 different routes or you can easily plan yourself as the city is not hard to manage. Besides Nou Camp there's wild architecture by Gaudi with buildings you can visit and/or Parc Guell.

La Pedrera(one of the buildings) has a rooftop that is amazing!

There's also the castle (like a fort) on top of Montjuic and the Magic Fountain light/music show at night. There's a Chocolate Museum that has fun classes workshops and of course if you are interested there are churches and a historical museum with Roman ruins underneath. Barcelona is a vibrant modern city with old areas too. NO need to stay in Las Ramblas which is the tourist trap area. Staying anywhere near Placa Catalunya(put it into Google to see map) would be convenient.

[hkto]

We are sailing on disney 7/9/2011 from Barcelona for 11 nt med cruise. I thought of going to Madrid first for a few days and then a few days in Barcelona before the cruise. We are a family of 5 and would appreciate your thoughts:

 

Try to buy a open jaw ticket that flies into Barcelona and leaves Madrid (or vice verse if timing is better). Usually the same price as return ticket; will spare you one leg from Madrid to Barcelona

 

-how many days in each place?

 

Assuming that you are not considering out of town trips 2 days in each is ok. Most attractions in Madrid and Barcelona are central and reachable on foot or public transit. Side trips are worth it (if you have time) and usually take at least 1/2 day each. Example will be Monserrat from Barcelona; Toledo or Segovia from Madrid. Also first day on arrival is not very productive as jet lag kicks in.

 

-do we figure on day in between to be a travel day? Or can we time it not to lose a full day?-train or plane from MAdrid to BArcelona?

 

Now fast AVE trains from Madrid for Barcelona make it in 3 hrs and run often. If money is no object that will be the choice. AVE o/w ticket is around 115/89 euros (adult/child unless you get a 50% off advance purchase special). Planes are much cheaper (40 to 60) but add cost of taxis and time to and from airport; Madrid Barajas is about 1 hr on public transit and may be 35-min on taxi.

 

-hotel/apt for a family of 5(kids are 11,14,15)

 

check booking.com. they have filters for apartments and display maximum occupancy beside each room in property. Also check hotels that are part of Accor chain (Novotel, Mercure, Sofitel, Ibis). Sometimes they sell "City Break" product for families that offer 50% off second adjacent room + breakfast in the rate.

-do we do a private tour for one day in each place or on our own (keeping in mind that we are trying to be economical as we have the cruise excursions to pay for - but I don't want to tire my family out before the cruise even starts).

 

You can buy it of course but I am not a fan of private tours in big cities. For fraction of the cost you'll get to all attractions that you want to see on public transit.

[CruisinGerman]

Dear friends:

 

For your stay in Madrid, don't do private tours. Buy the Madrid Card (see madridcard dot com).

 

It costs 72 euros per person for three days. You get:

 

Unlimited hop-on-hop-off touristic bus;

All museums, including Prado, Thyssen, Sorrolla, Royal Palace, El Escorial/Valle de los Caídos

Tour of the two soccer stadiums

Madrid amusement park

Madrid zoo

Madrid "Parque Faunia" environmental park

Coupon good for a glass of wine and tapas at El Corte Inglés,

much much more.

 

You get priority entrance, no lines, at museums, Royal Palace, etc.

 

Just the hop-on-hop-off bus costs 17 euros per day if purchased separately.

 

This pass is a true bargain, in my opinion.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[Emma1]

Thank you all for the great advice. The AVE info, Madrid card, and the potential side trips. Now to look into the prices of the hotels and convince my husband to add Madrid on - he is the one that will be the most exhausted and least flexible. These cities sound very doable on our own at our own pace. A cruise sounds relaxing but once you want to do as much as possible at each stop - you really are not on the ship all that much. I think we will fly straight home after the cruise and do the cities pre cruise.

[Kerry's Girls]

For a family of five in Barcelona, I'd check out Hispanos Siete Suiza. It's a hotel with apartments, so you could have a 2 bedroom apartment with the benefit of a kitchen, living room, washing machine, etc. for about the same price as two hotel rooms. I loved the location near Sagrada Familia and a quick walk to two different subway stops. The neighborhood is also full of different restaurants, take-aways and fast food.

 

I agree with all the advice you received here about exploring on your own. I was SO glad I didn't pre-purchase Hop On/Hop Off tickets, because once we were there I saw how easy it was with a guide/map to use the metro and walk everywhere (except Parc Guell, which we took a taxi to).

 

Best,

Mia