- What is the best time of year to go to Spain?
That is really subjective, it completely depends on what you want to do/see and where you want to go. Anytime between April and October would be good, however July & August are going to be high season and in August many things will be closed b/c that is when Europeans head to their vacations-- beach resorts will be very busy at that time of year.
- As you all know I have a 2yo son (he’s almost three), should I take him with me (I would love to share this with him) or leave him with family? If I take him with me, should I travel with another adult (maybe my mom or sister)?
Don’t take your 2yo.
- Should I look for a group to go with (a group pilgrimage) or would traveling by myself be easier to do with a toddler?
If you’ve never traveled internationally before, a group might be a good way to go-- honestly a woman traveling alone in Spain isn’t a great idea, especially if you’ve never traveled internationally or don’t speak the language. Tour groups like Trafalgar tours are reputable and safe. They are efficient and help you get oriented. The drawback is that you go where they go, and you are limited on time b/c you have to follow their schedule.
My trick: I order catalogs/brochures from tour companies and then copy their itineraries. They often have the best routes/itineraries, can give you an idea of the amount of time to allocate (but you need to add in some extra b/c they often are super efficient and you have to have add the “I wonder where the train station is” factor) and then I just add/change/delete as I see fit.
- What would be the least expensive way to take this trip?
Research the cr*p out of all your options and make a spreadsheet. Visit websites like Rick Steves, Frommers, etc. Buy a couple of travel guides and if you are going it on your own get a good map of Spain-- one of those map books that has all the roads so you can compute distance, time, gas usage (gas is very expensive over there).
Compare rental car prices (go through
www.kemwel.com as they are the cheapest I’ve found for Europe) to train prices (research train passes on the Eurail website) and other public transport like buses and subway in cities. In the cities, a car is a pain, but driving across country it’s often a good way to see sites. Eurail also has train/drive passes where you get X days on train and X with rental car.
Go online and research hotels and different levels of prices. The dollar is weak so buying things in dollars ahead of time can be a good idea-- car rental, hotel, train tickets, etc-- if you can.
Plan your itinerary to the last iota. Research admission prices to attractions/museums, research museum passes and such and add that in to your costs.
- How long should the trip be to make sure that it is a positive and fun experience (I hate feeling rushed
)?
Again, subjective. Depends on what you are trying to see and do and where they are located geographically in proximity to each other. Remember, 2 days will be travel, and the first day you will have jet lag. For a major city like Barcelona, Madrid, etc, I’d allow at least 2 days or 3 if possible and you have to allow travel time (more research of train schedules)-- and Toledo is a day trip from Madrid. Santiago de Compstello is in the far NW corner of Spain, that’s a trip all of its own.
- Where else should we go/visit since we’ll be in Europe already?
Spain is a very large country. Don’t try to overdo it. Unless you happen to book a flight on an airline that goes through another country-- for example, if you flew British Airways and changed through London-- then do an open jaw flight and stay over in that city a few days if budget and schedule allow.
Also, check with Iberia Airlines-- the national airline of Spain-- to see if they have package deals. Check American airline companies too for their international packages. And, don’t forget about travel agents-- international travel is where they are really worth it. They can often get good ticket prices.
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