Travel Information Needed...Please

[Rolltide]

If I had to pick five cities in Spain BESIDES Barcelona that would be most critical to see, they would be Madrid (several days needed), Toledo, Seville, Cordoba, and Granada.

 

[Lexee15]

Thanks everyone for all your help:thumbsup:!!! Rolltide, thanks for the links, I know they will be very helpful.

Now, I know some have advised that I not travel with ds…what are your recommendations if I don’t have a choice and have to take him with me? Maybe a pros and cons breakdown of traveling with a 3yo (if he does go he’ll probably be 3 by then)?

 

[Rolltide]

Thanks everyone for all your help:thumbsup:!!! Rolltide, thanks for the links, I know they will be very helpful.

Now, I know some have advised that I not travel with ds…what are your recommendations if I don’t have a choice and have to take him with me? Maybe a pros and cons breakdown of traveling with a 3yo (if he does go he’ll probably be 3 by then)?

Cons: Most tours will not let you bring children under a certain age, usually 8 or 10. Nine hours on a plane to Europe with a fussy child could be a nightmare. Jetlag will make him exceptionally cranky for a couple days. It will be very difficult to find “American” food that he will enjoy. Spanish food will probably NOT be a popular choice among young children (unless he absolutely loves things like spicy ham or squid). If you are going to bring him, you’ll almost have to do the trip on your own, and go at a MUCH slower pace.

Pros: Hmmmm… No need to find someone to watch him back home?

 

[Lexee15]

Cons: Most tours will not let you bring children under a certain age, usually 8 or 10. Nine hours on a plane to Europe with a fussy child could be a nightmare. Jetlag will make him exceptionally cranky for a couple days. It will be very difficult to find “American” food that he will enjoy. Spanish food will probably NOT be a popular choice among young children (unless he absolutely loves things like spicy ham or squid). If you are going to bring him, you’ll almost have to do the trip on your own, and go at a MUCH slower pace.

Pros: Hmmmm… No need to find someone to watch him back home?

, ok that made me laugh!!!

The good thing is that ds has been on planes from Chicago to California since he was 12 weeks old, apx. every 3 months or so (total travel time is about 8-10 hours depending on connections, etc.). For the most part he’s been good on the plane rides, he sleeps or we watch movies, I carry snacks and lollipops for take offs and landings (alleviates ear pressure/pain) and quiet toys. We’ve been to Orlando (just he and I) and driven from Central California to Washington State…about 13 hours in a Yukon.

Also, he’s pretty good about eating, luckily not a real picky eater and he likes spicey stuff…we are Mexican after all . Oh, and we speak Spanish fluently, so I’m sure that will help with this particular trip:thumbsup:. We’ll see what happens…I’ve heard of people always taking their kids on trips, was I mistaken?

 

[Rolltide]

Well, you certainly have some advantages. Being fluent in Spanish will be exceptionally helpful in Spain. Very few Spaniards speak passable English (compared to other countries in Europe). You might want to practice your Castilian lisp though! The jetlag might be the biggest issue. If you arrive at an odd time, you can tell an adult to stay up until 8 pm or so, so that they don’t throw their system off more. That might be challenging with a three year old. It may also be very difficult to hold their attention in an art museum like the Prado. Traveling overseas tends to magnify all of the problems you might normally have with a child by a factor of two or three. It also might not be permitted to bring a child that young to something like a flamenco show.

Now, that said, it’s entirely possible to bring a three year old, and he might do just fine. Understand though that an overseas trip will make traveling across country seem like a walk in the park. You’ll need to schedule some things for him. Tours tend to be pretty regimented, and the bus will NOT wait for you if you’re not ready. I have SEEN people left behind, and if that happens, you have a real problem.

Getting back to the food topic, I’m not sure how familiar you are with Spanish food. When I’ve taken students overseas from the college I work at, it tends not to be a favorite in the way that Italian or German food might be. Paella, of course, is the most famous dish, and will have rice combined with every sea food you can possibly think of (and generally still in it’s original shell, including the shrimp). Gazpacho is quite good, as are the astounding varieties of hams that they have. Spaniards are conissours of ham like the French are for wine. Some rare hams can go for over $1000! There will be lots of seafood, especially heavily salted ones. The squid in Spain is about as good as it gets, assuming you like squid. You’ll also find excellent flan and chorizo, but you should already be familiar with that.

 

[Lexee15]

Well, you certainly have some advantages. Being fluent in Spanish will be exceptionally helpful in Spain. Very few Spaniards speak passable English (compared to other countries in Europe). You might want to practice your Castilian lisp though! The jetlag might be the biggest issue. If you arrive at an odd time, you can tell an adult to stay up until 8 pm or so, so that they don’t throw their system off more. That might be challenging with a three year old. It may also be very difficult to hold their attention in an art museum like the Prado. Traveling overseas tends to magnify all of the problems you might normally have with a child by a factor of two or three. It also might not be permitted to bring a child that young to something like a flamenco show.

Now, that said, it’s entirely possible to bring a three year old, and he might do just fine. Understand though that an overseas trip will make traveling across country seem like a walk in the park. You’ll need to schedule some things for him. Tours tend to be pretty regimented, and the bus will NOT wait for you if you’re not ready. I have SEEN people left behind, and if that happens, you have a real problem.

Getting back to the food topic, I’m not sure how familiar you are with Spanish food. When I’ve taken students overseas from the college I work at, it tends not to be a favorite in the way that Italian or German food might be. Paella, of course, is the most famous dish, and will have rice combined with every sea food you can possibly think of (and generally still in it’s original shell, including the shrimp). Gazpacho is quite good, as are the astounding varieties of hams that they have. Spaniards are conissours of ham like the French are for wine. Some rare hams can go for over $1000! There will be lots of seafood, especially heavily salted ones. The squid in Spain is about as good as it gets, assuming you like squid. You’ll also find excellent flan and chorizo, but you should already be familiar with that.

I’m going to look into the different itineraries and see what there is to do for a 3yo, although the beach would be perfect cause ds loves it!!!

Frankly, I’m a bit more concerned about the food for me, I am definitely more picky than ds is. I am soooo not a seafood eater, I like shrimp, lobster, fried calamari, crab…stuff like that, but I am not a fresh fish eater at all:blush: . I’ve never been a fan of paella because of the seafood they put in it.

A pp mentioned renting an apartment…I am going to look into that, especially because of the food. I can shop for groceries, make our own food and pack lunches…maybe that will minimize the worry of eating out, to a certain degree. I also like the idea of the outdoor markets, there should be a lot to choose from there:thumbsup:!!!

There is a page with info on traveling with kids on the Rick Steves website, I’m going to read that and see what the recommendations are. Anymore information would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

[kage_ar]

We did a big family Italy trip with two little kids - 2 and 4 year olds AND an adult in a wheelchair (me).

The girls did have a couple of meltdowns (Florence is not fun and interesting for little kids, but, Florence does have a McDoalds that serves beer ).

The upside, we had 5 able bodied adults, so, we did some tag-teaming on childcare.

Traveling with a friend/family member might be a great idea.

 

[KCT]

A pp mentioned renting an apartment…I am going to look into that, especially because of the food. I can shop for groceries, make our own food and pack lunches…maybe that will minimize the worry of eating out, to a certain degree. quote]

We lucked out in that our apartment in Rome was across the square from a grocery store! Two years ago I stayed in a convent and that was around the block from a market and deli.

If you find some apartments online, call and ask about a grocery near by. Transporting gorceries on a bus or subway w/ a toddler doesn’t sound fun .

 

[dixieagle]

no offense, but a 3 year old won’t comprehend what he is experiencing. it will be undo burden on you and your child. three years ago we travelled to paris and rome with a 10 and a 12 year old, they enjoyed it for awhile and but it was still too much for them./QUOTE

So sorry that this has been your experience. We traveled abroad with our two girls from the time they were 4 years old, and 8 months! We have photos of the little one in the “baby backpack” on her dad’s back in front of Notre Dame.

I wish I had specific Barcelona info, but Spain is one of the few European countries we have not yet seen. I also think Rick Steves is just the best - great practical information, great website.

We have searched out playgrounds, children’s museums, parks, etc., and always tried to keep things lowkey. One of our favorite trips included a visit to Disneyland Paris - we like it infinitely better than Disney World - far fewer people. It is easily accessible by train from Paris. (Don’t know if that’s feasible for you this trip…)

We did lots of picnicking - getting bread, cheese, fruit, pastries from shops; much easier than keeping little ones well-behaved in restaurants all the time.

Best of luck with this. Our trips with our (now-grown) girls have been one of the highlights of our lives.

 

[Lexee15]

chewchoo;3251074:

no offense, but a 3 year old won’t comprehend what he is experiencing. it will be undo burden on you and your child. three years ago we travelled to paris and rome with a 10 and a 12 year old, they enjoyed it for awhile and but it was still too much for them.

Thanks for this , I really needed to hear some positive experiences about traveling with little ones. I almost forgot about a trip I made with ds to southern Mexico:doh2: for two weeks!!! Of course, the plane ride wasn’t as long as a trip to Europe, but it was almost 5 hours, then we got the rental car and drove for, about, 6 hours to our destination:thumbsup:.

It was my sister, 3yo nephew, ds 22 months and I. Granted, the drive would have been shorter had it only been the adults, we stopped more often for the kids and dn threw up once. Other than that it was a good trip, of course my parents have a house there so we stayed there and cooked, but when we go to Mexico we are ALWAYS very careful with the food and water, is Europe better than Mexico in this regard?

I think one of reasons I want to take ds with me is because I want him to be part of this amazing experience even if he doesn’t remember it, he will be in the pictures:thumbsup:. I know I will have to slow it down, everything has since he came into my life, but I don’t mind. There are only two places that I have to go to, which are the reason I’m going…everything else will be a bonus. I love the Paris Disneyland idea…I might look into this and spend a couple of days doing this for ds, I think it’s fabulous!!!

 

[mschrank]

no offense, but a 3 year old won’t comprehend what he is experiencing. it will be undo burden on you and your child. three years ago we travelled to paris and rome with a 10 and a 12 year old, they enjoyed it for awhile and but it was still too much for them.

Agree, leave the child. No point and a hassle for you.

Spain is a great country, I’ve been to Europe 5 times and I lived there for years. PM me if you want more info.

 

[Rolltide]

Another potential issue to keep in mind. Many castles and palaces do NOT have restrooms on the tour, since they were not built for modern plumbing. If you happen to be on the 2 hour El Escorial tour, and your child needs a potty break, you may have a real problem. The first time I went overseas, I was touring a castle in Germany when my brother got sick from food poisoning. Unfortunately, one could not leave the tour until it was completed, and he ended up vomiting right in the throne room! Fortunately, my mom (being smart) had a gallon ziplock bag in her purse, so he didn’t destroy any of the valuable rugs. However, we then had the pleasure of carrying around a clear plastic bag of vomit for the next hour (which pleased everyone else on the tour endlessly… )