Spain Trip in Review: From a Dad’s Perspective

Enjoy the wine

The Destination: It’s not just about the journey, right?

We originally planned to go to Portugal but we could not pass up the round-trip tickets we found to Barcelona. Our trip included:

• Barcelona: Day 1-3

• Costa Brava: Day 4-7

• Sitges: Day 8-10

Park Guell

The Crew: Who Made the Cut (and Who Got Left Behind)?

If you saw our crew coming, you’d see we didn’t leave anyone, or anything behind, except our goldendoodle Corduroy – some day, buddy, some day). All jokes aside, we packed extremely light because we had to fit into 1 rental car.  Here’s who made the cut:

• Dad: The driver. My claim to fame on this trip was safely transporting this crew to and from every city.

• Mom: The travel agent. Even if she waited until the last minute to find our next Airbnb, my wife always pulled through.

• Papa: The copilot. He was the trusty navigator who sat shotgun on our drives.

• Nana: The easy go lucky one.  With a group of 8, it’s always refreshing to have someone willing to go anywhere and do anything.

• Nama: The referee.  Grandma booked her ticket two days before we left and she came in clutch to make sure everything was fair (and she was the queen of bribery). 

• Oldest Daughter: The cautious one.  She may be only 8, but she is the reason we are always on time, even on vacation

• Middle Daughter: The adventurer. At 5, she doesn’t let her age stop her (and sometimes we had to fib just so she could go on rides and climb the church towers)

• Youngest Daughter: The runner.  Don’t let her age fool you, her little 3-year-old legs runs on all cylinders until she crashes.

More Wine - even when kids are all over you

The Quest: How many “Are we there yet?’s” does it take to actually get there?

Regardless of your flightpath, a trip from the United States to Europe always feels like a full (24 hour) travel day.  Here is how we got there, and how we got around:

• Flight path: Minneapolis/St. Paul International (MSP) -> Amsterdam Schipol (AMS) Airport -> Barcelona El Prat (BCN)

• Transportation in Barcelona:  We were able to get everywhere by walking and metro (with the exception of Park Guell, highly recommend a bus since it is a steep hill)

• Transportation outside of Barcelona: we opted for a 9-passenger van.  Some of the switch backs and parking ramps were tight but it allowed us to travel to cities outside of the train routes.

The Budget – Did this trip break the bank or was it a killer sale?

Since we got great airfare prices, and we were traveling outside of the peak season, this trip was more reasonable than we expected.  Here is a breakdown of the biggest expenses:

• Flights: < $500 a person

• Car Rental: $700 for 1 week

• Accommodations: Ranged from $375 (Sitges) - $550 (Costa Brava) per night

  • Barcelona: Born Apartments - Apartments in the city center of Barcelona (decoapartmentsbarcelona.com)

  • Costa Brava: Luxury with private beach views - Villas for Rent in Tossa de Mar, Catalunya, Spain - Airbnb

  • Sitges: Sitges Spaces Mediterranean Apartments 4 Bedroom - Apartment in Passeig Vilafranca 18, Entresuelo 1º , Sitges

  • Airport hotel: Sleep & Fly Barcelona Airport Hotel | Sleep & Fly Hotel (sleep-fly.com)

• Food: Grocery stores were more reasonable compared to the United States, and breakfast of fresh pastries/coffee was never more than $30 for the group.  We would typically splurge more on dinners ($25-30 per adult, $10 per kid) and don’t forget to budget for nightly gelato.

The Cuisine – on a scale from ‘Happy Meal’ to ‘Gourmet Feast,’ how did the local grub stack up?

We always encourage our girls to try new foods at home, so the local cuisine, with its vibrant array of tapas, fit well with our parenting.

The Hiccups – What were the mishaps/misfortunes or plot twists? Because, not everything can be rainbows and butterflies, right?

Life’s journey often includes a few detours, and ours was no exception. We made pit stops at the pharmacy for an unexpected earache and to deal with the aftermath of a curious caterpillar, each incident resolving quickly so we were back on the right path.  And when a passport went missing, we learned that even the most daunting obstacles could be overcome. Here’s what you can learn from our experience:

1. Report the Loss: Make a beeline for the nearest police station to file a report. It’s an essential first step for what comes next.

2. Embassy Appointment: Get in touch with the U.S. Embassy without delay. In Spain, our choices were Barcelona or Madrid. Timeliness is crucial for these interviews – the appointment time was 9-12, no exception.

3. Cash (or Card) is King: You’ll need to leave your electronics at the door of the embassy. If you’ve also lost your wallet, ensure you have cash or a card to cover the passport fee. Otherwise, they will tell you to take a walk (to find the nearest bank)

4. Passport Pickup: The embassy can be surprisingly swift, issuing a new passport within 24 hours. Be punctual when returning to collect it (for us, there was only a 1 hour time slot, so be prompt).

The Ah-ha moment – With all the stress and planning that goes along with a trip, what was the core memory that made it all worth it?

We saw the Sagrada Familia, explored the Mediterranean waters in Costa Brava, hiked the castle at Tossa De Mar but the spontaneous stop at the winery (Wine Village. Wine Village. Wine tours at Finca Viladellops) outside of Sitges on our last day was one of my most cherished memories.  Maybe it’s because my daughters sat through a 3-hour meal without fitting, maybe it’s because the wine paired perfectly with the food, or maybe it’s because we all survived a 10-day, European vacation with 3 generations.  As we reminisced over the trip’s highlights, shared laughter and stories, I knew it was all worth it!

The Dad Hacks – What it all boils down to?

1)      Always pack snacks. Snacks are the duct tape of parenting - they fix everything – for the kids, parents and grandparents because we all get hangry.

2)      Take the multigeneration trip.  I am sure people thought my wife and I were crazy to bring the three girls to Spain.  They probably thought my parents and mother-in-law were even crazier to join but we would all do it again in a heart beat.  Plus, it helps to have extra hands to hold your beer as you are cleaning up spilled milk (because even spilled milk happens on vacation.

3)      Embrace late dinners. There is no other option in Spain.  Let the kids take a quick stroller nap in the middle of the day, or better yet, let them fall asleep at dinner (they won’t kick you out, we know from experience).   

4)      Find time for 1:1 moment. One early morning, my wife took our 3-year-old out for a breakfast treat where she met a little girl her age.  They shared orange juice and a croissant, but neither understood the other’s native language.  Within minutes, they were dancing around like ballerinas and the language barrier didn’t matter.  My daughter still talks about her “new friend in Spain” and it will always be one of my wife’s most cherished memories. 

5)      Remember, kids live everywhere so if you forgot something, you can buy it when you are there. 

And there you have it, the dad’s tale of our Spanish escapade. Now, where did I put those passports…