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Christmas time visit to barcelona + suggestion to other nearby places
Saying hello from India. I am going to visit Barcelona (because of the warmer weather) during Christmas break for 11 days with two kids (aged 2 and 5). I have been told that 4-5 days would be a good time to look around the spots in Barcelona.
So I am looking for suggestions to travel around which have warmer climate like Barcelona. It seems Madrid would be much cooler so that might be a problem. I would prefer to travel around in Train to go to other town/cities if possible.
Also, what things should I keep in mind during the Christmas Eve/Day? I suppose most of the things would be closed.
Hi R.N,
If you go to Girona and decide to go by car, I would recommend you visit the Dalí Museum of Figueres ( www.salvador-dali.org/en/museums/dali-theatre-museum-in-figueres/visita-virtual/ ). It's only 45 minutes from Girona by car.
Going from Barcelona to Valencia, the places I know are: Tarragona, Port Aventura and Peñíscola.
Tarragona on the Roman Empire was one of the most important cities of the Mediterranean and still retains many remains of its buildings as the Roman Amphitheater. Tarragona it is a very nice city to visit.
Port Aventura is a theme park. It's very fun and it also have some attractions for small children ( one of its tematic areas is dedicated to young children, Sesamo Adventure ). Children pay entrance from 4 years old. In winter it is closed except for the Christmas school holidays ( from 24th November 2018 to 6th January 2019 ). You can stay in hotels inside the park.
Peñíscola is a very pretty small coast town, with walls and a castle. In the summer it's an ideal family destination because of its beaches.
Another place I have visited, on the outskirts of Valencia, is l'Albufera. A huge lake where you can go for a relaxed walk in boat and observe birds.
(*) This response has been automatically translated ( see the original text in spanish ).
Hello Cecilia,
Anything you suggest between Valencia and Barcelona?
Thanks Ceciclia. From talking to other folks, they also suggested Valencia. I think I will be doing: Barcelona, Valencia and Girona. Now just need to plan out the dates.
Hello from Spain,
4-5 days to visit Barcelona is enough.
Madrid at Christmas is very nice, but as you say it is very cold and with young children I do not recommend it. Another drawback is that, at Christmas, there are usually many people and it is difficult to walk through the streets of downtown Madrid.
A city that at Christmas is not so cold and that is also very beautiful is Seville. From Barcelona to Seville you can go with the high speed train ( AVE ) in 5 hours and a quarter. It is more expensive than the normal train, that takes 11 and a half hours, but the trip is much faster and more comfortable especially if you go with small children. The AVE train is taken at the Barcelona-Sants station and arrives at the Santa Justa Station in Seville. I have checked a website for train ticket reservations that I usually use and AVE tickets for Christmas dates, can not be bought yet, but you can see ticket prices if you put closer dates ( www.viajeselcorteingles.es ). At Christmas, in Spain many people travel by train, especially on high-speed trains to celebrate Christmas with their family. If you decide to go on AVE train to Seville from Barcelona on Christmas, you must buy tickets in advance, to avoid problems.
If you think that Seville is too far from Barcelona, another interesting option may be Valencia. By AVE train from Barcelona there are 3 hours and 15 minutes. Valencia has two AVE arrival stations ( Joaquim Soroya and Estació del Nord ), you can get off at both, everything depends on where your hotel is, but you should know that the Estació del Nord is a little closer to the center of Valencia.
Valencia is a city that I personally liked a lot when I visited it. It has several unique buildings like those of the City of Arts and Sciences designed by an internationally renowned spanish architect, Santiago Calatrava ( Valencia Photo Gallery ) . Another good thing about Valencia if you go with small children is that it has one of the best aquariums in Europe, the Oceanográfico and a beautiful zoo, the BioPark.
About your last question, December 24 in Spain is a working day (nothing is closed), although in the afternoon, all the places close a little earlier this day . On December 25 you can only walk around the city, everything is closed.
Greetings from Spain.
(*) This response has been automatically translated ( see the original text in spanish ).
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