Getting the most out of a family holiday to Spain

While the idea of taking a family holiday to Spain sounds exciting, travelling as a family has its challenges. A recent Kayak survey revealed that nearly 27% of British respondents find family trips stressful due to the planning, booking and preparation required. During a Spanish holiday, where the sights, sounds and environment may be drastically different, it is important to make sure your child is comfortable and happy. This paves the way for a great holiday for everyone.

Here are some tips to ensure a fuss-free family trip to Spain:

Book family-friendly destinations ahead of time

Since Spain is a top holiday destination, establishments and tourist sights in popular areas can get crowded. This often leads to long queues and impatient children. It’s therefore important to book ahead and check the destination has family-friendly activities to enjoy. Don’t let common preconceptions about locations narrow your options. Ibiza holidays are a magnet for tourists. However, while the island is commonly associated with clubbing, many parts are a popular choice for family holidays. San Antonio Bay and Cala Llonga are home to beautiful beach shores with shallow and calm water that are great for paddling with children.

Similarly, a historical city like Seville might seem the choice for older visitors. However, a little research will reveal that it is actually family-friendly. It boasts adventure parks like Isla Mágica and wholesome art performances at Sala Cero.

Take note of the climate in Spain

According to Spain’s official tourism website, the country experiences around 3,000 hours of sunshine each year. The climate is generally mild all year round, but there are regional variations. Popular tourist destinations of Seville and Madrid experience maximum temperatures in the peak of summer, reaching an average of 35-37°C. A particular hotspot is Córdoba, which hit 50°C last summer, and holidaymakers in Mallorca were warned of “extreme risk” due the Charon heatwave. Make sure climate doesn’t adversely affect your family and trip and prep accordingly. Apart from avoiding particularly affected places, take clothes made from lightweight and breathable materials to help your children stay cool. Shirts made from cotton and linen are good summer choices. Ensure you pack the sunscreen, hats and sunglasses for your children. You could even invest in a rechargeable mini-fan to help them cool down on the go.

Be mindful of local customs

While it’s easier for adults to adapt, younger kids may experience a culture shock that can be confusing. For instance, the siesta – a time when most shops and restaurants close – has been a habit-based tradition in Spain for centuries. The break usually lasts from around two in the afternoon until early evening and can catch you unawares. Therefore make sure you get family essentials such as snacks and prescriptions before siesta time.

Another cultural difference is the dos besos greeting. Generally, most Spaniards greet with a kiss on each cheek. This can be surprising for little kids. Teach them about the custom and let them know it’s part of the Spanish identity to ensure they understand what’s going on!

There are plenty more tips and stories on the blog about family-friendly European trips.

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Why a package holiday this time?

The original plan was to go and visit my family in Italy, but we had three flights cancelled within a few weeks. It showed how changeable the travel situation is with Covid. We didn’t want to rebook flights and spend lots of time searching for a villa when there was a very high chance flights would be cancelled again and we’d lose our money on accommodation. We still had aspirations of going abroad but didn’t want the stress. A fully ATOL protected, package holiday seemed the way to go.

Cyprus as a destination

We took Italy off the table as even double vaccinated people are required to quarantine on arrival for five days. A quick look at the EasyJet Holidays website revealed the European countries we could go to quarantine-free. Cyprus was one destination that came up. It ticked the boxes on travel time, sunshine, warm sea and cuisine.  

A friend mentioned The Elysium in Cyprus, saying it was one of her favourite hotels in the World. We looked it up and could see why. We went back to EasyJet and were delighted to see that the very hotel was included in their package holiday to Paphos.

What the package holiday included

The package was much cheaper than booking the separate elements so it was a no-brainer. We pushed the button. It removed all the stress as we knew it was all covered and didn’t have the fear of a last minute flight cancellation. We also didn’t spend hours trawling the web for accommodation to match our flight dates.

The package included:

• Return flights to Paphos
• 23kg of luggage each (including the kids)
• One item of hand baggage each (including the kids)
• Hotel accommodation
• Private transfer from the airport to the hotel

The Elysium hotel

The Elysium is a very elegant, five star luxury resort with a lovely vibe. It boasts some outstanding staff (special shoutouts to Yannis, Luigi and Kiki), fantastic restaurants and a wonderful spa. It also ticked the other box for the kids: having a pool (well not just one but multiple). I loved the private beach, facilities, good restaurants, amazing air con and having staff on hand to offer advice and make bookings. We phoned the hotel ahead of booking to ask about interconnecting rooms and as soon as we’d pushed the button they confirmed them. The rooms are well appointed and serviced very well. We went for bed and breakfast as we wanted to have the flexibility to eat in and outside of the hotel for lunch and dinner.

We didn’t use the kids club, but plenty of people did. I sneaked a peak and the facilities looked great. I also had a blissful few hours at the spa and was treated to massages, facials, scrubs and all sorts of other indulgences.

The Elysium is well situated for exploring Paphos city (Ktima: old town and Kato, the harbour area/new town) itself as well as the expansive Paphos district. It is also right next to the Tombs of the Kings – a Unesco World Heritage Site.

What were the best bits of a package holiday?

Ultimately, in the current climate, the peace of mind is invaluable.

The generous baggage allowance is brilliant. There was no faffing about adding on extra things and incurring more charges once the flights were booked.

On arrival, it was fantastic having someone waiting for us to take us straight to the hotel.

We enjoyed having the great service and everything taken care of. I loved having breakfast sorted every day and the vast and quality selection available. I may have had Champagne before 10am on a number of occasions! It was a bonus not having to clean up the kitchen every day.

The kids particularly loved chilling by the pool and the younger two liked being able to socialise and make new friends. I love how easily kids do this! I’m more of a sea lover than a pool lounger so for me the private beach – and proximity to other blue flag beaches – was wonderful.

The restaurants were top notch. It was great mixing up a more leisurely lunch or evening meal at the hotel with dining out in Paphos.

We thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I was extremely surprised that such a high calibre hotel would be included in a package. We loved the country, food and people.

Hiring a car

A family holiday should have something for everyone. My husband and particularly me wouldn’t enjoy spending all day, every day at a resort. We hired a car via the hotel – at a very competitive price – so that we could do more exploring.

We were able to head over to lovely Latsi/Latchi on the north side of the island, the Troodos mountains and waterfalls, Polis (and Aphrodite’s baths), wineries, countless beaches and villages and even Aphrodite Water Park.

The Covid requirements for travelling

The UK is on Cyprus’ red list so whilst there was no quarantining, my eldest had to have a PCR test within 72 hours of our departure. She also had to have another PCR test as soon as we arrived at Paphos airport. Interestingly (as of August 7th), the test in the UK cost £150 and €19 in Cyprus. Quite a difference!

My husband and I didn’t need to take a PCR test before travel to Cyprus as we are double vaccinated. Our twins are under 12 so they didn’t have to either. With those criteria in place we then had to fill out a Cyprus flight pass.

Cyprus is on the UK’s Amber list. For our return, we all had to have a PCR test within 48 hours of our flight (the hotel organised this and we had it on site), proof of pre-arranged ‘Day 2’ PCR tests in the UK and a completed Passenger Locator form. A word of warning… many of the Day 2 ‘approved’ test providers on the government website are rather suspect. We never found one that actually cost the displayed price.

…..

Would I do a package holiday again? Yes. Would I do a DIY holiday again? Also yes. However, until travel returns to normal I’d definitely stick with the former. I might have a beady eye on what’s available for October half term…

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When I was a kid, we drove to Italy many times so I’m feeling nostalgic.

Driving holiday accommodation

Accommodation in Aosta in Italy

Over a bottle, maybe two, of wine Matt and I plotted our route on the map. As opposed to just burning it down to Italy in the fastest time possible, the drive is going to be a feature of the holiday. 

We’ve booked several self-contained properties through HomeAway, Airbnb and a private rental for on the way there and back in areas we’re particularly interested in visiting. We’re staying for two or three days at each.

Our trip will take us down the eastern side of France, into Switzerland, onto the Italian alps and then onto our final destination: Bordighera in Liguria. Then we’ll travel back up the western side of France.

General holiday preparations

We’ve got our travel insurance in place, renewed our EHIC cards (European Health Insurance Cards), checked passports and are only taking a small amount of Euros we already had.

We’ve topped up our Monzo accounts as this online-only bank doesn’t charge any transaction fees when you use the card abroad.

Covid-19

Because of the current situation we are taking our face masks. We don’t need to fill out any forms relating to Covid-19 for entering France but will have to ahead of our return to the UK.

Driving holiday preparations

We’ve double checked our car insurance cover for Europe and have a European Sat Nav. I have a really comprehensive first aid kit, which is coming with us.  

We’ll also be packing a few pillows so everyone is comfortable in the back and can have a little snooze if they want. 

For driving through France specifically:

Having a breathalyser in your car is mandatory in France; you can get a twin pack for £5.49. It is illegal to have a device that alerts to speed cameras (if caught with one it’s a hefty fine). We will have to disable the alerts on our sat nav.

For driving in France, Italy and Switzerland you must have:

• Reflective warning triangle
• High visibility vests
• Headlamp beam deflectors
• GB sticker

For driving on motorways in Switzerland you need a vignette (sticker).

International Drivers License Reminder

Before embarking on your driving holiday to Italy, you must check whether you need an International Drivers License to drive legally in the countries you’ll be visiting, including France, Italy, and Switzerland. Ensuring you have the proper documentation will help prevent legal issues and ensure a smooth journey.

Emovis Tag

We’ve got an Emovis Tag for travelling on the French motorways. This a great idea as it enables automatic payment at motorway tolls. You beat the queues by being able to use any lane with this symbol and there’s often a tag-only lane:

It means no scrabbling about for change or a credit card; the barrier automatically lifts on scanning your tag and you just drive right through. You’re invoiced and pay by direct debit later. We also received a free GB sticker with our tag! 

Boredom busters for a driving holiday

Car games

We’ve got quite a few games for the car (other than i-spy) up our sleeves. I’ve written about them here: Car Games for Long Journeys. The French car plate game is a must; I’ve downloaded the sheets ready for them to fill. I’ve also got sheets for a ‘motorway treasure hunt’ and ‘minor roads treasure hunt’ courtesy of France for Families.

The girls love traditional Cluedo, so I’ve bought the Cluedo card game, which I’ll wrap up as a little surprise for them to open on the way.

Music

We’ve all created our own Spotify playlists. There’s a nifty little gadget
that lets you play your digital music via the car’s stereo. It’s been trialled already and it’s very good!

Audio books

My eldest tends to feel sick if she reads in the car so audio books are the way forward. The kids are recently registered (via school) with MyON. It’s a personalised digital library that gives access to over 5,000 digital books, which can be downloaded to read offline.

Snacks

We’re taking an arsenal of snackage both healthy and not: grissini, fruit, nuts, sweets, crisps plus plenty of water and Capri Sun Fruity Water (a new favourite).

Digital devices

The iPods and iPad are coming with us so they can play games. We’ll also download a film or two. I don’t mind them spending some time on them as long as it’s mixed up with other activities.

A few little pressies

The aforementioned Cluedo card game is one small gift, but I’ve got a few others that I’ll wrap up for them to open along the journey. I’ve bought them some lovely personalised stationery, a new pack of pencils each in a tin, some hair accessories and some cheapo bath bombs.

Wish us luck!

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