We had an absolutely incredible time in Spain! Thank you soooo very much for all of your help! The way we planned the trip was really ideal…3.5 days in bustling and busy Barcelona, followed by 4-days of relaxing beach/pool time in beautiful Marbella…it was perfect!
Our hotel in Barcelona (Avenida Palace) was in a great location…right by Las Ramblas and a ton of shopping/restaurants. We also conveniently hopped on the metra train to get around to a few places, which was just outside the front door of the hotel. The hotel rooftop pool/deck/bar area was a hit, as was the awesome breakfast every morning. The bathrooms in our hotel rooms were updated and really nice, but I would say the sleeping areas were definitely a bit tired, small and dated. I know you kind of expect this from an historical European hotel, so it was really fine. We mainly slept there and were out exploring the remainder of the days/evenings.
La Sagrada Familia and Park Guell were two of our favorite sites. We did a guided tour at Sagrada Familia which included access to the top of one of the towers. The kids loved this (I am glad I did it, but as someone who is claustrophobic and afraid of heights, it was definitely an adventure!!). You have to take nearly 400 stairs down from the top (no elevator down…only up). It was quite the experience, not for the faint of heart.
The train from Barcelona to Malaga was totally fine, but long (6 hours). In retrospect, flying MIGHT have been a better option, but either way – it was easy! We grabbed a taxi from Malaga to Marbella, which was also super easy. Marbella is probably one of the most beautiful places we’ve.