I am finally taking the whole family to Spain this summer and I need some advice. We have the opportunity to stay in Galicia: La Coruna to be exact. My question is, how would you divide the 3 weeks. We were thinking of a week each in Madrid, Barcelona, and Galicia, but a few experts have recommended spending 2 or even all 3 of the weeks in Galicia. Two of us have been to Spain before and two of us have never been. What would you recommend for us? The goal is to make this the first trip of many, not the last trip, so the opportunity to go back to other places is open. We like good food, sports, and culture. Please advise.

You'll(ABSOLUTELY) LOVE northern Spain, teachertraveler8. I GAR-UN-TEE you!

You have 3 weeks. As in 21 days? Are you flying into/out of Madrid? I'll guess so.

Since 2 of the 3 already know Madrid well, consider spending just a day or two in Madrid upon arrival to get-your-head-straight after the flight.

Then head up to (La/A Coruña) Galicia directly. Spend 5-7 days day-tripping around Galicia. Then head east through Asturias and Cantábria and The Basque Country-País Vasco for 7-10 days. Get to Barcelona City and spend 3-4 days. Then back to Madrid for your last night.

BIG QUESTION: Will you be going by car? To see northern Spain properly, you do kind of need a car as there are so many mountain/hilltop villages worth visiting which aren't accessible to even buses. If you're sticking to the cities, however, you'll be fine by train/bus.

Saludos, MadridMan

We are planning to fly into and out of Madrid as opposed to doing an open jaw into Madrid and out of Barcelona. I was thinking we would fly to La/A Coruna directly upon arrival and spend 10 days to two weeks in that region, perhaps like you described and then back to Madrid for the final week. Madrid is such a great city and I feel like I "know" it fairly well to be able to guide my family around.

We were planning to rent a car for that exact reason.

We spent 7 days last summer just in Rias Baixas near Vigo and Oerense. I wish I could have stayed longer.
I think MM has a good suggestion. If you are up there, why not drive through pais vasco (Bilbao, San Sebastian) and then on through to Barcelona.
A few days in Madrid should be on everyone's itinerary, IMHO.

I totally agree! Driving through the north of Spain is a highlight! You will love it.
I think you should spend as much time in Galicia as possible (I am a bit biased, I know!) and make sure to stop in Bilbao to see the Guggenheim, stop by San Sebastián (such a wonderful city!!) and your family and you will love Barcelona too! I agree that a couple of days in Madrid at the beginning to get adjusted to the time difference makes sense.
I have family in A Coruña and the surrounding area! You will love it!

Thanks, all. My concern with road-tripping through Spain is finding places to stay along the way. Is it worth it to pack up the car every few days and move along toward another destination? I was thinking of staying in one general area and really getting to know the villages, countryside and sites of that region versus trying to make it from Madrid to Barcelona with the north in the middle. If I did tour the north a few towns at a time, is it difficult to find lodging? Would I have to do that in advance? I want to enjoy Spain and see a lot, but I also want time to enjoy being with my family in a relaxing manner, too.

My favorite route.
From Madrid to Donostia-San Sebastian,then Santander and you can see Santillana del Mar it´s necessary,San Vicente de la Barquera,Llanes,the national park of picos de Europa you can see the Covadonga lakes, Cudillero for to eat a wonderfull fish,Luarca, and then all Galicia, of course, in car.
A lovely travel but very long, around 1000 kilometers.

How much fun your trip will be!
1000 km is a long way, but would there be a way to base in 1 city in the north and take a day trip or two (or three) before you would move to different lodging?

You have 2 teen age boys, right? So limiting car time, thus limiting boredom, can be a big issue.

The idea of driving 1000 km and going to several locales does NOT appeal to me. I would rather spend the entire time in one place to get to know it well. I am thinking of doing Madrid and Galicia. That's it. Hopefully we will return another time to include Barcelona, Valencia and the Paises Vascos. The other thing is that I would like to arrange for some apartment rentals and I don't know if traveling town to town is conducive to that.

It sounds like my agenda (Madrid and Galicia) should be just fine.
Yes, there will be an 18 year old and a 15 year old. They were wondering if Northern Spanish beaches are typically "topless". Does anyone know?

You MIGHT be interested in my MadridMan's 2002 Madrid & Galicia Trip journal entry - from way back from before blogs were around and STILL in the MadridMan.com Version 1.0 stage. Wow. I need to get on that soon. There aren't any photos, but I still have a bunch from my first digital camera which I took on that trip. What a wonderful experience I had in Galicia.

If you decide to "do" Madrid and Galicia, that's great. You'll have enough on your plate for these two locations/regions. Really, Galicia has enough to see for your entire 3-weeks alone, but you could do it justice in just 7-12 days. You can always visit Asturias, Cantabria, and País Vasco another time. For THAT you'll need 3 entire weeks!!!

Regarding the beaches and topless-ness, Spain's beaches throughout the country are considered "Topless-Okay" (thank goodness!!!) so that's not a worry. It's not expected, however, so any on-top-wearers shouldn't feel self-conscious. It's not illegal and it's not considered "bad form" to go topless in Spain, even at the city's public swimming pools. (I LOVE THIS COUNTRY!!!! : )

We did the drive from Santiago de Compostela to Madrid in one long-ARSE day by car. Wow. What a journey! According to Google Maps, that's a 7.5 hour drive -without stopping! We stopped like 3 times along the way for meals and "pit-stops" so it took us about 9 hours.

Traveling town-to-town probably isnt' conducive to renting apartments, but you should be able to find - online - several decent "hostales" in some off-the-highway towns to spend a comfortable night. This'll take some research, however. The ON-highway "hostales" don't tend to be very nice. That is to say, they're basic and generally clean, but lack character and can often be havens for truckers' one-night-stands - if you know what I mean. Best to get 5-10 kilometers off the highway to find nicer, more local lodgings.

I'M excited for your visit/trip, teachertraveler8! O hope to see you while you're passing-through Madrid!

Saludos, MadridMan