LapLap

This won't be the first time I've done this, but I'll be packing 2 x 23kg cases and taking my kid off to Spain for 6 weeks whilst MrLapLap stays behind (no point planning around him, he gets sent away on business a lot)

Spanish children are amongst the most gregarious in Europe, but be prepared for a major shift in timetable. In summer, the parks and playgrounds are empty mid day when the sun is hottest, children come out once it starts to cool and will stay out until 11pm, midnight even.
If you're one of those who maintain a strict "sleep hygiene" regime, Spain is perhaps not the best place for you.

There's a big discrepancy with costs in Spain, you can find fruit and vegetables cheaply in markets and in small unrefrigerated shops, or you can pay a premium for plastic film wrapped blemish free produce. The wonky cheap veg usually tastes a whole lot better than the insipid, more expensive items at El Corte Inglés. Part of my luggage allowance will be an old rice cooker that doubles as a slow cooker. Chuck in a few vegetables, some protein, perhaps a few beans or lentils (Spain sells a wide variety of good quality inexpensive vegetable and meat/fish stocks in tetra brick packaging), switch on the cooker and go out for the day. Whilst out you can buy a ready made potato omelet and baguettes for tortilla sandwiches and eat that with a fresh tomato (the tomatoes are amazing!) or a peach. Take a citrus juicer (or buy one as soon as you arrive), no point buying cartons of OJ, oranges are incredibly cheap and incredibly good.

erik123

IMO That's actually great as the kids don't have to adjust much to jetlag. Wake up late. Very late lunch and 9 or 10pm dinner. never had a problem in Spain at any age.

princeville

Big4Flyer, what did you end up deciding to do? I'm seeing this post rather late, but I'm taking my kids (age 6 and 9) to Spain for 6 weeks this summer. We'll be in Costa del Sol and I'm renting an apartment for the whole stay. It's quite affordable because many owners offer significant discounts for extended stays. We visited this area last year so it helps to know the area rather than choosing a place over the internet and hoping for the best!

There are plenty locations nearby for day trips (Gibraltar, Alhambra, Seville), plus plenty to do close to where we are staying, so I'm not worried about being bored. We're all night owls and always end up staying up (and sleeping in) late on school breaks, so adapting to the Spanish lifestyle will be a breeze! I'm really looking forward to staying somewhere long enough to really live like a local and absorb the culture. Even if the kids don't appreciate it now, it's still a wonderful and worthwhile experience for them (in my opinion!).

LapLap, in what part of Spain will you be staying?

Big4Flyer

Sorry for the delay. We had our itinerary all planned out to visit Spain and stay 2 weeks in Madrid and the surrounding environs and then 4 weeks at a Airbnb in Salou on the southern coast, but after getting back from a 2 week trip in the Northeast, we realized that our time spent in rural Maine was much more enjoyable than our week in Boston. As a result, we've decided to visit New Zealand instead, and plan on flying to HNL in mid-to-late March, stay there for 4 days (primarily to help with the time adjustment), then on to Auckland where we'll visit the North Island for 10 days, then on to an AirBnb on the South Island for a month, and back to Hawaii for 4 more days then back home.

While I'd still love to visit Europe sometime, I think it will be easier on us having more outdoor space in NZ.

roknroll

Sounds great! And having the same language will make things ultimately less frustrating. I spend many summers in New Zealand (their winters) and absolutely loved it. Great people and beautiful area. I'd stay in Wanaka and ski at Treble Cone (training camp there). We'd make weekly trips down to Queenstown for more exciting outings. Wanaka was a great small town that I really enjoyed.