AIBU to think stepmum may be sabotaging holiday?

[VirginHoliday]

Apologies in advance for the lengthy post, I want to give a full picture.

DSM and DF organised a family holiday a few years back for DSis, DBil and their two DC. It turned out not to be very child suitable and the DC weren't on their best behaviour as a result (often bored and couldn't walk miles in the hot sun like DSM had organised). Huge waste of money and a lot of resentment from both sides after the holiday. DSM has never really liked children so DSis feels she booked that holiday knowing it would be shit for kids.

So now it's DH and my turn for the family holiday with DF and DSM. DF wanted to go to Barcelona as it's a landmark birthday for him and his choice. DSM hates Spain but agreed to go.
DH and I have never been out of the country, especially not with our 3 DC so agreed for them to sort it and we would pay providing of course that it would be family suitable (should go without saying!) We got a loan and transferred our money.

DSM asked when my DH's holiday time was (he works teacher hours so has set holidays) and we gave them a decent 4 week period to choose from within their dates.

They picked the week DH was back at work instead. And booked it before telling us. DH has had to use his only free days of the year. Fucking great.

Now I've found out exactly where we are booked. I really can't see it working at all. It's a lavish, upscale apartment smack bang in the city centre, nowhere near a beach, surrounded by a 4 lane road, nothing but very fancy restaurants and even a Louis Vuitton store. It is self catering and not a swimming pool in sight. We, unlike DF these days, are poor working class Northerners making do shopping in Lidl and Aldi and I can't see us enjoying this at all. It's a really upmarket area!

My kids are pretty great behaviour wise but I can't imagine their wont be bored to tears.

Please, please, someone, tell me Barcelona is actually a hidden gem for Primary aged children holidaying and despite what it looks like, we're going to have affordable fun.
If not DSM will get to bitch about how terrible my kids are along with DSis's. I just want to cancel the whole damn thing and book a proper family holiday but our money is gone now.

And just to add, I haven't spoken to DF. He's paid half for us and he won't be happy if we complain before it's even happened.

You should have just said you couldn't go if the dates weren't suitable.

Also it's an apartment its not exactly unfriendly family just not super duper kiddy resort. If you wanted a pool and near the beach then why didn't you say that?

It's got great public transport, you can easily go to the beach and up to the amazing swimming pool in the old Olympic park. Swimming pool is council owned so cheap.

The two cable cars are great and also cheap (not like London ones, people use them for actual day to day life)
Park Guell is amazing and free.

Magic fountains at placa Espana great for kids and totally free

Citadella park

It's a great city and much better than being in some resort with only expensive tourist activities and taxis. You can do free stuff and take public transport to everything.

Pick pocketing is rife though - not dangerous, they are amazingly skilled so you won't even realise it has happened ubtil later.

We had a lovely holiday in Barcelona when our dc were 4 and 2 in a central apartment. The biggest downer was the stairs to the apartment with kids, buggy and bags, but it was manageable.

It's easy to get the metro to the beach.

I'm surprised you paid without knowing where and when you were going though! Surely it would have been prudent to check the details before coughing up the money?

@ShinyShooney Unfortunately DSM booked it then and told us later. It was too late to say we couldn't go. I did ask why they'd bothered to ask us when we could go when they would just ignore it.

As for the beach/child friendly type holiday? We had said. We told them the type of holiday we were hoping for. We wanted fully inclusive too and now looking at what we have paid, it would have actually been far cheaper full board!

@MojoMoon thanks for the info. I'll have a look. I did notice in my research that there's a metro station nearby and apparently you can buy money saver tickets. I have a feeling that the "family" holiday won't be with DF and DSM for most days. DH and I will be off doing something cheap and DSM will be strolling the Louis Vuitton and Chanel stores, eating in the fine dining establishments.
And thanks for the heads up re pickpockets. I'll be googling anti-theft backpacks and bags now.

Barcelona - great beach and the city right on your doorstep - best of all worlds!!! Let your DF and DSM do whatever they want, and you make it great for you and yours - let them tag along with you! Cheap can be better than paying through the nose for a pint on Las Ramblas...

Oh, and just remember that IT'S YOUR HOLIDAY TOO! As long as you make it so....

@Stompythedinosaur that sounds promising. Happily ours are buggy free these days.
I guess I'm stressing myself out over nothing. It's just that every time I've mentioned the holiday to anyone I've been met with an odd expression and the question, "Barcelona? With kids? Why on Earth are you taking them there?" About half a dozen people have said something along the lines of that.

As for paying before booking, we transferred the loan money straight away. We weren't expecting it to get immediately booked with zero consultation. DSM didn't even tell DF the ins and outs because he leaves that stuff to her.

Sorry, I know this isn't what you asked, but ... you took out a loan to go on holiday?

You sound like a pushover who goes along with everything other people want and then complain that it’s not what you wanted.

Either cancel and say you can’t go, or suck it up and enjoy it.

it'll be great, so many things to do, and you can leave them at the beach with DH and zip in and visit cafes. Zara is super value, just sayin'.

Buy gorgeous food in the market and have breakfast and dinner at home... lots of vegetables, cheese, hams, olives fruits, Buy pastries and delicious food when you're out, on a tiny budget for lunch, or revert home to relax, so what if it's Louis Vuiton, I worked in Chanel- it's all overpriced crap, but it's better than being in the shit part of town, and barcelona is beautful, tiny streets will lead off that will surprise you. It'll be great, and so nice to be in the centre. It's the best of both worlds. Often if you go into 4/5* hotel you can have drinks and swim in the pool... research those option, there will be plenty around.

Barcelona is a great city, and you will have an amazing trip. Get walking shoes, and take swimming togs in your pack for the kids, so you can plan your day with clever pit stops. Going back to the apartment for a siesta mid afternoon will calm everyone down, then you go out later at night for drinks and dessert and watch everyone mingle. Put the kids in the bed with the grandparents and fiesta forever :) it doesn't need to cost the earth.

@PintOfMineralWater yep, a loan. DF offered to pay half for his big birthday holiday and we wanted to go before our eldest started high school. We didn't have time to save for it but for reasons I won't go into, a holiday is well deserved right now. We own everything else outright, we just don't have savings.

I’ve been to Barcelona twice with Children and there is a lot to do there. I think we visited a zoo, there’s the Barcelona football stadium, an IMAX theatre. Also as mentioned the Olympic Stadium, the beach etc. And Gaudi’s cathedral and gardens. Definitely be very aware of the pickpockets, especially along Los Ramblas where the market is. It’s a bit like Covent Garden in London with lots of street performers. I very nearly lost my purse, it was only lucky that my son shouted at them, that they gave up and ran away. It’s often children/teenagers too so be very careful. I’d leave passports/credit cards in the hotel and just take a daily amount of money out with you, just in case. They are like Fagin’s gang, very professional, could probably steal your watch without you knowing. I’d go back, just try to make the most of a bad situation, if you’re not happy with where your staying. Get a good tourist book that recommends places to visit/eat that are within your budget.

Agree with ThisIsTheFirstStep and PintOfMineralWater. The mind truly boggles at how some people let themselves get into untenable situations that anyone else could see coming from a mile off, and then complain about them!

I know @EmiliaAirheart, I know. Trusting my dad. Who'd have thought anyone would be so stupid?

Sounds like your kids are older than toddler age? You’ll have a great time. Barcelona is an amazing city.

Why on earth didn't you just book your own holiday, and tell them the dates so they could come if they liked/it suited them?
Even if you haven't been out of the country before, you can use a computer, so ????

Yeah, except VirginHoliday you knew, from past experience, that a previous holiday they organised "turned out not to be very child suitable" and "DSM has never really liked children so DSis feels she booked that holiday knowing it would be shit for kids".

Since you've clearly computer literate, and you had the option of investigating and booking your own holiday - or at least working closely with them on locations and timings, I would probably call your behaviour flat out stupid.

Though luckily for you, as other posters have indicated, Barcelona is a great destination and you'll be fine if you can, like a grown adult, do some of your own trip prep to discover the myriad of things to do there!

@EmiliaAirheart the previous holiday was discussed with DF. We made it clear what we were expecting and did not expect DSM (okay, less D more W) to go ahead and book. There was supposed to be discussion and plenty of it.

We couldn't book our own because as I said, DF is paying half plus it is for DF's big birthday. Booking our own wouldn't have been much use to him.

Your mention of Louis Vuitton store, OP, makes me think you will be staying somewhere near to Passeig de Gracia.
If so, it is very near to excellent Metro links which will have you down by the sea in minutes.
Personally, I would advise buying public transport passes so you and DH can take the kids off to explore the city.
It is a fabulous place to visit IMHO.
Do your research before you go so you can plan your days out.
Enjoy.

I think you're making a big mistake in going on this holiday. The destination is okay, although it will be hot for your wee ones., but the family dynamics and the fact you've had to get a loan (no one "needs" an overseas holiday) do not bode well.

Thanks @Wingedharpy Looking online now it does seem to be the better option. It looks like there's different prices for different zones. I'll see if I can get a map of zones and attractions and see what we can do. Might not be as bad as people have made out to us.

No one can force you to go on a holiday you don't want to go on.
Say no we can't go because of X,Y,Z.

Not sure if I can say this on this forum, but I will anyway, go on to TripAdvisor and in their forum section, they have a Barcelona forum.
You can ask on there about free/cheap attractions and activities for families and can get advice from people who live there.

Barcelona is lovely but not an all inclusive resort type place. The beach is beautiful though and the culture and food options are family friendly. I love it there.