Madrid and Lisbon Feb half-term

[Teds77]

We have three days in Madrid and two in Lisbon during the Feb half-term - me, DH and 3.5 year old DTs.

Flights, hotels and sleeper train between the two all booked (! Yes I know but DTs got bought a book at Christmas that included stuff about people sleeping on trains and were desperate to do it). So really after inspiration of what to do and good activities for little ones.

Thank you.

I love Madrid but have only ever been without DC. So I have no idea what to do there with DC. It's a fantastic city though.

So - am bumping for you :)

Lisbon zoo was better than I expected, cascais beach good too. Otherwise I went before kids so my perspective was different

Ohhhh fab. I did the Madrid to Lisbon sleeper a million years ago. A proper train adventure!

Aside from that, I'm also useless I'm afraid as I was 19 and a backpacking student but I would love an update as to how it goes as I'd love to do the same with dd!

This is quite useful for Madrid: www.timeout.com/madrid/things-to-do/madrid-with-kids

The retiro park in particular is great, will be perfect with 3 year olds. There are more classic touristy things but you might not get away with them with preschoolers (the prado and reina sophia museums, the palace and the cathedral etc)

Thanks all! Am nervous about the train adventure but how bad can it be???

I've always fancied Madrid and never made it pre-kids. The Timeout link is great - thank you, an hour in a 'play centre' might be a helpful way of breaking up the day!

And will also research the zoo and Retiro.

Anymore suggestions very welcome!

It may be chilly in Madrid. Lisbon probably warmer.

So pack accordingly

The enormous aquarium in Lisbon is amazing so I recommend that

Ooo yes - I read about that the other week but had forgotten so thank you!

Yep, am but nervous about the cold. Need to make sure we pack plenty of layers!

Gosh yes, Madrid will be cold I imagine. But oh so lovely. The weather in that bit of Spain is very erratic before about May, one day sunburnt face, the next snow on the rooftops (and that was end March)

Wave to my beloved Salamanca as you pass through on the sleeper (if it still does)

I went to Madrid one May and it never occurred to me that it would be anything other than hot and sunny. It was cold and rainy for the first three days and I hadn't even taken a coat or proper shoes, only sandals.

Lovely city though and I fancy Lisbon too - have a great time.

I second Cascais, an easy cheap train ride of about 40 mins which goes along the coast, so is very scenic, and also passes through some interesting non-touristy Portuguese towns. Cascais has a pretty beach, might be warm enough to paddle, and a small ferris wheel on the seafront for the DTs perhaps? and reminded me a little of St Ives with its narrow streets.

If they like castles, take a tram up to the Castelo de St Jorges in Lisbon. I only walked around the walls myself but it looked interesting with plenty of running around pretending to be knights space for little ones.

There is so much to see and do in Lisbon that it would be silly to get there and then get a train out to Cascais, which would be very chilly in February. Lisbon is very hilly and TBH it isn't somewhere I would want to be carting young children around. That said, we went before DD was born so I am looking at it from a child-free adult point of view.

I absolutely loved Lisbon BTW.

I paddled in Cascais in August and it was the coldest water I've ever been in and I've swum off Wales in March.

I woukd second the aquarium for little ones. I loved Lisbon too. Would go back in a heartbeat.

Aaargh ok, maybe not Cascais after all. We went at the end of November and it was fairly warm in general but I didn't dip any toes in I must confess

We loved Lisbon so much we're going again next month. I'm sure you'll have a lovely time, Teds.

Thanks all!

I was hoping there would be enough tram/bus/metro to amuse that I wouldn't have to cart too much... Fingers crossed!

Beach sounds good but with just the two days suspect we stay in Lisbon. Anyway - it's an option of day 1 in Lisbon isn't much fun.

Will definitely report back in a few week!