Ireland & Spain with Kids from Travel Moms Randee & Nicole
Travel Moms Randee and Nicole join us to share their adventures in Ireland and Spain with Kids. Randee tells us all about her Dublin adventure with her husband and 2 little boys (2 and 5 years old). Nicole spent the end of the summer on Spain’s islands with her husband and son (5 years old). As owners of Jetsetting Families, they also share pro-tips on travel in general.
How long was your trip?
Travel Mom Randee: On our way to Mallorca, we decided to go to Ireland first as we were getting a lot of client requests for Ireland, and I hadn’t been. It’s also a great transfer spot and stop over to Europe as it’s a shorter flight and a place where they speak English. So we spent 2 1/2 days in Dublin then a week in Mallorca.
Travel Mom Nicole: We had a 3-part end of summer adventure…Mallorca, Ibiza, and Marbella.
Mallorca is a really big island with lots of beaches to explore, so we were there for a week then 5 nights on Ibiza and 5 nights in Marbella.
Randee and Family in Mallorca
Randee and Family in Ireland
What were your trip highlights?
Mallorca was a lot of driving and exploring. Lots of fresh seafood lunches by the sea. Lots of paella (we told my son we were eating rice). ;) Getting out on the water is a great way to see any location and beat the heat, especially on the Mediterranean Sea, as it’s so beautiful.
It’s also a hiking island, and many go there to hike from beach to beach. There’s also a surprising variety of beaches from pebble beaches to beaches in canyons like Sa Calabra to white sandy beaches like the Caribbean.
Ibiza is a totally different landscape like a typical island. Lots of beach clubs. It’s known for night clubs, but we went to the beach clubs during the day. Even my son enjoyed it.
Blue Marlin has day parties. We went for lunch then they had cabana massages on the beach. My son has always asked for a massage, and he got one on the beach. We basically had a couples a massage. ;) Then, he fell asleep!
Ireland is extremely family-friendly. The kids loved the accents as they’ve seen Shrek. There are lots of great playgrounds. The Conrad Hotel has nice big rooms and is close to a park.
We had a car to get around, although driving on the other side of the road is quite the adventure.
And in Ireland, you must see the countryside. A great place to enjoy it is Bunratty Castle. It’s great with kids, and at night they even have a medieval banquet.
Nicole and Family in Spain
Massages in Ibiza
Top Tips and Advice
Don’t let direct flight prices scare you off of going to Europe. Look at the low-cost carrier flights. Once in Europe, it’s easy to get anywhere. If you can find a low-cost flight over, get it!
Stopovers can be really nice additions to your trip. I (Nicole) just stopped over in Doha in Qatar on the way to Thailand. I love the Middle East. And the airlines that fly there are THE best like Emirates, Qatar, and Etihad. Amazing customer experience.
Randee and Family
Nicole and her Son
Where would you go back to?
Travel Mom Randee: Ireland…I’d like to see Galway and the Cliffs of Moher.
Travel Mom Nicole: We’ll definitely go back to Ibiza.
Next trip you’re planning or dreaming about?
Travel Mom Randee: I’m working on winter ski trips…Switzerland has family-friendly destinations like Club Med (that’s how they started with 5-star ski resorts).
Travel Mom Nicole: I’m headed to Hawaii for my annual 3-week family trip in December.
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Thank you, Randee and Nicole! You can find Jetsetting Families online, Facebook, and Instagram!
Check out these podcast episodes for more on Ireland and Spain with kids.