Spain and France (16 Days!)

Sometimes the best adventures are the ones that aren’t meticulously planned down to the last minute. Our 16-day journey through Spain and France was a perfect example of this – an experience so incredible it easily ranks in my top 5 trips, even though the initial itinerary was, let’s say, more of a hopeful sketch than a rigid blueprint! We aimed to see a lot, and while we had a map of target regions and attractions, much of our navigation involved trusty Google Maps and a spirit of discovery.

Midway through the trip we found a website/app that was our saving grace: Visit A City: Create Your Personal Travel Guide. This discovery came as a result of changing interests among the travelers and a collective need to organize our plans more effectively — it served its purpose well.

Our 16-Day Itinerary

• Days 1-2: Madrid, Spain
• Day 3: Toledo, Spain (Day Trip)
• Days 4-5: Paris, France
• Day 6: Versailles, France (Day Trip)
• Day 7: Paris, France
• Days 8-11: Nice, France (French Riviera)
• Days 12-13: Barcelona, Spain
• Day 14: Montserrat, Spain (Day Trip)
• Day 15: Barcelona, Spain
• Day 16: Madrid, Spain & Departure

This has been our longest trip yet, and I will share the good, the bad, and the ugly – more like my favorite memories, some lessons learned, and a few recommendations. This is in no way a full trip summary. This map link provided above as all the attractions we visited. Feel free to reach out in the comments below if you wish to hear our experience at any of those specific location or event.

Spain: Passion, Paella, and Palaces

Our Spanish leg was a vibrant tapestry of history, culture, and incredible food.

Madrid & Toledo (Days 1-3)

Madrid, our entry and exit point in Spain, greeted us with its infectious energy. The city’s social life is captivating – people strolling down charming narrow streets, conversations flowing more freely than the wine (though the wine flows pretty freely too!). One of my fondest food memories is devouring a massive plate of Chicken Paella after walking nearly 6 miles sightseeing – pure bliss! Beyond the paella, Madrid’s tapas scene is legendary. We also took a day trip to Toledo, the ancient capital, a city perched on a hilltop, packed with centuries of history and stunning medieval architecture. It felt like stepping back in time.

Experiencing a Flamenco dancing dinner was an absolute highlight. The passion, the raw emotion, the intricate footwork, and the soulful music – it was more than a performance; it was a profound cultural immersion. So good! I’d recommend doing this before you die.

Barcelona & Montserrat (Days 12-15)

Barcelona was a feast for the senses. The architectural wonders of Gaudí, like the still-unfinished Sagrada Familia and the whimsical Park Güell, are unlike anything else in the world. We loved exploring the labyrinthine alleys of the Gothic Quarter, a place where every turn reveals a new historical secret. Sunset rooftop adventures here, much like in Paris, offered incredible city views accompanied by delicious tapas.

The Museu Picasso was a fascinating visit. It was refreshing to see that even a master like Picasso had a journey filled with experimentation – a reminder that greatness often comes after countless hours of practice (my 10,000 hours in engineering and finance are still a work in progress!). And the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc? It’s not just a fountain; it’s an epic spectacle of light, water, and music!

Getting away from the city bustle, our day trip to Montserrat was a breath of fresh air. The hike up to the monastery, perched dramatically in the unique rock formations, was rewarding, and the views from the very steep cable car ride were simply breathtaking. Barcelona also won for “beach days” – the sandy shores were a welcome change from the rockier beaches we’d find later in Nice.

France: Elegant and Fun

Our French explorations offered a wonderful contrast, from the iconic beauty of Paris to the sun-drenched shores of the Riviera.

Paris & Versailles (Days 4-7)

Paris is, well, Paris! The city exudes an undeniable charm. We did all the classics: bus tours, walking tours, and day trips. I was particularly struck by the city’s architectural harmony – how the historic building facades are preserved, creating a timeless elegance. Of course, the Eiffel Tower was a must-see, both day and night. A day trip to the opulent Palace of Versailles was astounding. Even though we were about halfway through our trip and feeling a bit of “museum fatigue,” the sheer scale and grandeur of the palace and its gardens were undeniable. It’s a powerful testament to a bygone era of absolute monarchy.

Parisian food is an experience in itself. We indulged in countless pastries, enjoyed leisurely café crème breaks, and discovered wonderful little restaurants. The “tapas bars” (more like wine bars with small plates here) and outdoor restaurants offered small portions and endless options – we definitely went a bit crazy trying everything!

Nice: Sunshine and Slowing Down (Days 8-11)

After the go-go-go pace of Madrid and Paris, Nice was a welcome change. This was where the “energy depletion” truly hit us. We were exhausted! Our ambitious plans took a backseat to simply relaxing on the beautiful, albeit pebbly, beaches of the French Riviera. Nice provided the perfect backdrop to recharge, soak up the Mediterranean sun, and just be. Sometimes, the best part of a long trip is taking a day off from your vacation – we even indulged in a Big Bang Theory marathon in our hotel room to fully reset!

My Most Wonderful Memories

• The very passionate and moving Flamenco Dancing Dinners in Spain – so good! This was a great way to also feel cultured.
• The Chicken Paella dish in Madrid after walking ~6 miles, site-seeing.
• Sunset Rooftop adventures in Paris and Barcelona – such good Tapas!
• Enjoying the social life of Madrid, people doing less eating and more talking down those nice narrow streets (in all cities, one being the Gothic Quarter in Barcelona)
• Of course the monuments, bus tours, Day trips, walking tours were all great in Paris – I really appreciate how the front architecture of each building is kept, regardless of the building’s purpose.
• Tapas Bars and outdoor restaurants seemed to all have small portions and many options – so we went crazy – trying everything!
• Site-seeing!
  • Palace of Versailles was so grand – a must see – halfway through the trip we did not want to see another museum – but even in that state of pickiness and low energy, we still enjoyed seeing (mostly the outside) of this palace. We were interested in how these people accumulate so much wealth and power to build something this extravagant.
  • Eiffel Tower – and the giant fountains like the Magic Fountain (it’s not just a fountain – it was epic)
  • Museu Picasso (it was refreshing to see that Picasso wasn’t always good, but painted a thousand mostly bad pictures… it’s like a numbers game – ill just have to do 10, 000 hours of engineering and finance, then ill be a legend!)
• Getting away from the bustling city, hiking in Montserrat (enjoying the views), and going up the very steep cable car in Montserrat.
• Just relaxing in Nice (south of France) on the beach while halfway though the trip and exhausted.
• Having better beach days in Barcelona – the beach had sand instead of Rocks which was also fun but hurts.

Lessons Learned

Plan better would be the engineering answer, but honestly, it was planned enough; there were instances were planning would have made it easier to get around, but it was probably more fun trying to learn the languages and figure stuff out as we go (at least in the context of a long vacation where we know we can find our hotel or call a ride share car if we gave up). In my daily life, I plan and execute meticulously for everything I do: I often worry about uncertainties, make sure to manage risks well, and I am always double checking. A few days in the trip, I realized that there is sometimes more freedom in just being and experiencing, rather than being the project manager of a trip. This Epiphany took a load off and helped me to have more fun..

Ok – Actual lessons learned!

• It would have been helpful to brush up on Spanish and French – especially french. In Paris and Nice, we often found ourselves stuck in conversation. Spain wasn’t so bad since we understand some Spanish, but if we understood more, the Flamenco dances would have probably been a deeper experience.
• On a 16 day trip, pace yourself! we are used to shorter trips so out of habit, we jam-packed each day with events; halfway though we were dead – the point of no return and energy depletion occurred in Nice. We had to recover and ended up canceling a few events and taking a day off from our vacation, staying in and watching 2 seasons of Big Bang Theory… Yes – this could also happen to you.
• Obtain a local chip for your cell phone – they are relatively cheap compared to our overall money spent. This would have decreased our Wifi hunting time.
• The cheap round trip flight shouldn’t be seen as a trophy because it’s all about the OVERALL trip cost – flying in and out of different cities tends to work out better.

Final Thoughts

Do it! It is definitely one of my favorite trips – the culture, foood, monuments, and overall experience is amazing. If it wasn’t for the mounting guilt of not being at work, I would have loved to stay for at least a year!