Q- Becky S of Santa Barbara , California inquires: "My husband, 9-year-old son and I are planning a trip to Europe for 10 days. We are interested in Spain and Portugal, and maybe Italy. We love to explore local culture, languages, history and art, and need help with accommodations. Any suggestions?"

A - We have received your request for information for your family's upcoming trip to Europe.  As a first step, I'd like to recommend several stories on Family Travel Forum for you to read, so you can try to narrow down your focus. Spain, Portugal and Italy are all fabulous, but with your 10 days, you will have to make some decisions about where you want to spend your time.

Regarding Spain:
First, go to “Custom Itinerary - Trip to Spain” for our answer to another family that was planning a trip to Barcelona.

Then, look at:
“Spain Activities and Attractions for Kids”
“From Malaga to Granada, Spain”
“Marbella Club Hotel, Costa del Sol, Spain”
“Barcelona, Spain with Teens in Tow”
“Madrid, Spain Restaurants”
“Europe’s Top 5 Budget Hotels”

 Regarding Portugal:
“Albatroz Hotel, Estoril Coast, Portugal”
“Top 10 Getaway for Tiny Travelers – Sheraton Algarve Pine Cliffs” (written for families with infants and toddlers, but a great hotel for all)

Regarding Italy:
We have covered Italy extensively. In the lower right area of the FamilyTravelForum.com homepage, there is a section called “Popular Tags.” In this alphabetical list, you will see “Italy.” Click on it to see a listing of the many stories you can read to acquaint yourself with the country and it’s most interesting areas for tourists.  Also, you will find stories on villa and apartment rentals.

You can also put “Italy,” “Spain” and “Portugal” into the search box for a listing of stories (including those above), plus bulletin board posts and more stories written by our young writer community at travelBIGO.com.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or need more specific details.