Alex, Jess, and I usually take two trips together a year. One is our planning retreat in December, and the other is a trip just for fun. Last year for our “just for fun” trip, we went to Singapore, and Jess suggested that our trip this year should be “Travel Mom Squad Takes Spain.” I had been to Spain before, but was happy to return—I mean, after all, they have churros!

 

Getting There

Initially, we all planned to fly on Iberia Airlines in business class, booked through British Airways for 42.5K Avios per person, plus a little over $100 in taxes. I ended up deciding to go a few days early to Europe to visit my daughter and family in London, so I canceled that flight. 

I rebooked on Virgin Atlantic to LHR for 29K from Boston—such a deal for business class! My positioning flight to Boston was a cash flight on United. I had only a four-hour window between my flights, but fortunately, everything went smoothly. After all my travels in Spain, I returned to London for another night and then flew from LHR to DEN on United Airlines in business class for 80,000 United miles. I hated using that many miles, as I had previously booked a Virgin Atlantic flight from LHR to BOS for 29,000 Virgin Atlantic miles, but I needed to get home quickly, so I used my precious United miles and paid 88,000 miles.

 

  

Taking Advantage of Airport Lounges

I got to Denver early and grabbed breakfast in the Capital One Lounge in Terminal A—delicious. Luckily, my United flight was also out of Terminal A that morning, which meant I could stay longer before I had to head to my gate. I also grabbed cookies for the flight.

In Boston, I went to my favorite Delta Sky Club. It was made even better because my Virgin Atlantic business-class flight allowed me to visit the newly opened Capital One Café, and this meant ordering from the menu. I had a delicious corn chowder, a chicken and asparagus dish, and then finished my meal off with a sublime apple tart! It was so good that I just had dessert when I got on my Virgin Atlantic flight and then went to sleep!

 

 

 

 

First Stop: Madrid

We were scheduled to be in Madrid on April 30th. Sadly, Alex and Jess had a schedule change to their itinerary, which meant they were leaving a day late and arriving on May 1. I had already booked my Iberia flight from London to Madrid and decided to stick to my original schedule, spending a day and night in Madrid alone. (I put on my “big girl pants” going into the city by myself that first night, as solo travel is not something I’ve done much of.)

Eventually, Alex and Jess had a series of cancellations to their schedules, and neither of them flew over on their Iberia flights from Dallas. Jess flew on United from Houston to LHR for 80K Air Canada Aeroplan miles and made a cash booking from LHR to Madrid on Iberia. Alex ended up with a very last-minute flight substitution because her flight from SLC to DFW was cancelled, meaning she wouldn’t get to DFW to catch her Iberia flight to Madrid.  But it worked out pretty well anyway—Alex booked a new flight at the last minute to fly in economy on KLM from SLC to AMS to Madrid for 29K points. But she was able to pay $832 to upgrade to business class at the airport desk. Talk about pivoting with points and miles!

I arranged a pickup through Viator for transportation to the Thompson Madrid and spent my first night in a king room, redeeming 29,000 Hyatt points. I loved the Thompson!  Alex and Jess both took taxis from the Madrid airport to the Thompson.

 

 

Activities in Madrid:

The first day, I wandered around on the Gran Vía (a main street) and down to the Puerta del Sol (a main plaza). When Jess arrived the second day, we went to Vinitus for tapas, and it was amazing! I highly recommend it if you visit Madrid!

We had an Airbnb experience walking tour on the third day that included tasting beverages and food. We all thought our guide was interesting and that the food was good. Dinner was at a recommended Italian restaurant, but it was just okay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On our final day of the Madrid leg of our trip, we headed to Toledo, Spain. It is a historic city in central Spain, about 45 miles south of Madrid. It is known as the “City of Three Cultures” because Christian, Muslim, and Jewish communities coexisted there for centuries, especially during the Middle Ages. We booked this tour through Viator and took a taxi there (which took about an hour for around $100) and a train home (which took half an hour for $41 Euros for all three of us). I would definitely take the train there in the future.

 

 

 

 

 

Other Hotel Options in Madrid:   

1. Hyatt Centric Gran Vía Madrid

   • 12,000–18,000 points/night

   • Great location for shopping, food, and city strolls.

   • Transfer from Chase Ultimate Rewards.

2. Westin Palace Madrid (Marriott)

   • 40,000–60,000 Marriott points/night

   • Historic and elegant, near the Prado Museum.

3. Canopy by Hilton Madrid Castellana

   • ~40,000–60,000 Hilton points/night

   • Stylish, modern, and centrally located.

 

Travel to Barcelona

We took the train from Puerta de Atocha station in Madrid to Barcelona-Sants station, and it took about three hours.  Our tickets cost 114.35 Euros each.

 

Barcelona

We stayed at the Kimpton Vividora in Barcelona. It was cute and quirky and in a location next to La Rambla (one of Barcelona’s most famous streets). However, after the luxury of the Thompson Madrid, it was a little bit of a disappointment. 

We used 80K IHG points per room and got upgrades to king rooms with balconies. Because Jess and I are Diamond members, we got a complimentary breakfast. You can read my review of this hotel later this week for more about what we thought of it.

 

 

Activities in Barcelona

On our first night, we grabbed pizza, then gelato (you would have thought we were in Italy), and took a stroll down cute streets and along La Rambla, ending up near the Barcelona Cathedral. Jess and Alex thought it was the Familia Sagrada, and while it had a lot of the same architectural details, it didn’t add up to me. Mainly because it wasn’t it! 😂 It is a beautiful cathedral, though!

 

 

 

On our second day, we headed to the queen of all cathedrals, La Sagrada Família, which is one of the most extraordinary works of architecture in the world. Antoni Gaudí designed it, and construction began in 1882, but the work is still ongoing, making it the longest-running architectural project in the world that is still under construction. It is breathtaking both inside and outside. It is funded entirely by private donations and entrance fees from visitors. We booked an audio tour that took about one hour.

 

 

Later that day, we did a paella cooking class, which was, hands down, the most fun and delicious experience we had in Spain! Turns out the host is a stand-up comedian, and he is hilarious. We highly recommend The Paella Club—you will seriously thank us for a good time. The cost is approximately $80 per person, which includes wine or soda, appetizers, our paella experience, and dessert. We laughed, danced, cooked, and made friends with people from around the world. There is space for about 16 people in each class, which lasts about 2 hours.

 

 

 

Jess and Alex stayed another day while I headed to Mallorca (post on Mallorca to follow).  They walked to the beach and headed to Park Güell. They then headed to the Grand Hyatt Barcelona for their last night and enjoyed dinner on the rooftop after getting a suite upgrade. 🎉

 

 

Other Hotels in Barcelona

1. W Barcelona (Marriott)

   • 70,000–100,000 points/night (splurge-worthy beach views!)

   • The iconic sail-shaped hotel is right on the water.

   • Great pool scene and nightlife.

2. Grand Hyatt Barcelona

   • 17,000–23,000 Hyatt points – Category 5

   • Nestled in Pedralbes, one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in the city.

   • Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards® to Hyatt

3. Hilton Diagonal Mar Barcelona

   • ~50,000–70,000 Hilton points/night

   • Rooftop pool and near the beach—great for relaxing.

 

Flights Home

Alex and Jess flew Iberia to Dallas with a connection in Madrid, where they met some TMS readers—so fun! They flew Iberia business class home.

 

 

 

 

Bottom Line

A trip to Madrid and Barcelona offers the perfect blend of culture, rich history, and beautiful architecture. Each city brings its own unique personality, and the journey that we dubbed “Travel Mom Squad Takes Spain” was a great time, once again made possible by points and miles. We stayed in stylish hotels, flew in lie-flat seats, and turned this European getaway into the ultimate reward trip, full of laughter, bonding, and well-earned luxury.

 

Related Posts

Podcast 133. Travel to Spain Using Points: TMS Takes Madrid, Barcelona, and Mallorca

Thompson Madrid Review

Reader Success Story to Madrid and Beyond

Review of Iberia Airlines Business Class