120 days · Family with kids
7 Days in Southern Europe — Family Budget Rail Adventure
A fast-moving but family-friendly sweep through Spain, Portugal, France, and Italy by train, anchored in self-catering apartments to keep costs manageable on a weak AUD. The strategy is simple: cook breakfasts and dinners at home using local supermarket finds, then splurge on one iconic lunch out per day to actually taste each region. Kids eat well, bags stay carry-on only, and the food is genuinely excellent. This preview covers the first 7 days of a 120-day trip — claim it to build the full itinerary with Voyaige.
Built for family with kids spending 120 days in Spain, Portugal, France, and Italy (multi-country)
Budget Estimate
$910
~$130/day for 120 days · USD
Good to Know
The menú del día is Spain's greatest budget secret — three courses with drink for €12–15, and it's how locals actually eat lunch.
Pingo Doce in Portugal and Esselunga in Italy have ready-meal sections that rival actual restaurants at a fraction of the price.
Pack one reusable shopping bag flat in your carry-on — European markets hand out plastic bags reluctantly and often charge for them.
Kids' snacks travel best when bought in bulk at a supermarket on day one: fruit pouches, individual cheese portions, and crackers survive the whole trip.
Aperitivo hour in Lyon and Turin often includes free food with a drink — it's a legitimate budget dinner strategy if you order strategically.
Book all trains at least two weeks out on Renfe, SNCF Connect, and Trenitalia directly — the savings over walk-up or agent prices are significant on a weak AUD.
Rotisserie chicken from any European supermarket hot counter is the most reliable, cheapest, and universally accepted family dinner on this trip.
Eat your big meal at lunch, not dinner — lunch menus across all four countries are consistently cheaper than identical evening meals.
Day by Day
Arrival in Barcelona — Settle In, Market Recon
Arrive Barcelona Sants & transfer to apartment
Barcelona Sants is the main rail hub — your apartment should be in the Eixample or El Born area for easy metro access. Buy a T-Casual 10-trip metro card at the station newsstand immediately.
Metro T-Casual ~€12First grocery run at Mercadona or Lidl
Mercadona is Spain's best-value supermarket chain — find the nearest one on Google Maps. Stock up on Catalan staples: pa amb tomàquet bread, olive oil, jamón, manchego, eggs, fruit, and kids' yoghurts. Budget €30–40 for two days of breakfasts and dinners.
~€35 for familyWalk La Boqueria market — look but don't buy
La Boqueria is overpriced and tourist-facing, but it's a great orientation walk so kids see the food culture. Taste a free olive sample, then resist buying — you'll eat better and cheaper elsewhere.
Free (browsing)Explore El Born neighbourhood on foot
El Born has some of Barcelona's best local tapas bars and is compact enough for kids. Let them run in Ciutadella Park while you scope dinner options for tomorrow.
FreeWhere to eat
Self-catering in apartment
Pa amb tomàquet — thick bread rubbed with tomato and drizzled with olive oil — is the quintessential Catalan breakfast. Buy a baguette, ripe tomatoes, and a bottle of good olive oil from Mercadona. Kids usually love it with jamón.
Bar Cañete or any neighbourhood bar with menú del día
The menú del día is Spain's budget secret — a set lunch of starter, main, dessert, bread, and a drink for €12–16 per adult. Kids often eat off adult plates or order a half portion. This is your one proper eat-out meal today.
Self-catering in apartment
Tortilla española — a potato and egg omelette — is easy to cook, cheap, and universally loved by kids. One large tortilla feeds a family for under €4 in ingredients. Serve with bread and sliced tomatoes.
Barcelona Deep Dive — Gaudí, Tapas & the Supermercat System
Park Güell — free zones only
The central monumental zone costs €10/adult, but the outer park and viewpoints are completely free and honestly just as stunning. Arrive early before crowds and bring snacks from the apartment.
Free (outer park)Lunch in Gràcia neighbourhood
Gràcia is a real residential neighbourhood with honest local restaurants. Look for any bar with a handwritten menú del día board — three courses under €14 is standard here, compared to the tourist trap prices near Sagrada Família.
~€14–16 per adult, kids often free or halfSagrada Família exterior walk
The exterior is free and breathtaking — skip the €26/adult interior if budget is tight and just circle the building slowly. Kids are usually more wowed by the outside anyway.
Free (exterior only)Carrefour Express grocery top-up
Grab tomorrow's train snacks: individually wrapped cheese portions (El Caserío brand), fruit, a bag of almonds, and a few bocadillos (pre-made sandwiches) from the deli section. These are train-travel gold with kids.
~€15Where to eat
Self-catering in apartment
Spanish yoghurt (Danone Activia is everywhere and cheap), a banana, and leftover pa amb tomàquet. Spain's supermarkets have excellent individual fruit yoghurts that kids love — grab a multipack.
Menú del día in Gràcia
Order patatas bravas as a starter — it's always on the menu and kids devour it. Mains lean toward grilled fish or a simple lentil stew. The bread basket is unlimited and free.
Self-catering in apartment
Buy a rotisserie chicken from Mercadona's hot deli counter (under €7 for a whole bird) and serve with a simple salad. This is one of Europe's great budget family dinner moves — juicy, hot, zero cooking required.
Train to Lisbon — The Long Rail Day Done Right
Check out and transfer to Barcelona Sants
Allow 40 minutes from Eixample to Sants by metro. The Barcelona–Madrid high-speed Renfe train takes 2.5 hours; then you connect to the Lusitânia night train or an Iryo/Renfe train to the Portuguese border. Book this leg in advance — Renfe and Iryo are cheaper than Eurail walk-up.
Train pre-booked ~€40–60/personPack train snack bag before departure
Use last night's grocery run — wrap cheese portions, sliced apple in a reusable zip bag, almonds in a small container, and the bocadillos. A full family train snack kit costs under €10 and avoids expensive onboard food.
Already purchasedArrive Madrid Puerta de Atocha — transfer
You have roughly 1–2 hours between trains in Madrid. Walk the Atocha station's famous indoor tropical garden — it's inside the old station building and kids find it genuinely magical. Free and no bags to check.
FreeArrive Lisbon Oriente — metro to apartment
Oriente is Lisbon's modern rail hub in Parque das Nações. The red metro line connects directly to Baixa-Chiado in 20 minutes. Buy a Viva Viagem card (€0.50 reloadable card) and load it with a day pass for the family.
Metro day pass ~€6.60/adultQuick Pingo Doce grocery run
Pingo Doce is Portugal's best supermarket for budget families — their ready-made meals section is outstanding and cheap. Grab a container of bacalhau à brás (shredded salt cod with egg and potato) or a rotisserie frango (chicken) for tonight.
~€20 for familyWhere to eat
Self-catering before train departure
Eat whatever's left in the Barcelona apartment fridge before you leave — don't waste groceries. Pack a banana per person for the journey.
Train snack bag
Your pre-packed bocadillos and cheese portions. Spanish train stations have decent bakeries at the entrance — grab a pastry each if the kids need a treat.
Self-catering in Lisbon apartment
Pingo Doce's ready meals are genuinely good. Bacalhau à brás is the one Portuguese dish kids almost always accept — it's essentially scrambled eggs with potato crisps and flaked fish. Serve with their excellent cheap bread.
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Claim & CustomizeLisbon — Pastéis, Hills & the Budget Food Capital of Western Europe
Pastéis de Belém pilgrimage
Take the tram or bus to Belém and join the queue at the original pastel de nata bakery — it moves fast. Order a half-dozen to share (€1.30 each), dust with cinnamon and powdered sugar, eat standing at the counter. This is non-negotiable.
~€8 for 6 pastéisJerónimos Monastery exterior & Belém Tower walk
The monastery interior costs €10/adult but the exterior cloisters and riverside walk to Belém Tower are free and genuinely beautiful. Kids can run on the grass by the Tagus river.
Free (exterior)Mercado de Campo de Ourique for lunch
This is a real neighbourhood market — not a tourist food hall. Small plates from €3, grilled fish, local wines. It's inside a converted 1934 market building in a quiet residential district and prices are honest.
~€10–15 per adultAlfama neighbourhood walk & Miradouro da Graça
Alfama is Lisbon's oldest and most atmospheric district — narrow streets, fado drifting from open doors, cats on doorsteps. The Miradouro da Graça viewpoint is free, less crowded than Santa Luzia, and has a small café selling €1 bifanas (pork rolls) to fuel the kids.
FreePingo Doce dinner shop for apartment cooking
Portugal has incredible fresh fish at supermarket prices — buy a whole sea bream (dourada) for around €4, some potatoes, and a bag of salad. Roast it in the apartment oven with olive oil, lemon, and garlic for an outrageously good dinner.
~€18 for familyWhere to eat
Pastéis de Belém
This is both breakfast and a food culture experience. Lisbon's pastéis de nata are in a different category from the ones sold elsewhere — the custard is looser, slightly charred, and warmly spiced. Worth every cent.
Mercado de Campo de Ourique
Look for the stall doing grilled sardines — they're Portugal's most iconic cheap eat and cost about €4 for a plate. Kids can be picky here but most stalls have simple options like grilled chicken sandwiches.
Self-catering in apartment
Roasted whole fish with potatoes is a cornerstone of Portuguese home cooking. Sea bream roasted with olive oil and sliced lemon at 200°C for 25 minutes is genuinely the dinner you'll remember. Serve with crusty bread to mop the juices.
Train to Lyon — Enter France, Enter Cheese Country
Early checkout and travel to Lisbon Oriente
Today is another big rail day — Lisbon to Lyon requires a connection through Barcelona or Paris depending on route. The Renfe Lusitânia connects Lisbon to Madrid overnight, or take the morning train to connect at Barcelona and then a TGV to Lyon. Check Omio or Rail Europe for best routing.
Trains pre-booked ~€50–80/personLisbon station pastelaria breakfast
Oriente station has a Pão de Açúcar supermarket and several pastry counters — grab a galão (milky espresso) and a croissant or tosta mista (toasted cheese and ham sandwich) for each person. Cheap, fast, and good.
~€12 for familyArrive Lyon Part-Dieu station
Lyon Part-Dieu is the main station and connects directly to the metro and tram network. Buy a Técély transit card at the station — load it for the family. Your apartment should be in the Presqu'île or Croix-Rousse district.
Metro tickets ~€1.90/tripCarrefour or Intermarché grocery run
French supermarkets are excellent for budget family eating — stock up on baguette, a wedge of Comté or Beaufort, rillettes (pork spread), cornichons, fruit, and Danette chocolate pudding cups (a French kid staple). Total: under €25.
~€25Where to eat
Lisbon station pastry counter
A tosta mista is Portugal's best fast breakfast — griddled bread with cheese and ham. Order a galão if you need coffee. Total per adult under €3.
Train snack bag
Pack remaining Portuguese groceries — bread, cheese, fruit. Portuguese supermarket pre-packed cheese and charcuterie are excellent train food. A baguette bought at Oriente stays good for hours.
Self-catering in Lyon apartment
A French charcuterie board is dinner: sliced baguette, rillettes, Comté cheese, cornichons, and Dijon mustard. It costs almost nothing, takes zero cooking, and immediately introduces the family to how the French actually eat at home.
Lyon & Train to Turin — Bouchons, Markets & Into Italy
Marché de la Croix-Rousse morning market
This Tuesday–Sunday open-air market on the Croix-Rousse plateau is where Lyonnais actually buy food. It runs until 1pm — look for quenelles (fish dumplings), local sausages, fresh cheese, and the most extraordinary produce displays you've seen. Buy to eat, not to cook.
~€10–15 browsing and snackingOld Lyon (Vieux-Lyon) traboules walk
Lyon's traboules are hidden passageways through medieval apartment buildings — pick up a free map from the tourist office and lead the kids through the maze. It's genuinely exciting for children and completely free.
FreeLunch at a Lyon bouchon
A bouchon is Lyon's traditional workers' restaurant — hearty, affordable, and deeply local. Look for the Gnafron or Lyonnais label on the door (authentic certification). Order salade lyonnaise (frisée, lardons, poached egg) and a quenelle. Kids can share a plate.
~€15–20 per adultTrain Lyon Part-Dieu to Turin Porta Susa
The Lyon–Turin TGV takes about 2 hours through the Alps — the scenery entering Italy through the mountains is spectacular. Sit on the right side of the train for the best views. Book via SNCF or Trenitalia.
Pre-booked ~€30–50/personArrive Turin Porta Susa & settle in
Turin Porta Susa is a stunning modern glass station in the centre of the city. Your apartment should be in the Quadrilatero Romano or San Salvario district for best access to food and transport. Buy a 24-hour transit pass on arrival.
Transit pass ~€4/dayEsselunga or Lidl Italy grocery run
Italian supermarkets are a revelation — Esselunga is mid-range excellent, Lidl is budget-brilliant. Buy pasta, a jar of good passata, Parmigiano Reggiano (sold in wedges by weight, cheap per gram), eggs, and a litre of local wine for the adults. Under €20 feeds everyone.
~€20Where to eat
Self-catering with Lyon market finds
Eat remaining French bread and cheese from last night — French baguette is best the morning after when slightly crisp. Add a market-bought yoghurt or fresh fruit.
Lyon bouchon in Presqu'île
Salade lyonnaise is the essential order — it arrives as a generous bowl and is substantial. Quenelles with Nantua sauce (crayfish cream) are the local star dish. Budget roughly €35–45 for two adults plus kids sharing.
Self-catering in Turin apartment
Cook pasta al pomodoro — proper Italian passata warmed with olive oil, garlic, and a pinch of sugar, tossed through spaghetti and finished with grated Parmigiano. It takes 12 minutes and costs about €2 per person. This is what Italian home cooking actually looks like.
Turin — Slow Morning, Market, Aperitivo & Departure Prep
Mercato di Porta Palazzo
Europe's largest open-air market sprawls across Piazza della Repubblica every morning except Sunday. The fruit and vegetable section is overwhelming in the best way — bring a reusable bag and buy what looks extraordinary. The indoor section has amazing cheap cheese and salumi counters.
~€10–15 shoppingMole Antonelliana & National Cinema Museum (exterior)
The Mole is Turin's iconic tower — the panoramic lift costs €15/adult but the view of the Alps from the piazza below is completely free and genuinely spectacular. Kids love spotting the mountain peaks.
Free (exterior/piazza)Lunch: Bicerin café or a nearby trattoria
Al Bicerin is the 1763 café that invented Turin's famous bicerin drink (espresso, chocolate, and cream). Order one each and a simple lunch panino — it's a splurge at ~€6 per drink but a genuine piece of food history. Kids can have a cioccolata calda.
~€20–25 for familyAperitivo hour in Quadrilatero Romano
Turin invented the aperitivo tradition — many bars from 5–7pm serve free or discounted food nibbles with a drink purchase. Order a Vermouth di Torino (the original aperitif, made here) for adults and a San Pellegrino for kids. Graze the free snack spread.
~€5–7 per drink, food includedPack, fridge clear & final Esselunga run for flight/train snacks
Use everything left in the fridge for tonight — don't waste groceries. Buy airport or station snacks for tomorrow: Italian crackers, individually wrapped Grana Padano snack portions, juice boxes for kids, and a sleeve of Mulino Bianco biscuits.
~€12Final self-catered dinner & trip debrief
Cook a simple frittata using leftover eggs, any vegetables, and Parmigiano — it's the Italian answer to leftover cooking and comes together in under 15 minutes in a frying pan. Serve with market bread and whatever cheese remains.
~€5 ingredientsWhere to eat
Self-catering with Italian basics
A proper Italian breakfast is a cornetto (croissant) and espresso — buy cornetti from a local pasticceria for €1 each. Kids can have a brioche with Nutella, which is a legitimate Italian breakfast option and they will love you for it.
Al Bicerin café, Centro Storico
The bicerin drink is the whole point — chocolate, espresso, and fresh cream in layers. Order a toasted panino to go with it. This is a €25 family lunch with genuine historical weight.
Self-catering in apartment — fridge-clear frittata
A frittata is Italy's elegant solution to leftover vegetables, egg, and cheese. Start it on the stovetop, finish under the grill for a puffed top. Serve cold or warm — it's equally good either way and travels well if you have an early morning.
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