Property
We look for the same things wherever we vacation – space for the family to spread out, a great location and a price tag that won’t blow the whole trip budget before we’ve even stepped out the door. An ambitious goal? Perhaps. But in Madrid, we found just what we were looking for in a Friendly Rentals-repped one bedroom apartment located in the heart of the city.

Location
Situated in a doorman-manned residential high rise apartment building, this property has an ideal position in the Plaza de España. The Palacio Real and its beautiful Jardines de Sabatini are a 5-minute walk away and Plaza Mayor is only slightly further afield. A Metro station just steps away provides easy access to the rest of the city’s attractions.

Sleeps
Up to 4 (two in the double bedroom and two on the world’s least comfortable sofa bed – it’s worth convincing the kids that it’s fun to sleep in the living room so that you can snag the good bed for yourselves here.)

Highlights
A variety of family-friendly restaraunts directly below the apartment and a small supermarket just 2 blocks away make it easy to feed fussy eaters who may be less than enamored with an endless stream of tapas and paella. (If your kids are more adventurous than mine, you’ll find plenty of the latter nearby as well.)

Good to know
There’s only a 3-night minumum on this property, but make sure to schedule enough time in Madrid for day trips to Toledo and Segovia. Both are only a 30 minute train ride away from the city and neither should be missed.

Written by Rebecca Tompkins