Wedding Bells & Wanderlust: Our Summer Adventure Through Spain’s Cities, Skies, & Lounges
There’s something magical about summer in Spain, and when we learned a close family member would be tying the knot in Basque country (one of the most picturesque parts of the country), we knew this trip was going to be one for the books. With the wedding date set in mid-July, we found ourselves carefully piecing together an itinerary that would allow us to visit Barcelona, San Sebastián, and even slip in some well-planned layovers and lounges along the way. The final result was a patchwork of flights on various airlines, including some we don’t normally prioritize, plus a handful of hotels we’d long had on our radar. From booking United First Class for our domestic jump out of Orange County, to relying on Lufthansa Business Class for the transatlantic journey, to the smaller and subjectively awful short Vueling flight experience, our entire trip became a whirlwind of adventures—and we’re excited to share every detail.
Below you’ll find an overview of how this journey came together, what motivated our choices, and how we booked each flight and hotel. In subsequent posts, we’ll break down individual legs of our journey, from the planes that carried us across continents to the hotels that offered a comfortable spot to rest before the next big travel day. We’ll also talk about the wedding festivities themselves and how family time in Spain added an extra layer of meaning to this adventure.
Because we traveled on various airlines and stayed in multiple hotels, we’ve got a lot of ground to cover. Whether you’re planning a similar itinerary for a family event or simply looking for ideas on how to mix business class flights, lounge visits, and unique hotel stays, we hope our experience offers some inspiration. And if you’re itching to replicate our adventures, check out our favorite travel gear and essentials on our Amazon storefront. From packing cubes to smartphone accessories, you’ll find items that have truly transformed our journeys.
Now, let’s lay out the structure of this post to help guide you through our story.
Table of Contents
San Sebastian, Spain
Figuring Out the “Why”: Our Family Wedding in Spain
Travel in the summer often feels both chaotic and exhilarating. In July, every airport line seems a little longer, every popular tourist destination a bit more crowded (here’s looking at Barcelona), and every seat on every flight is in higher demand. Despite these factors, we felt we couldn’t resist the draw of a Spanish summer, especially since this trip revolved around a family wedding.
The wedding would take place in the countryside outside of San Sebastián, also known by its Basque name Donostia. Famed for its pristine beaches, rolling green hills, and an almost overwhelming selection of pintxos bars, the city has a particular charm that’s incredibly easy to fall in love with (we were already in love with it!!). It’s also small enough to navigate comfortably on foot, which makes it perfect for a weekend of family celebrations, especially with elderly family members.
Before the wedding festivities, we wanted to spend a few days in Barcelona—a city we adore for its Gaudí architecture, vibrant vegan culinary scene, and ocean breezes along the Mediterranean. Barcelona offered the perfect lead-up to San Sebastián’s wedding celebrations, letting us adjust to the time difference and soak up some Catalonian sunshine. Later, the itinerary also allowed us to squeeze in a few new travel experiences, including an overnight stay in Montreal, on the tail end of the trip—a route that might seem roundabout, but one that aligned with points availability and some interesting lounge visits.
Planning a trip that balanced our usual desire for luxury travel and our familial obligations was a fun challenge. Attending the wedding was our top priority, but we also wanted to maximize our flight and hotel experiences in ways that would benefit our future travels, particularly through loyalty points and status strategies. Balancing all these elements was the key to ensuring we kept the journey exciting while still making it to San Sebastián in plenty of time to see our family say, “I do.”
Air France Business CLass - CDG to YUL
Piecing Together the Flights & Booking Strategies
We started piecing together our itinerary by looking at flights to Europe from our home base in southern California. Luckily, this makes it easy for us to fly out of a long list of airports, if necessary (LAX, SNA, BUR, ONT, PSP, SAN). Typically, we try to stick with oneworld carriers—particularly American Airlines or British Airways—given our loyalty program preferences. However, flight availability and timing compelled us to consider other carriers this time.
Our first leg was from SNA to Denver on United, booked in First Class. Since the wedding was smack-dab in the middle of peak travel season, we found that United offered more convenient times and a decent redemption option for that particular day. While not our usual pick, it allowed us to arrive in Denver early enough to spend some time in the United Club at SNA before flying out. We often talk about how lounge access can make or break a domestic flight, and the SNA United Club, while compact, provided enough refreshments and a moment of calm amongst the throngs of Disney families that pack out SNA during the summer months.
From Denver, we found an excellent option on Lufthansa for transatlantic travel to Barcelona, connecting via Munich. We booked Lufthansa Business Class because, in addition to wanting a comfortable long-haul experience, we found excellent deals for 4 seats through Air Canada Aeroplan. Since we had a good number of Amex Membership Rewards points available, and so did our travel companions, this made for an excellent choice. The flight from Denver to Munich was one we were excited about, given Lufthansa’s reliable in-flight service and the chance to visit both the Centurion Lounge and the Capital One Lounge in Denver beforehand. Joe was also excited, since the flight would be on an A350 … his favorite aircraft. Once we arrived in Munich, we had enough time to check out the Lufthansa Business Lounge during our layover before heading on to Barcelona.
Anyone who’s tried to navigate the various lounge access rules knows that the details can get tricky—especially when your tickets combine multiple airlines.
We found that our Business Class tickets on Lufthansa gave us access to their lounge network in Munich, while having certain credit cards allowed us to dip into the Centurion Lounge and Capital One Lounge in Denver.
This strategic layering of lounge access can enhance even the longest travel day.
Another short hop we included was a Vueling flight from Barcelona to San Sebastián (technically, to EAS Airport). Vueling is a Spanish low-cost carrier, but their route structure can be quite convenient within Europe. Though the flight was short, every minute counted, as we wanted to arrive in San Sebastián with enough time to help with wedding preparations. Given Vueling’s no-frills reputation, we primarily opted for them because they got us in and out of Barcelona for 4.5k Avios (a price that’s hard to turn down!!). That being said, we got what we paid for, and the experience was awful compared to using Iberia, and connecting in Madrid.
On the tail end of the journey, we flew from Bilbao to Paris on Air France in Business Class, then from Paris to Montreal—also on Air France in Business—before eventually reaching Dallas-Fort Worth. A night’s stay at the Marriott at Montreal’s airport was an opportunity to catch up on rest and reset before continuing. From there, it was a quick First Class hop with American from YUL to DFW, during which we took advantage of lounge access again at the American Airlines Flagship Lounge (one of our favorite lounges in the world), ending with a short jump from DFW to Palm Springs. That final segment was a bit unconventional, but it tied neatly into our schedule, ensuring we returned stateside in time for other commitments, while getting us an extra 80 tier points toward our British Airways status for the year.
Lufthansa A350 - Denver to Munich
Stepping Outside Our Usual Oneworld Routine
If you’ve followed us on roamingcactus.com or social media, you know we’re big fans of oneworld carriers. Typically, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, British Airways, and Iberia are where we channel most of our loyalty points. However, the best itineraries for this trip were somewhat scattered across various airlines and alliances. This isn’t unusual; sometimes the route you want or the timing you need just doesn’t align with your preferred program.
By booking the short domestic hop on United, then crossing the Atlantic on Lufthansa, and later flying Vueling in Spain, we branched out from our usual pattern. Although it might sound disjointed, it actually gave us a valuable chance to experience services and lounges we might otherwise have missed. For instance, we got to try United’s premium cabin domestically, sample Lufthansa’s transatlantic Business Class, and even explore new lounge perks in Denver and Munich.
The same logic applied to our choice of Air France for the flights from Bilbao to Paris and from Paris to Montreal. While we might have preferred Iberia for consistency, the wedding date locked us into certain days, and Air France had more appealing timings and reward availability for our needs. The drawback of distributing flights across different airlines is that you’re less likely to earn a concentrated set of miles in one program, potentially missing out on status perks down the line. Since most of these flights were booked on points, it reminded us how wonderful it is to have flexible points to spend from American Express, Chase, and Capital One. Still, the trade-off was worth it for us—especially for a once-in-a-lifetime family wedding trip.
Throughout this series, you’ll see how weaving these different airlines together became a story in itself. We sampled everything from the awful Vueling flight to Lufthansa’s widebody Business Class, culminating with an Air France lounge experience and flights that made us question why we haven’t switched to SkyTeam. The variety also allowed us to compare airline products across alliances more directly, which is something we don’t often get to do in a single trip.
Kimpton VIvidora - Barcelona
Hotel Planning: The Balancing Act Between Points & Location
In a trip like this, where you’re frequently changing cities (and sometimes countries), choosing the right hotels can make or break your experience. We had two major hotel stays in Spain: the Kimpton Vividora in Barcelona and the Hotel Intur Villa Katalina (often stylized as Intelier Villa Katalina) in San Sebastián.
Kimpton Vividora, Barcelona
Our Barcelona stay happened before heading to San Sebastián. We’re big fans of Kimpton hotels for their unique decor, boutique feel, and solid loyalty perks—especially if you have IHG Rewards status. The Kimpton Vividora didn’t disappoint. It sits in the Gothic Quarter, an area known for winding streets, hidden plazas, and centuries-old architecture. We planned to spend a few days in Barcelona, getting reacquainted with the city, and the Kimpton’s central location allowed us to walk to many of our favorite spots, from tapas bars to ancient cathedrals. Over the years, we’ve discovered that proximity to local attractions can often be more valuable than an upgrade to a bigger room, so the Kimpton’s prime location was a big plus.
Hotel Intur Villa Katalina, San Sebastián
This property in San Sebastián is relatively new, offering a modern, chic atmosphere. One of the main reasons we chose it was because it’s just steps away from the city center—and the wedding venue was also within walking distance. Given that many family members were staying nearby, it made sense to be close to the action. The property itself offered a pleasant blend of sleek design and warm service, ideal for a short stay that was primarily about family gatherings and wedding events. After all, you don’t want to spend half your day commuting when relatives are in town for just a few days.
Marriott Montreal Airport
For our overnight in Montreal, we chose the Marriott at Montreal’s airport primarily for the convenience. Our flight from Paris arrived in the evening, and we had a mid-morning departure to Dallas-Fort Worth the following day. Knowing we’d be jet-lagged and possibly in need of a quiet place to crash, we valued a property connected (or extremely close) to the terminal. While it might not be the flashiest option, an airport hotel often provides a level of convenience that can’t be understated when you have a quick layover.
We strive to use points and loyalty benefits wherever possible, but we also try not to let those perks entirely dictate where we stay. In Barcelona, we used a combination of IHG points and cash because availability was spotty during that busy month. In San Sebastián, we booked through the hotel directly because loyalty programs didn’t factor in as strongly for a smaller chain property. Meanwhile, for the airport Marriott in Montreal, we leveraged Marriott Bonvoy points. By keeping our options open, we snagged the best possible deal for each stop rather than forcing ourselves into a single brand’s portfolio.
Gear & Gadgets: Our Travel Essentials
Over years of extensive travel, we’ve curated a list of must-have items that not only streamline packing but also enhance comfort and peace of mind while on the road. Since this was a multi-stop trip involving business-class flights and a few train or car transfers, we knew our packing strategy had to be efficient yet flexible.
A few of our favorites include Sony noise-canceling headphones (crucial for sleeping on overnight flights), compression packing cubes (to keep outfits and wedding attire organized), and the TravelPro lightweight carry-on luggage that fits in the overhead compartment even on smaller European planes like the ones Vueling uses. We also never travel without a universal power adapter and a backup battery pack, ensuring our devices stay charged through every lounge, airport, and city connection.
If you’re curious about the specific brands we rely on, head to our Amazon storefront, where we’ve compiled many of our go-to items. We update the list regularly based on our real-world experiences.
The key lesson we’ve learned is to pack in a way that supports your itinerary. For a single-destination trip, you can afford to spread out your belongings once you arrive, but when you’re hopping from place to place, having gear that’s easy to pack and unpack can save you significant time and stress. The items we’ve recommended on our storefront are all tested, tried, and traveler-approved, making them especially useful for journeys as complex as ours.
What’s Next: A Preview of the Trip Report Series
While this post serves as a general overview, we’ve got a lineup of more detailed blogs on the way. Each upcoming installment will delve into one segment of our journey, offering our candid thoughts on seat comfort, lounge quality, hotel amenities, and even the occasional mishap that seems inevitable whenever multiple connections are involved. Below is a sneak peek at what to expect:
United First Class: SNA to DEN
We’ll share our impressions of the seat, the in-flight service, and our short but sweet time in the United Club at SNA before departure.Lufthansa Business Class: DEN to MUC to BCN
This is where the real transatlantic fun begins. We’ll cover our time in the Centurion Lounge and Capital One Lounge in Denver, the Business Class experience onboard Lufthansa, and the Lufthansa Business Lounge in Munich.Kimpton Vividora Hotel, Barcelona
This post will highlight how this property’s style and location contributed to our Barcelona exploration. We’ll also chat about IHG perks and whether they made a difference during our stay.Vueling: BCN to EAS (San Sebastián)
Sometimes a no-frills short hop is exactly what you need. We’ll discuss Vueling’s punctuality, boarding process, and overall value.Hotel Intur Villa Katalina, San Sebastián
We’ll look at what makes this property stand out in a city brimming with culture and cuisine, plus how it facilitated our wedding weekend.Air France Business Class: BIO to CDG & CDG to YUL
We’ll dive into lounge details in Bilbao and Paris, the in-flight product, and how Air France stacks up against other carriers we’ve tried.Marriott Airport Hotel, YUL
Airport hotels can be hit or miss. We’ll reveal how the Marriott at Montreal’s airport fared in terms of convenience, room quality, and on-site dining.American Airlines First Class: YUL to DFW & DFW to PSP
Finally, we’ll show you how we ended our journey on American Airlines, including time spent in the American Airlines Flagship Lounge. It was a chance to compare domestic First Class on American with our earlier United flight.
Each segment is packed with photos, personal anecdotes, and honest critiques. Our goal is to ensure you come away with both a deeper understanding of these airlines and hotels, and the insight necessary to make your own informed decisions if you ever find yourself planning a similar itinerary.
Conclusion & Final Thoughts
This trip to Spain was more than just another set of flights and hotel reviews. It was an opportunity to celebrate love and family, all while indulging in some of our favorite aspects of travel—exploring new airports, checking out different airline products, and sampling the hotel scene in multiple cities. From the moment we took off from Orange County until we finally touched down in Palm Springs, each step carried its own set of discoveries and surprises.
Reflecting on it, the biggest challenge was orchestrating so many moving parts. We had to juggle wedding schedules, airline timetables, lounge access nuances, and of course, the demands of family gatherings. Yet, that’s also what made this journey uniquely rewarding. We found ourselves stepping outside our comfort zone of oneworld alliances, experiencing new cabins and lounges, and seizing opportunities to see even more of the world along the way.
One lesson we’ve learned is that flexibility and an open mind can lead to some of the best travel experiences. Not everything will go according to plan, but that’s part of the thrill. By mixing carriers, leveraging different loyalty programs, and embracing whichever route aligns with the wedding date, we ended up with a series of flights and hotels that provided a fresh perspective on global travel.
Stay tuned for the deep dives coming up. We’ll walk through each flight experience, highlight how it stacked up to expectations, and dive into the nitty-gritty of the hotels we chose. And if you’re itching to upgrade your own travel setup, don’t forget to swing by our Amazon storefront to see some of the gear that helped us get through multiple flights, time zones, and cities in style.
If you haven’t already, consider subscribing to our updates on roamingcactus.com so you won’t miss a single post in this trip report series. We’d love to have you along for every step of this journey, from the first lounge snack in Orange County to the final Aperol spritz at the DFW Flagship Lounge. Until next time, safe travels and happy planning!
