Barcelona with Children
We travelled straight from school so had a late arrival into Barcelona. Because of this we decided to treat ourselves to a private transfer rather than faffing around with public transport. From touchdown, through security and bag collection we were in our transfer car within 30 minutes!
We booked our stay at the Petit Palace Boqueria Gardens, located on a pedestrian street just off Las Ramblas. The lobby was lovely and modern with fresh flowers and I immediately knew it was going to be a lovely stay. The receptionist greeted us warmly and gave us plenty of local information including restaurant recommendations. We headed to our family room which was very spacious with bunk beds for the children.
We had booked breakfast at the hotel, which was a little pricey, but our girls love a good breakfast buffet and we wanted to make sure they filled up before the days ahead! Breakfast was excellent with a huge choice of freshly made pastries, cereals, fruit and the usual continental bits. Also, a small, cooked section so plenty of choice. Most importantly good coffee!
Before travelling, we had investigated travel options. If we needed transport from the airport, the Hola Barcelona Card would have been perfect as it included airport transfers, along with all bus and metro lines. As we didn’t need the airport transfers, we opted instead for a T-Mobilitat card. This gave us each 10 uses over 3 days on any bus or metro service across Barcelona.
On our first day we had pre-booked tickets to visit La Sagrada Familia. We took the bus as we wanted to see a little of the city on route and we were dropped off a couple of minutes’ walk away. The first view of La Sagrada Familia was breathtaking. We were a little early for a slot so took some time to take in the views from the outside. When it was time for out slot, we used our mobile to listen to the audio guide which pointed out key things to look for. The three of us were blown away by the architecture. It didn’t feel too crowded at all and there was plenty of seating to sit and take it all in. We decided not to pay the extra to head up the towers. Looking at the stairs I am glad we didn't as I am claustrophobic and the girls would have struggled with the steps.
After this we took a leisurely walk through the city. Barcelona’s streets are in a grid system, so it is easy to navigate. There are also lots of little play areas dotted around which is great for when the little ones have gotten bored.
We visited the chocolate museum which is something the girls really wanted to do. I wouldn't pay the entrance fee of €22 again as the museum part was not as exciting as we hoped. The girls did enjoy spending their pocket money on the gorgeous chocolates in the shop though so if we went again, would just go to the shop.
After a quick stop for Cinnamon buns at Demasie we headed back to the hotel for a pit stop. That evening we took the girls to a local Tapas restaurant the hotel had recommended. This was our one extravagant meal, so I ordered us around 10 dishes for the 4 of us and we had a big blow out along with a large jug of sangria! It cost just over €100 for the 4 of us which I think was good value considering the amount of food we ordered and the drinks. After our meal we took a stroll around Las Ramblas and then headed back to sleep off all the food!
Day 2 we headed to Park Guell as we had heard it is best to go early to avoid the crowds. Parts of the park are free but if you want to see the Gaudi Architecture you need to visit the paid section. We had pre-booked entry tickets again. I would recommend taking some time at the beginning to check the layout. We went straight in and spent a lot of time wondering aimlessly and think we might have missed a few bits! There was a nice play park which the girls enjoyed and the views over Barcelona were spectacular. I would imagine in the summer you could spend a whole day here just wondering and maybe enjoying a picnic. The main spots around the park’s buildings did get very crowded though and I can imagine high season being even worse. Still, great place for the children to burn off energy.
After Park Guell we headed over to the Science Museum. For the children I think this was their highlight. We had recently visited the science museum in London and my youngest did get a little bored so I didn’t know how this would go down, but she loved it. It is way more interactive that our museum with numerous activities for the children. They also have an indoor tropical garden area which is full of animals and great fun to walk around. Children are free and adults only pay Children are free and adults only pay €6 each so an absolute bargain, especially considering what we paid for the chocolate museum. I would say this is a must when travelling with children to Barcelona.
Our final stop of the day was to the Boqueria Market. We decided not to have a proper meal that evening as we wanted to wonder around the market and try a variety of local specialities. Between us we ate empanadas, taco’s, seafood, patatas bravas, chocolate strawberries and ice cream!
We happened to have times our trip to coincide with the local carnival so after leaving the market we wondered over to the cathedral where they had a stage set up with local performances going on. We caught site of the ‘Correfoc’ which is a Catalan tradition where adults and children dress up as devils and monsters and parade setting off firecrackers and sparklers which was spectacular! A great ending to our visit.
Before travelling I had heard that Barcelona at times was unsafe and crime rates high but honestly, we felt very safe. We took the usual precautions you take when visiting a large city and kept valuables at the hotel, but the locals were wonderful. Everyone seemed happy and helpful, and it was a real joy. Plenty of children around both local and tourists and we felt welcome everywhere we went. The transportation is also very easy to navigate. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend families visit Barcelona and it has certainly opened us up to the idea of taking the children on more city breaks in the future.