Family Holidays to Barcelona with Babies, Toddlers and Kids Under 4

Barcelona is Spain’s second city and its filled with both style and energy. It is a great city to visit with kids as the weather is great and there are loads family friendly activities, hotels and restaurants…

City breaks can be tricky with babies and toddlers however, Barcelona has miles of beaches which is perfect when kids get bored of walking around sightseeing. You can easily combine a beach holiday with culture and fantastic cuisine making this a fantastic family holiday destination. There are also plenty of parks and loads of fun things to do for toddlers and younger kids in Barcelona such as the zoo and the aquarium.

Top Tips…

Barcelona’s climate is mild and sunny all year long although it can get quite hot during the summer months.
Flights from the UK and Ireland take approximately 2.5 hours, making this an easy enough trip to make with younger kids.
When eating out, tapas are a great option for kids as the portions are small. You will find tapas bars all over Barcelona along with a mix of other restaurants.
Finding somewhere to stay in Barcelona is easy. There are plenty of apartments and hotels with family friendly services available in the city and along the coastline close to the city.
Getting around is easy and the city centre is great for walking. The hop on hop off buses are great with kids and some taxis will have booster seats and car seats for younger kids. The city also has an extensive metro service, most of which is stroller accessible.

On Arrival

Barcelona’s main airport, El Prat is located 12 km southwest of the city and journey time is between 20 and 30 minutes. There are baby changing facilities located throughout and there are a number of bars, restaurants and duty free shopping. You can get the Aerobus or a taxi to the city centre from the airport. A taxi costs around €25 from the airport to the city centre. Most taxis will not have car seats for babies so make sure you pre-book if you require one.

The Aerobus is an express bus service that links Barcelona airport to the city centre. This service normally runs between 6 and 15 minutes within its fixed hours of operation. This bus stops at both the Plaça Espanya and Plaça de Catalunya.

The RENFE train service runs approximately every 30 minutes from Terminal 2 (if you arrive into terminal 1 you can catch a shuttle to the train station) to the city centre. Travel time to the city centre is approximately 25 minutes and once you arrive you can connect with the metro.

Buying your Baby and Toddler Essentials

There are plenty of small markets and supermarkets within the city where you will be able to buy all your baby and toddler essentials. The mini markets generally sell bottled water, fresh milk, crackers, yoghurt and other snacks. Some sell fruit and veg, nappies and jars of baby food. If you are looking for fresh food, the Boquiera Market just off La Ramla could not be better.

El Corte Ingles, located on the central Playa de Catalunya has a basement supermarket and you will also find a Carrefour Express on La Rambla and a Carrefour Hypermarket in the Glories District. De Tot al Born, located in El Born is open 7 days a week from 9.30am until 11pm if you need anything on Sundays.

Larger pharmacies will also sell formula, nappies and wipes.

Milupa Aptamil is available in larger El Corte Ingles and Hipp Organic is widely available also. Hero is a local brand of formula and is popular among Spanish parents.

The water quality in Barcelona is not very good and it is best to use bottled water. Evian is widely available and contains less sodium and minerals than other brands.

You will be able to find baby food, snacks, cereals, yoghurts and fresh milk in larger supermarkets also and if you rent an apartment and want to cook for your child you will also be able to find fresh meat, fruit and veg in larger stores.

Pharmacies & Medical Care

Nurofen is available in pharmacies also but be careful of the dose as it is stronger than what is available in some other European countries. Apiretal is a Spanish brand of pain relief for young children and is similar to Calpol, but again it is more concentrated than Calpol so be careful with the dosage.

Most pharmacists speak English so make sure to ask about dosages and if your child is ill and needs a doctor or hospital, they will be able to direct you to the nearest one.