Barcelona - a vibrant and exciting family friendly city break

Barcelona is a superb family holiday destination which caters for families of all ages whether you have a young baby, are in search of sand and sea, have teenagers in search of a city chic or adults in search of stimulating sights and architecture. It is much more child friendly than you might think and Barcelona is loud, vibrant, booming and beautiful. Being right beside the beach, it is a fantastic family city break.

Why

The climate is mild and sunny and there are numerous accessible beaches close to and within the city as well as a number of lovely city parks. There are bustling streets, fantastic buildings, football stadiums, one of Europe's largest aquariums with a walk through shark tank and good access to Portaventura theme park.

When

Barcelona works all year round is a family holiday although the summer months tend to provide better flexibility for a child friendly holiday as you can combine a visit to sights with some of the cities beaches.

How

And there are no shortage of low cost and scheduled Irish and UK flights to Barcelona from the main and regional airports. You can check deals on flights here.

Family Accommodation 

There is a huge range of family friendly accommodation options in Barcelona for families and many districts to choose from and you can book great value accommodation here with booking.com.

At the top end of the market we would recommend the Hotel Art which is situated on the beach and which accommodates families in suites or one and two bedroom apartments. This is top end but by all accounts worth it if you can stretch the budget. Good value deals can be booked through booking.com here. They run a Ritz kids programme which includes supervised activities for kids age 3 – 8 in the summer and there is an outdoor pool and a spa for mum and dad to relax and take it easy. 

If you want self catering the Services Apartments Centre gets great reviews and gives you lots of space. You can book this here for good value accommodation with booking.com.

The apartment Hispanos Siete Suiza is consistently rated by parents. This offers all of the space and flexibility of self catering combined with restaurants, bars, baby sitting, room service and five star hotel services. Cots are free and the location is super. In some cases, breakfast is included. You can book great value accommodation in these apartments here with booking.com.

One of the of the best value option for families and one which is very child friendly in Barcelona is to stay in a self-catering apartment or an apart hotel such as those offered by The Apartment Service.

Family Friendly things to do and see in Barcelona

Looking for inspiration for the perfect family escape? Browse 1000s of family tours and activities and book online with Isango! This will help you plan ahead and book at a low price with reliable local operators. The activities include a hop on hop off bus tour, a tour of Monserrat, sightseeing and walking tours (for those with older children) and flamenco shows.

The La Rambla is the heart of Barcelona Street life filled with shops, street musicians, cafes and flamenco dancers. Children will love the street activity and there are plenty of opportunities for enjoying and stopping for a coffee or an ice-cream. La Boqueria is a spectacular market which is a sensory delight for children and adults with piles of fruit, sweets, vegetables and lots more.

Barcelona has a fantastic child friendly aquarium which is one of Europe's largest with a walk through shark tank. This is at Port Vale and will fascinate children of all ages as well as adults.

Bring your buckets and spades to play on the sandy beaches which have play areas and child friendly cafes can be found at Port Vell, Port Olympic and Playa de la Barceloneta.

You can spend a whole day visiting the Park de la Citadella where there is an enormous mansion designed by Gaudi and a lake for boating. Children will enjoy running around and there are the gardens shows, pony rides, adventure playground and a children's farm.

A family holiday to Barcelona with the kids is not complete without a visit to the Sagrada De La Familia, Gaudi’s Cathedral. Children will be amazed by the fascinating architecture although you should beware aware that climbing to the top may be beyond some younger members of the family.

A visit that will fascinate young boys and dads alike and is well worth a visit is the Campo Nou the home of Barcelona football club.

The Poble Espanuol is the the largest green open space in the city. There are some excellent museums, Spanish village streets, squares, buildings and monuments around Spain. Children will enjoy the handbag workshops, puppet shows and street entertainers.

Barcelona theme parks and fun parks

The Parc d’Attraccious de Tibidabo amusement park has traditional funfair rides and is accordingly suitable for younger children.

Those who are looking for more adventure PortAventura is an hour and a half away from the city and a fun filled day out for all the family. There are many lands to explore and lots loop the loops for adventurous teenagers. Families with younger children will find softer options including a submarine ride, a spinning armadillo and lots of other child friendly options. Have a look here at the Guide to doing Port Aventura on a budget and staying off site in these cost conscious times. 

You will find lots of family friendly travel tips and advice in our research and advice section to help you book the right family holiday. Check out also the experiences of other parents and travellers in our parents forum and add your own experiences as we are a great believer in real parent's experiences as the best measure of whether somewhere will suit you for your family holiday. 

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