Things for Kids

[MrsNobby]

Hi

I will be in Barcelona in August this year and would like to know what people would recommend to do with kids (13, 11 and 2). I was thinking either the zoo or a water park I don't fancy the Aquarium as we seem to go to one of those all the time. I would prefer to use a taxi as public transport not easy with a 2year old + buggy+ bags.

Any info would be a help as I am on the Queen Victoria and all the trips are aimed at the mature/cultural person and not family friendly.

 

Thanks

[Destin Mom]

Hi MrsNobby. Barcelona Zoo is very good and I would recommend it. The zoo is located in Parc Ciutadella which is a great spot for kids. There are a couple of really good playgrounds- one with a huge round swing that several kids at a time can ride- good for the older kids. There are row boats that you can rent and take out to feed the fish. Save some left over bread or buy a baguette from one of the sandwich vendors in the park before you go out on the row boats. The water is a bit murky, but the kids don't notice. I would go to the zoo for 4 hours or so, 1-2 hours in the park/ playgrounds, and if you have the time and patience, a 1 hour stroll down the Las Ramblas. Ramblas is a mobbed tourist trap- watch your belongings- but the kids loved the street performers and animals.

 

I highly recommend the Maclaren Volo strollers. They are lightweight and handle very well- hold up to 50 pounds. You can set up and take down with one hand (really one hand- not the promised one hand that never works). They do well on dirt paths (Parc Ciutadella) and cobblestones too.

 

Have a great trip!

[riffatsea]

If the children are interested in soccer and you are in town during the week, they might enjoy a tour/visit to the soccer stadium Camp Nou.You could get there by taxi and then spend the rest of the day at the park.

I think it is also a bit sad to be in Barcelona and not have the children notice the imaginative architecture that Gaudi made famous! Parc Guell has amazing whimsical structures that children can enjoy. His Casa Mila(La Pedrera) has a roof that is also unique and playful, almost like a playground.

The children might enjoy looking on line at the places one might visit in Barcelona, and choosing one that catches their fancy. They can always go to a zoo.

[Destin Mom]

Riffatsea has a good point. If I had only one (limited) day in BCN, I would do the HOHO bus to get an overview of the city and get off at a stop or two- Parc Guell being one of those I would recommend with kids; however, when traveling with kiddos, compromise is key. We took our kids at 3 and 4 to BCN for a week and did the HOHO bus- not sure that a 2 year old would enjoy it but would depend upon the child's temperment. Ditto for Parc Guell. We skipped Parc Guell on our first visit with the kids and did it last summer when the kids were 6 and 7.

 

The zoo, some parks and a site or two might be just right. It's a family vacation with a range of ages to keep entertained. You may miss some 'must sees' but if everyone has a great time, that is priceless. Our kids loved playing with children from other countries and learning to communicate- boys seem to be able to communicate using universal sports signaling. It is hilarious to watch.

 

Especially with young kids, I highly recommend having him/ her in a stroller on Ramblas, at Parc Guell or at any of the other crowded spots...BCN or elsewhere. You can't lose them/ they can't wander off.

 

Have a great trip.

[MrsNobby]

Thanks for the suggestions I think we will go with the zoo and park the older two are not really into football (surprising considering we live in England), but I might look into HOHO bus but not sure how easy it would be with youngest. At the moment just getting round the supermarket with my sanity intact is a struggle;).

 

Riffatsea I know what you are saying about going to the zoo but my kids have only been to a zoo once before so I think they might all enjoy it and hopefully I might be able to get them interested in Gaudi before we go, you know what they say you can lead a horse to water...

 

Tks Sue

[riffatsea]

HI Sue,

I understand more now! I live in a city with a world famous zoo so to me going to a zoo is a normal activity.

IF it is something new and interesting for your children then of course it sounds like a great idea!

[BRACEWELL]

We visited the zoo last October and our children really enjoyed it. There is a great dolphin show several times each day which is worth catching. We bought our tickets at a Tourist info booth near where where the shuttle bus drops you off and we got a 10% discount on the gate price. It is an easy level walk 10-15 mins from the drop off to the zoo. As has been said the HOHO bus is good but to get value out of it you really need to do that as your main 'thing'. A taxi to Parc Guell - Gaudi's design, would be worth while, it is a great place and your 2 yr old could have a good run around. You could also combine the zoo with the beach at Barcelonetta which is walkable from the zoo. We have done Barcelona at least 5 times on cruises and always found something interesting to do which our children have enjoyed. It is a great port which I'm sure you will enjoy.

[Kerry's Girls]

My 5-year-olds loved Parc Guell. We took a cab there and spent quite a bit of time walking the circular trail around it - it's really stunning, with amazing views (including being able to see Sagrada Familia) and places for the kids to run and play, really our favorite place in Barcelona.

 

Best,

Mia

[epixx]

Take them to the Parc D'Attracions at Tibidabo. Great views up there.

[hooked-on-travel]

Since kids and Spain are the discussion I'd like to go a little bit off topic, but does anyone know if Spain has a car seat law?

[Destin Mom]

Forgot about Tibidabo. Our kids enjoyed that and the views were great. I seem to recall there was a little kids area. Montjuic is another one we loved. These are a bit harder to get to and would take more time. I still like the original plan, but there are many other great options.

 

On the car seat question, we rented a car and traveled in Spain for a month when the kids were 3 and 4. We brought their car seats that year...and boosters the next few years after that. I had asked Hertz what the requirements were and was told we had to have car seats or boosters. We were doing a good bit of driving and would want them for safety...didn't enjoy lugging them around though. The airline will wrap them in plastic for you at check in. I would much rather be safe than sorry and driving in some cities (Madrid, Barcelona and Seville) is not exactly risk free. Ditto for other big cities in Europe. I would either rent from car rental agency or bring my own.