A city break in Barcelona
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Barcelona is one of my favourite European city break destinations. I’d been twice before having children so was really excited to have a city break in Barcelona with the kids. It’s also a destination you could include in a wider itinerary of Spain. You can even get a ferry to the beautiful Mediterranean island of Mallorca from here.
When to have your city break in Barcelona
We visited during October half term and the weather couldn’t have been more perfect. Low 20s throughout the day so comfortable to be wandering around in shorts and T-shirt without getting too hot. Chloe and I even managed a dip in the sea which was also a lovely temperature! The other bonus of visiting at this time of year was that it didn’t feel too over-run with tourists. I’ve been to Barcelona mid-summer before. As well as being very hot (I’m not particularly a fan of heat) all the main sights are super busy. They would need planning well in advance to get tickets. Spring or Autumn are my recommendations for time to visit but you could enjoy a visit any time of year.
Where to stay for your city break in Barcelona
As usual on our family city breaks we rented an apartment for our stay. We like that it gives us more space as a family. It also means we have flexibility to prepare our own meals if we want. As a family of five hotel rooms can be particularly tricky! You may have heard that in August 2021 the city of Barcelona banned Airbnb. It is only the letting of individual rooms that has been banned so there are still plenty of whole apartments available to rent. In clamping down on Airbnb all apartments being rented out now need to have a licence. Booking.com is our other go to website when looking for accommodation. There are more and more apartment style accommodations on there as well as hotels. This means it can give you a good comparison if you are unsure what you would prefer.
When choosing a location we tend to look for proximity to transport and local restaurants. In Barcelona there are lots of options for areas to choose. If you’re there in summer and think you might spend time at the beach, Barceloneta is the closest beach area to the city. There is also a whole string of beaches sweeping north from there. By the beach you are a bit further from the other tourist sights. We chose an apartment which was in between the Plaza Catalunya and the Barri Gòttic area. This meant that we were within walking distance of many of the main tourist sights and some lovely restaurants.
Getting around on your city break in Barcelona
We used the metro quite a lot which covers the main areas of the city and is easy to use. We did however find that for shorter journeys it was sometimes cheaper or the same price to get a taxi. Free Now is the Barcelona equivalent of Uber which once you have downloaded the app is pretty easy to use. You can either pay a set price in advance (as you would with Uber) or going on a meter. We trialled both options and found there wasn’t much difference in cost.
As with most places we go to we love to get around on foot if possible. You see so much more than you would by wizzing past in a car/ bus or train. Depending on the age of children the amount of walking may be limited so choose journeys that are the most interesting. Then for less interesting journeys or if it’s longer take transport to save little legs.
Where to eat on your city break in Barcelona
There are plenty of restaurants to choose from in Barcelona. On multiple visits to Barcelona we have enjoyed meals at the marina. There is a string of restaurants in a beautiful setting by the water. They do tend to fill up so it may be worth booking ahead to avoid a wait. It’s not the cheapest place to eat in Barcelona with kids but we thought the lovely setting was worth it.
We avoided the string of restaurants along Las Ramblas and instead enjoyed meals in the stunning Plaça Real, just off Las Ramblas. It is a beautiful square surrounded by restaurants and despite being quite touristy we enjoyed some great meals here. The highlight for the children were the street performers that made their way around the square doing acrobatics. Always great to get some entertainment with your meal!
Top things to do on your city break in Barcelona
There are so many amazing sights in Barcelona that depending on how much time you have the tricky bit might be deciding which sights to prioritise! Here are our favourites.
Sagrada Familia
You don’t have to be into churches to appreciate this magnificent building. It is one of Gaudi’s greatest creations which is still unfinished. When we told the children we were going to see a church there was lots of moaning that it was going to be really boring. Once we were there they were absolutely transfixed and Chloe rated it as her favourite part of the trip!
Pictures don’t do justice to the sheer size of this place and I particularly loved the inside. It is such a contrast to the outside of the building. Make sure you book tickets in advance (probably well in advance in the busier summer months) and be prepared to queue a little to get in but it’s definitely worth it. From the outside make sure you appreciate the building from all angles. There are a few pavement cafes in the surrounding streets which are a superb place for a glass of sangria while taking your time to admire the view. There are also two small playgrounds, one either side of the Sagrada which the children appreciated to let off some steam!
Las Ramblas
This is the most famous street in Barcelona and our kids loved it! You need to wander down it in the evening to fully appreciate the atmosphere of this busy boulevard. Packed with stalls selling everything from plants to tourist trinkets, restaurants, street performers and ice cream stalls (obviously the kid’s favourite!).
If in the area we tended to skip dessert in the restaurant and get an ice cream on the way home! Although it may be an atmospheric place to have a drink or meal you are probably going to pay over the odds and may get better quality (food in particular) elsewhere.
La Pedrera / Casa Batlló
You can’t really escape Gaudi and his influence in Barcelona. These two buildings are both great examples of his quirky style. The entry fees can start to add up so it may be that you just choose one to visit. I have visited both but on different trips to Barcelona. In my opinion Casa Battlo is probably better for children as it’s smaller and more colourful. Children under 12 are free and there are lots of different ticket options with various parts included. I think it’s all good so do as much as you want to pay for the ticket. La Pedrera or Casa Milà, as it’s also called is larger and has a better/ bigger roof terrace. If you and your family enjoy architecture you can’t go wrong seeing both!
Fundacio Joan Miro
You don’t have to be an art expert to appreciate this museum. It’s not huge so doesn’t take too long to wander around and they often have specific family activities on to keep children engaged. The art museum is very close to the top of the Montjuic funicular so easy to combine with a visit to the castle (see below). There are also great views from some of the outdoor terrace areas of the museum. To get there we got the metro to Paral-lel, and then the funicular up the hill. The Miro museum is just a short walk from the funicular station.
There’s an open-air swimming pool by the funicular station too with fantastic views of the city. The pool was closed when we were there in October but we had lunch at the cafe to take in the view.
Montjuic
Overlooking Barcelona is the Castel de Montjuic. There isn’t much to see inside the castle itself but the grounds are great and the views over the city and port are definitely worth the visit. The castle sits atop a hill surrounded by parkland. The most fun way to reach the castle is in the cable car, which is a short walk from the top of the funicular. You can take the cable car down too but we chose to walk down through the park. The highlight of this were the amazing slides that we found – the fastest slide I’ve ever been on!
There is another cable car from the port up to the castle which we were thinking of doing until we realised that the two don’t really join up!
Beach
Pretty much all children love the beach so whatever time of year you are in Barcelona a visit to the beach is always going to be appreciated. It wasn’t sunbathing weather when we were there but the sea in October was a lovely temperature for a quick dip. The children enjoyed a while playing in the sand while us adults had a drink in one of the many beachside bars. We also had a really lovely seafood lunch by the beach too which was a nice change to the bustling city centre. We got the metro to Barceloneta, from where it was around a 10 minute walk to the beach. Once on the sea front you can walk for miles northwards along a series of different beaches. We enjoyed beer at a bar at Nova Icaria beach and then lunch at the next beach along.
Mercat la Boqueria
La Boqueria, as it is usually known, is a large food market just off las Ramblas. It is such a feast for the senses that even if you don’t buy anything here it’s definitely worth a visit on your city break in Barcelona. There is pretty much any food you can think of for sale here. Stalls sell food items to take away and cook at home as well as amazing food to buy and eat on the spot. Options include fresh juice and smoothies, amazing seafood, Jamon (serano ham) and of course paella.
There are lots of tapas stalls/ bars where you can try to secure a stool and stop for a drink. Or like we did you can buy from any stall and take your food outside of the market to enjoy. We found lots of benches at the back of the market (the opposite end to las ramblas) but chose to sit in a small square, Plaça de Sant Augusti, just a block south of La Boqueria.
Picasso Museum and the gothic quarter
The gothic quarter is the oldest part of Barcelona. It’s a maze of winding alleyways and old buildings which is a fascinating place to wander and get lost in. Within this labyrinth you can find the Picasso museum. Full disclosure- I haven’t been here with kids. I went on a solo trip to Barcelona but I think children would also enjoy learning about the cubist great. The museum is quite small so you’re not subjecting them to hours of art viewing. I also think it’s pretty good value. Children get in for free and they also have some hours when it is free for everyone, although you will need to book ahead. Check out their website for up to date prices and to book tickets.
Park Güell
Park Güell is probably one of my favourite places in Barcelona. It is yet another Gaudi masterpiece and should definitely be on your list of places to visit on your city break in Barcelona. It is a large park in two sections. One part is a forest park, one of Barcelona’s main green spaces and a lovely place for a walk and to let the children let off some steam after all the city walking. The most famous part is the monument area which has timed entrance tickets that should be booked online. It has the same quirky modernist Gaudi style that you will see in Sagrada Familia and La Pedrera but in the form of gate houses, incredible staircases and seating areas.
Our children were slightly disappointed not to find a playground when they had been told we were going to a park, which in hindsight we should have forewarned them about! I have since learned that there is a playground in the forest area so if you’re in Barcelona with kids that love a playground it may be worth looking at a map to find its location! But even without playgrounds there are open spaces to run around, nooks and crannies to explore and beautiful views. It can get really busy so if you want to avoid the crowds it’s best to try and get there early.
Getting to Park Güell
It’s not particularly walkable from the main part of Barcelona so you are going to have to get the metro and then walk (around 15 minutes) or get a taxi. We got the metro to Alfons X on line 3 and then walked to the forest entrance. We then came out of the main entrance and walked back to Lessops metro meaning we didn’t have to go back on ourselves within the park. You could easily do this the opposite way around if preferred.
As you can see there is lots to do keep you busy in Barcelona for a few days. I have been multiple times and always find new things to do as well as re-visiting my favourite sights. I have enjoyed seeing the gradual progress of Sagrada Familia over the years! If you’re looking for more city break inspiration, we have a round up here, including information on Porto, Venice and Palma as well as others.
