Barcelona with Kids – Tips and Recommendations

Barcelona has become increasingly popular. Especially in summer, the town gets overcrowded. If you can – choose spring or fall for a visit.
We don’t intend to replace a standard guide book on Barcelona. I’m sure you’ve heard of the wonderful Sagrada Familia church, the Ramblas, the Parc Güell, or the Boqueria market. Make sure to visit all that – and more.
In our City Travel Guides we focus specifically on families with children – what are the best family-friendly hotels, the best activities for children with tips and recommendations.
We recommend to book your accommodation through Booking.com and some of the activities through Get Your Guide, however we will explain in details which hotels and why, or which activities we recommend for which age group.
Note: The chronological listing is not an indication of ranking.

Where is Barcelona?

Barcelona is the capital and largest city in Catalonia, in North-Eastern Spain. With 1.6 million inhabitants and the surrounding Barcelona province, it’s one of the biggest populous urban areas on the Mediterranean Sea.

How to get to Barcelona?

Most people arrive at the modern Barcelona-El Prat Airport (over 50 million passengers per year). There is also an extensive motorway network and a high-speed rail line which links Barcelona to France, and the rest of Europe. The AVE high-speed train connects Barcelona with Madrid in just under 3 hours.

From the airport to downtown you have several choices. For families with children, we recommend to either take a taxi (EUR 30-35), or the Aerobus (Express Bus Service) which gets you directly to Plaça España or Plaça de Catalunya. Other options are by RENFE train (only from Terminal 2), or by Metro L9.

When is the best time to go to Barcelona?

Our favorite months are May, June, and September. However, Barcelona can be visited all year round. Barcelona has mild winters, and temperatures are far from freezing, but you likely experience some rainy days. July and August are the warmest and busiest months. If you want to party, these are your best months. Generally speaking though, we recommend spring and fall.

What to do in Barcelona?

Most people visit Barcelona as a city tour with enough architecture, shopping, restaurants, little charming streets in the city center, to fill several days or weeks. Others combine the city tour with the wonderful city beaches, or some of the beaches nearby, like in Sitges. For kid-friendly activities (apart from beaches and city sightseeing), check out our guide on the Best Family Activities in Barcelona.

Is Barcelona family-friendly?

Barcelona is very family friendly, as is Spain and Southern Europe in general. Just keep in mind – this is a big city with the usual dangers like pickpocketing – which is notorious in Barcelona. Follow the usual safety practices for big cities, and you’ll be fine. Keep in mind that some areas can be deserted during lunchtime (somewhere between 1pm and 4pm). Be careful especially in the Raval area (west of the Ramblas) during that time. The Ramblas themselves probably have one of the highest pickpocketing rates in Europe. Keep your valuables in the safe of your hotel, or somewhere hidden away. Best is to keep them at home if possible.