Barcelona with kids in May

Hi Lavra, what will be yours instead?... traveling is a very personal issue and every person has different expectations, priorities, tastes and likes and personal circumstances, therefore is rather futile for others to say do this, do that. Instead, I think it's much more useful to present "possibilities" so you can make your own choices.

To that effect, I suggest a visit to the following websites for a first approach to Barcelona noting that this is the capital city of a small nation, Catalonia, which has lots to offer beyond Barcelona: http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/ | http://www.infocatalonia.eu | http://www.timeout.com/barcelona | http://lameva.barcelona.cat/en | http://www.catalunya.com/?language=en

As per kids, this can be a good initial source for info: http://www.timeout.com/barcelona/barcelona-for-kids

Other than this, I fail to see any specific "priority" or "preliminary advice" that I should give you, at the end of the day your way of life so to speak is like ours here in Barcelona.

Maybe if you have specific questions .... :))))

Thanks for the replies! I appreciate the suggestions and general introduction, Bill. Enric, we really haven't started planning, which is why my question was so general, but I realize it was probably too vague. I have never been to Barcelona (or any part of Spain), so I'm not very knowledgeable yet.

We would like to mix "must-see" sights, museums, historical places with some places that are more kid-friendly. What I meant by my question is, for those who have been to Barcelona with kids (or can imagine bringing kids), what were your favorite things to do? What were the best all-around places, enjoyed by adults and children alike? Were there any places that you would avoid if you had children with you?

I have found that traveling to cities can be more challenging for kids than the countryside: they have less opportunity to run free, it can be tiring to walk everywhere, and there are museums/cultural sites that are less awe-inspiring to them than to me. So we try to plan carefully to make all the activities as appealing as possible to everyone, and to balance museums/history with opportunities for physical activity/parks/nature. For example: when we went to Munich, in addition to cathedrals, palaces, and historical sites, we went to the Chinese Pagoda biergarten in the English Garden, where the adults had sausages, pretzels, and beer, while the kids played on the playground. The kids also enjoyed seeing the glockenspiel and the transportation museum. In Paris, in addition to the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Sacré Coeur, etc., we went to some of the car dealerships on the Champs-Elysées that allow you to sit in the cars and do things like a virtual reality driving test; we went on the giant Ferris wheel in Place de la Concorde; we went to the bird market outside Notre Dame; we had ice cream and went to the playground/sailboats in the Jardin de Luxembourg.

Thanks!

Hi Lavra,

Precisely, because it's rather vague, I find it difficult to be of any practical assistance at this stage. Simply throwing ideas or names of places your kids might enjoy visiting can be useless without having an initial idea of what sort of sites do you (adults) intend to visit. I found it more practical to wrap the activities for the kids around the sites visited by the grown-ups. Much like many other big capitals in Europe, Barcelona has many sites and activities both for adults as well as for children, from museums to parks, curious shops, etc.... even an ol' fashion fun fair on top of a mountain right "in" the city. In fact, I bet whatever itinerary you draw for yourselves (adults) can be easily filled with kids activities 'along the way' (or near enough!)

Looking forward to hearing your ideas.

Enric

Barcelona is a wonderful city. My wife and I have been there several times, however, without children. None the less, the obvious is to take the family for a stroll down the Rambla, the main and entertaining thoroughfare. Kids of all ages will enjoy the excitement, the street performers, and the great general atmosphere. Along the way, detour to the Boqueria Market. It is a lively market with all types of foods, fruits, cheeses--and people. Sure to have sights and sounds to draw your children in. If they can bike, you can rent bikes and travel safely down the large medians of several of the city's other large/wide boulevards. For the adults, the architecture of the buildings is totally amazing. The kids may also enjoy a visit to Gaudi's Sagrada Família Church. It is truly impressive. The kids would, hopefully, be awed by the vastness and detail. Be sure to review all of Rick Steve's numerous travel books, videos, audios, etc., to get his Barcelona insights. We don't travel anywhere without consulting Steves first. Enjoy Barcelona!

thank you!

I just came across your message looking for answers of my own. My girls are 7 and 10, and we're heading to Barcelona for just three nights arriving this coming Sunday. So, I hope to report back to you some of the highlights (we're spending the rest of our stay in Galicia and Paris).

My wife and I lived in Barcelona for several months nearly 20 years ago, so we've seen the Picasso Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, all the Gaudi--that hasn't really changed. So we have the freedom to reject as a false dichotomy the choice to do either "essentials" OR "kid-friendly" activities. (This is in my idealized view of the upcoming trip, of course, which is why I need to report back in September.)

We've basically got Sunday afternoon/evening and two full days. Here's what's on our shortlist:

• Staying in an apartment at the Mercer Boria BCN.
• Lots of strolling and shopping around Barrio Gothic and the Rambla.
• Popping in and out of tapas bars and bakeries
• Dinner and flamenco (7pm show) in Poble Espanyol
• Parc Guell
• Mercat de Santa Caterina and La Boqueria
• Placa Catalunya (and shopping at El Corte Ingles)
• The beach and Barcelonetta!

I like this plan because the only thing I have to lock in is the flamenco night, but even that is < 2 hours, includes dinner, and is set in a "kitschy but enjoyable" part of town I think the kids will adore. We'll let serendipity (and siestas) take care of the rest.

Again, I'll try to remember to report back upon our return!

Thank you, manchez! I appreciate it, and it would be great if you would report back, since our kids are the same age. And we're also from Massachusetts!

Take the funicular to the cable car to get to Montjuic and the castle. Great views. Kids will love the transportation method, and exploring a "castle." Not really much of a castle, but more of an old fort. But kids will like it.