If you've spent too much
time already in the
showpiece museums and
churches, any of the
suggestions we've given
should head off a
children
's revolt. A couple
require your own
transport to reach. Most
of the city's festivals
also have free
children's activities
such as puppet shows and
parades; we've listed
sporting
suggestions. To find out
about current children's
events, phone Audiotex,
a recorded information
service in Spanish and
Catalan, on 934 811 001.
The English-language
listings magazine
Metropolitan
also carries information
on activities for
children, some of them
in English.
Travelling with
children
Taking babies and
young children to
Barcelona doesn't pose
great travel problems,
and
hostals,
pensions and
restaurants generally
welcome them and offer
reductions.
The train company
RENFE allows children
under three to travel
free on trains, with
half-price for those
under seven. Metro
stations can be a
problem as there tend
to be a lot of stairs
to deal with and few
platforms have lifts
(useful exceptions
being Montaner,
Provence, line 2 of
Sagrada Família, and
Avda Tibidabo). If
travelling by bus, try
to stick to
disabled-accessible
routes, on which the
buses will have ample
room to handle a
stroller.
If you're
travelling out of
season, bear in mind
that most hostals
(as opposed to more
expensive hotels)
don't have any heating
systems - and it can
get cold.
Disposable nappies
and other standard
needs are widely
available. Although
most establishments
are very baby-friendly
(most museum
cloakrooms, for
example, will be happy
to look after your
pushchair as you carry
your child around the
building), you will
find that there are
less public changing
facilities than you're
probably accustomed to
at home. Those which
do exist can be found
in L'Illa shopping
centre (in men's and
women's toilets),
Poble Espanyol, Maremàgnum,
and at some McDonald
's restaurants.
City parks and
gardens
If you want to get the
kids out and about, take
them to the Parc de
la Ciutadella
(gardens, museums, zoo,
cycling and rowing); Parc
Güell (bizarre
gardens and buildings); El
Laberint d'Horta
(house, gardens and
maze); or Parc de la
Creuta del Coll
(parkland,
boating/swimming lake,
small beach) for
virtually guaranteed
fun. At Parc del
Castell de l'Oreneta
there are miniature
train rides and pony
rides from 10.30am to
1.30pm on Sun; it's at
the end of c/Montevideo
(take the #22 or #64 bus
to the end of the line
and walk up Avda
d'Espasa). The recently
restored Font Màgic
in front of the Palau
Nacional on Montjuïc is
displayed to full effect
in an entertaining sound
and light show.
Entertainment
Cinema .
Children's sessions at
the Filmoteca, on
Sundays at 5pm.
Festivals .
Many of Barcelona's
festivals include
children's events in
the programme,
particularly the Grec
and Mercè . If
you're around during
the New Year, note the
Festa de la Infància
i de la Joventut ,
held in the Fira
exhibition hall, Plaça
d'Espanya, between
December 26 and
January 4. On January
5, in the evening,
there is the Cavalcade
of the Kings, when the
three wise men arrive
at the port and parade
on camels up the
Ramblas. Two other
festivals which are
great for kids are
Carnaval in February
and Sant Medir in Gràcia
at the beginning of
March, in which
literally tons of
sweets are thrown onto
the streets.
Theatre .
See
"Theatre"
for details of where
to find children's
theatre, mime, clown
and puppet shows.
Museums and sights
L'Aquàrium ,
Moll d'Espanya del
Port tel 932 217 474;
Metro Barceloneta or
Drassanes. Part of the
new Port Vell complex,
reputedly the biggest
aquarium in Europe.
Sea life from the
Mediterranean; the
sharks are the major
attraction. Open daily
9.30am-8pm, closes
9.30pm July & Aug;
?8, children ?6.
Camp Nou Stadium
, Metro Collblanc.
Home of FC Barcelona,
natural magnet to any
right-thinking
soccer-mad child. The
museum here is
terrific.
Imax Port Vell
, Moll d'Espanya tel
902 332 211; Metro
Barceloneta or
Drassanes. Three
different screens
showing documentaries
on nature and animals
in 3D, circular or
giant format. Showings
all day from noon
until 1am; admission
?6-18.
Museums .
Some with a special
interest for children
include the Museu
d'Història de
Catalunya; Museu de
Cera (Wax Museum);
Museu de la Ciència
(Science Museum);
Museu de Zoología
(Zoology Museum);
Museu Textil i
Indumentaria (Textile
and Industry Museum);
and Museu Marítim
(Maritime Museum). For
information on special
activities for
children in the city's
museums during
summertime, phone 933
017 775.
Planetarium
, Museu de la Ciència
tel 932 126 050, .
Shows Tues-Fri at 1pm
& 6pm, Sat &
Sun every hour
10.30am-6.30pm; ?1.50
plus ?3 entry into the
museum.
Poble Espanyol
. Open-air
"museum" of
Spanish buildings,
craft and gift shops,
bars and restaurants.
Zoo de Barcelona
. All the usual
suspects, plus
children's zoo and
dolphin shows; free
for under-3s.
Rides
Cable car . The
best ride in the city
is to the castle at
the top of Montjuïc,
several minutes of
shrieking and gasping
as you ride above the
defunct fairground;
not for the
faint-hearted.
Les Golondrines
: sightseeing boat
rides across the
harbour and to the
Olympic Village.
Mirador Torre
Collserola
(information tel 934
069 354). The
telecommunications
tower at Tibidabo has
more dizzying views
from its 288-metre
height, accessed by an
external glass lift.
Open Wed-Fri
11am-2.30pm &
3.30-8pm, Sat, Sun and
hols 11am-8pm; ?3.
Take the funicular to
Tibidabo; there's free
transport to the tower
from Plaça Tibidabo.
Theme parks
Aqualeon ,
between Vendrell and
Tarragona, off A-7
(exit 31) tel 977 687
656. A water and
safari park. Open
June-Sept 10am-5pm;
adults 12.60, 3-12
years 7.20, under-3s
free.
Catalunya en
Miniatura ,
Torrelles de Llobregat
tel 936 890 960 . A
theme park, 17km from
the city, with 170
Catalan monuments in
miniature. Children's
entertainment on
Sunday at 12.30pm.
Open daily all year
10am-7pm, open till
midnight Fri & Sat
in July & Aug.
Adults 7.20, 3-14
years 4.20, under-3s
free.
Illa Fantasia
, Vilassar de Dalt tel
937 514 553.
Supposedly the largest
water park in Europe.
It's up the coast from
Barcelona, just short
of Mataró (exit 9 on
the main highway);
there are regular
buses from
Sants-Estació (tel
937 981 100 for
details). Park open
Easter-June &
mid-Sept to Oct, daily
10am-6pm; July to
mid-Sept, Mon-Fri
10am-7pm, Sat &
Sun 10am-8pm (the
waterpark runs from
mid-May to mid-Sept);
Easter to mid-May
& mid-Sept to Oct
adults 10 children
3-11 5.60; mid-May to
mid-Sept adults 13.20,
children 3-11 7.20.
Port Aventura
, near Salou/La
Pineda, off A7 (exit
35 onto N340 towards
Salou) tel 977 779
090; buses to Port
Aventura leave from
Passeig de Sant Joan
at c/Diputació (info
on 935 790 205).
Universal Studios'
answer to Disneyland
Paris: a massive theme
park based on five
different cultures -
Mexico, the Wild West,
Polynesia, China and
the Mediterranean.
Shops, restaurants and
shows, as well as
fairground rides
(including the biggest
roller-coaster in
Europe). Open daily
March-Oct 10am-8pm
(until midnight July
& Aug); adults
24.60, children 18.60.
Tibidabo .
Dubbed "La
Muntanya Magica",
the rides and shows in
the amusement park
here are unbeatable as
far as location. The
fairground food and
drink are pricey; you
may want to take
sandwiches if you're
making a day of it.
Babysitting
Some
hostals
will be prepared to
babysit, or at least
to listen out for
trouble. This is
obviously more likely
if you're staying in
an old-fashioned
family-run place than
in the fancier hotels.
Otherwise, you could
try one of the
babysitting
services listed
below:
Agencia Rita
c/Casanova 27 tel 934
537 034.
Servi-nens
Via Augusta 120 tel
932 182 387.
The agencies charge
between ?4.20 and
?7.20 an hour; English
is spoken at both.
