Kids in Barcelona - Guide to children's activities, shopping, health, schools, childcare, and babysitting.

Where to Stay with Kids

Whichever district you choose in Barcelona for your stay, you will find Getting Around Town fairly easy either by foot or public transport. Here is a summary of some of the different areas and what they offer for those visiting Barcelona with kids.

Barceloneta

The traditional neighbourhood of Barceloneta is often popular with visitors to Barcleona with children as it is close to the beach and marina and only a walk away from the old town. There are limited hotel options but a number of apartments available. Many of these may be fairly small and situated a few floors up with no lift - make sure you know what to expect beforehand. The area has become more and more fashionable over the years although most of the bars and restaurants are still typical of Barcelona. There is a good choice of terraced restaurants for eating outdoors with the family along the Port Vell Marina front on Pg. Joan de Borbó. You can also walk from the Barceloneta district to the Old Town (Barri Gotic) and Born area as well as to the Ciutadella Park where you will find the Barcelona Zoo and Culture Kids. You are also only a waterside walk away from the Maremagnum shopping centre, the Imax cinema and the Aquarium.

La Rambla

A fair amount of hotels and apartments are situated either on or around this central walkway that stretches from Plaza Catalunya to Colón(the Colombus statue). A popular place for a family stroll with its flower stalls, small craft market at the bottom near Colon and kids' entertainment in the from of creative and realistic living statues, street performers, portrait artists and the occasional puppet show. This is a busy area of town and not necessarily the most practical place to stay with kids in Barcelona. You are close to the main shopping centres and there are plenty of options for eating out, although often at elevated tourist prices.

Old Town (Barri Gotic)

Consisting of small, often pedestrianised back streets, you will find this area quieter for a family stay. Great for exploring, the area is full of hidden-away cafes, bars and interesting little shops. Although the streets are not always the cleanest, this is a Barcelona neighbourhood which will give you a real feel for the character of this historical city whilst still only a walk away from the modern centre of town.

Eixample

The Eixample district, built on a modern grid system, was a mid-19th century extension to the overly populated old town. It is divided into a left and right-hand side (Esquerra and Dreta). It covers a large area of the city and, although fairly residential, is often noisy due to the constant through-flow of traffic. The Eixample Esquerra is where you will find Pg. de Gracia and the Gaudi buildings of Casa Batlo and La Pedrera. The Eixample Dreta is where the famous Sagrada Familia is situated. Although both districts have their own fair share of shops, restaurants and street cafes you are in fairly easy reach of Plaza de Catalunya and the centre of the city from here.

Diagonal Mar

Over the last few years, this residential area close to the beach has seen a huge increase in the number of hotel and accomodation options for visitors. You will often find that last minute booking sites have great bargains at the weekends as these hotels are regularly used for business trips during weekdays. You may find even a 4 star hotel for a fraction of the price. The added advantage of this district is that you are close to the modern park of Diagonal Mar, the childrens mini fairground at the Forum and of course the beach is close by. Many of the hotels also have good facilities and pools. The Diagonal Mar Shopping Centre is within easy reach. If you do stay in this area, you will need to take a bus for approx. 15 minutes or Metro (Yellow line L4) for just a few stops into the city on the . See Getting Around Town.

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