Barcelona is fast becoming the city to visit for a fabulous city weekend break. It is a must to visit and it is very baby and child friendly, perfect for a 2 day break.

Known for its Gaudi buildings, its buzzing Las Ramblas Boulevard, Beaches and Gothic Cathedrals, there is plenty do to in this vibrant city.

Getting there and around
Getting there is easy, just a short 2 hours away by plane and you are in the buzzing metropolis of Barcelona. Getting around the city is easy with babies and children. Barcelona's public transport system is an easy-to-use and integrated service that makes travelling around with children manageable. All buses in Barcelona are air-conditioned and have special belts on them to secure buggies whilst in transit. Not only does Barcelona have buses and an underground metro but also has a cable car, tramway and uphill funicular train for getting around which children love. There are various travel card options you can use and children under 4 travels free.

Getting around by taxi is an affordable alternative compared to other major cities. Most trips around Barcelona in a taxi cost between €4 and €8.

Baby's bits and bobs
Travelling to Barcelona for the weekend is very baby friendly. Don’t worry about bringing along all your heavy baby equipment. Just use Buggying bcn ,a rental service aimed at Barcelona tourists with babies. This innovative concept provides buggy and stroller rental to visiting families so that they can leave their own pram at home and not hassle with heavy equipment. Other baby equipment such as cots, playpens and even toys can be rented.

If mum and dad want a night out or some time alone, Barcelona offers a wonderful babysitting service.Tender Loving Canguros, is Barcelona's English-speaking nanny and babysitting agency, which will provide quality childcare for visiting parents. As well as providing babysitters for a special night out or one-off event, nannies can be placed on a weekly, monthly or more permanent basis. Nannies usually charge between €8 and €12 an hour.

Where to stay
When travelling with little one’s finding a suitable place to stay can be tricky. When visiting Barcelona there are a few options. Barcelona is known for its buzzing nightlife so to get away from the noise, it’s recommended not to stay in the Las Ramblas area where many of the nightclubs are. A good area to stay in is somewhere central, between Rambla Catalunya, Plaza Catalunya, Diagonal, and Pau Claris.

A great option while visiting Barcelona is to rent an apartment for the weekend. There is a great website,BCNinternet ,which is very helpful. If you explain your requirements to them they are very good at accommodating needs and are very honest about the areas that apartments are located- if they in a rough part of town or not particularly child friendly they will tell you. If you looking to stay in a hotel try Camper Casa, which is very child friendly – and even provides them with free drinks and snacks all day.

What to do and see in Barcelona
There is a lot to see and do in this city with children. During the summer, why not head down to one of Barcelona’s beautiful beaches? Try Barceloneta or Mar Bella beach, the little ones will love the sea and sand. Or try the city’s paddling pools, the Torre de les Aigües. This small city park, offers a sizeable paddling pool, shade, seating area and a sandy "beach" for kids to play in.

If you want to sightsee, hop on Barcelona’s Bus Turístic, the kids will love the open air bus and it’s a great way to see the city without causing tired little feet. You can hop off where you like or decide which sights you would like to come back and get a closer look at.

Kids will also enjoy the Barcelona Zoo in Parc Ciutadella, where they can play on the playgrounds and have pony rides and pet the animals. The Barcelona Aquarium (the largest in Europe) is also a great attraction to visit with children.

A must do, is a trip to Montjuic Mountain and Castle where you can ride on a funicular and a gondola. This attraction is lots of fun for babies and toddlers and has great views of Barcelona for the parents. The Miro museum is also housed at the Castle, a treat for the whole family.

The Castle offers children's workshops and activities in the Children's Corner. Just down from the castle's drawbridge entrance is a small children's playground which features 2 super long slides which will thrill kids as they sweep down a steep slope that offers great views over the city. While there go to the Poble Espanyol, a village created in 1929 to show Spanish regional architecture. The kids will love the kids-only activities that take place there.

Dining out
Barcelona is renowned for its fabulous food. From its paella, to the traditional tapas to the delicious seafood, there is plenty to choose from. Most restaurants in Barcelona are child-friendly but things get going quite late in this city, so dinner is more often than not only at 9’o clock, way past their bedtime.

If your little ones aren’t adventurous eaters, try Laurel and Hardy’s which serves English food. It’s very child friendly and the kids will love it as there are bouncy castles and climbing frames for them to enjoy.

Another great spot to eat if you’ve spent the day on the beach is the Can Manella la Puda. This restaurant offers child friendly dishes which are very inexpensive.

Origen 99.9% is a fantastic spot to go with the little ones. This restaurant, which is situated by the Picasso Museum, is one the children will love. They have a picture menu makes it easy for even young children and toddlers to choose their own dishes.

Tips
Barcelona is also known for its pickpockets, especially around the Las Ramblas area. Ensure you don’t walk around with too many valuables and you remain vigilant about safety while there.

If you want to stock up on baby food while visiting Barcelona, the popular Spanish brand is called Hero which is stocked at all supermarkets and pharmacies around the city. Huggies and Pampers nappies are widely available in Barcelona but Pampers is often under the name Dodot.

Happy travels