by Holly Johnson
Last updated: 10:00 PM ET, Wed September 20, 2017
Visiting Spain with kids can be an exciting, yet terrifying, experience-especially if you're stuck on high school Spanish.
Since locals live very different lives than you may at home, it can take you and your kids some time to grow accustomed to the idea of things like eating dinner at 10:00 p.m.
If you have kids in tow, there are other considerations to make before your trip as well-some financial and some having to do with time. Here are some ways to explore Barcelona with kids in less time and for less money than you think:
Nosh on Cheap Street Food or Tapas
Cheap food is everywhere in Barcelona, from its street vendors to its colorful tapas bars. If your kids are adventurous eaters, you can save by skipping big sit-down meals and picking up food on-the-go instead.
Cozy up to a table or bar in a tapas joint and snack the day away. You can usually pay per piece or find a spot with a set tapas menu for a fixed price.
Rent a Condo
While hotels are plentiful in Barcelona, not all let you sleep four to a room. Fortunately, there are a ton of rental condos you can book with multiple bedrooms-both through websites like Airbnb and via rental condo hotels.
For our upcoming stay in Barcelona, I rented a two-bedroom condo at Aspasios Rambla Catalunya Suites for less than I would have paid for a hotel. As an added bonus, we have two bedrooms (no sleeping with the kids), our own kitchen to make meals and a washer and dryer to clean our clothes.
[READMORE]READ MORE: Explore the Charm of El Born in Barcelona[/READMORE]
Plan a Beach Day
Barcelona's prime beachfront location makes it an ideal destination for a beach day or two. Choose from one of the many local beaches or take a quick train ride from the city center to any one of the popular beaches within an hour's ride away.
Since many of Barcelona's beaches are known for partying and topless ladies, however, it pays to do some research before choosing a spot for a day with the kids.
Book Attractions Ahead of Time
Big tourist spots like La Sagrada Familia and Park Guell frequently have lines that are hours long. They also limit the number of people who can visit each day, meaning you could be left out if you don't act fast.
Booking allows you to lock in a fixed price and avoid missing out on these attractions if they do oversell. You can also typically "skip the line" if you book a ticket that includes this perk, saving hours standing and waiting with your kids.
Explore Free Sights Like La Rambla and La Boqueria
The La Rambla is the main drag of Barcelona, and it offers plenty of sights and sounds to keep kids and adults entertained. Shop in the many stores, stop for dessert and watch the street performers in their home turf-all for free.
The La Boqueria is a market just off La Rambla. Once again, it's free and offers a fun way to kill the time. You can shop, pick up snacks and try new foods while people watching all day long.
[READMORE]READ MORE: Barcelona Keeps Making Tourism Tougher[/READMORE]
Take the Metro
Just like other European cities, Barcelona has a functioning metro system that makes getting around cheap and easy. The metro is fairly simple to navigate, and you can cut down on costs by buying tickets in packs of 10.
Currently, a 10-pack of tickets valid for journeys between Zones 1-6 cost only 9.95 euros.
Topics From This Article to Explore
