Planning A Holiday To Barcelona with Kids

We’re getting to the point in our family life where we are craving a family holiday abroad. We knew it would be a while before we could afford/cope with a trip with both boys on a plane, but both my husband and I are getting ‘cravings’ for a proper getaway.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, Bear doesn’t have the sort of personality I can cope with on a long journey. He’s energetic, bubbly, loud, easily annoyed and although he’s a bundle of joy, others may not see him as that.

So for our benefit (and the benefit of other passengers!) we’ve stuck to UK breaks for the last 3 years. Don’t get me wrong. We adore exploring our country and will continue to do so, but we just want a bit of sun, sea, sand and swimming!

Back when I was working as a freelance designer for Custo Barcelona, I got to travel to Barcelona on a work trip and fell in love with the city.

It has EVERYTHING  I look for in a holiday. Beach, plenty of restaurants, shopping, friendly locals and culture. We’ve wanted to go back fro so long and are strongly considering Barcelona as our first family holiday abroad. Even if it’s just for a long weekend!

Planning a holiday with young children is pretty hardcore. Well, it is to me anyway!

There’s SO much to remember to pack, as well as making sure you’ve got some sort of itinerary for the trip.

We always like to go on excursions while we’re away. My other half gets bored if we don’t do a bit of exploring. And we both think it’s great for kids to learn about the places they visit. Even if they’re too young to remember as they grow up!

I recently discovered Withlocals and they sound like a perfect choice for us when we decide to take the boys away.

Days out with kids are hard enough, but imagine being in a hot country that you’re unfamiliar with?! That’s where Withlocals can help. Their guides are exactly what it says on the tin- local! They know the area, the facilities, what is suitable for kids. They can accommodate to your needs.

So I’ve been looking into planning a holiday to Barcelona with kids, and how Withlocals can help us plan the perfect family holiday.

First up I was instantly drawn to the Polaroid Walk. As someone who loves taking photographs, but is ALWAYS the one behind the camera, I love the idea of capturing our holiday at unique and special places around Barcelona. You get to take 5 polaroids home which means I don’t have to worry about printing photos after the holiday.

The Mythical Maze adventure sounds perfect for my boys! They both love exploring and being on their feet. How fun to run around a beautiful maze in Barcelona!

Finally, being a creative myself and spending most of my education obsessing over art, the ‘Get Creative like Gaudi’ tour sounds like my cup of tea! And I know the boys would love it too.

For me, the idea of Withlocals is genius. Getting to explore a foreign country with the local people, who are passionate and knowledgable of the area, helps make your family holiday extra special.

The Withlocal guides know the area and can ensure the routes you take are ideal for your kids. There’s no rush as the tour is private and catered to your needs. So if you need to stop for toilet breaks or to buys snacks, they can easily allow that!

And the most important thing… they’re local so they will know where all the local play parks are!

The hosts themselves may be parents or grand-parents themselves. And if they are, they will totally get what it’s like to travel with kids. They will be understanding of the pace of a young child and their needs.

As well as taking you on the excursion, having a local guide means you can get a more ‘real’ experience. You can ask more specific questions, learn the language, get to know the local people. You can also ask them what to do next! Make use of their knowledge of the area and ask them for recommendations for things to do during the rest of your trip.

For me, learning about Withlocals and what they can offer, I’m sold on using them when we finally get round to our family holiday to Barcelona. We’ve been discussing a last minute holiday this summer, so you never know, we might end up in Barcelona very soon!

(This video is pretty helpful if you’re thinking about a trip to Barcelona with kids.)

Have you used Withlocals before?

~A~

* In collaboration with Withlocals