Barcelona – Family Travel Dining Tips

We are dreaming of traveling to Europe again – maybe in 2011 we’ll get across the Atlantic Ocean once more. (We are saving those airline miles!) The kids have let me know that Spain is on their wish list. Our family of 5 loves big cities, so Barcelona will certainly be a top priority.

Here are a couple of starting resources for planning our trip:

First, one from eurocheapo called Barcelona Restaurant Tips: How to keep your eats cheap by Bill Sinclair. This article describes how to decipher common menu puzzlers such as – Is the water and bread included in the price? And is sitting at that lovely patio table a special privilege that costs extra? It also imparts information about typical restaurant practices regarding smoking, busy hours, and tipping.

Another eurocheapo article is Barcelona food: Five cheap eats under €6, by Regina W. Bryan. Most of the 5 places identified offer foods that any kid would like to eat: Asian rice or noodles, sandwiches, and pizza. One though, is also a bookshop so I’d rather order takeout there and not attempt to keep my kids quiet while other customers try to peacefully read.

Check out this fantastic website, www.kidsinbarcelona.com. It is in English and has pages and pages of Barcelona information for families. One page is called Cafes and Restaurants with Kids. The page is listed under the Kids’ Directory tab, and offers 6 category choices including ‘eating outdoors’, ‘tapas’, and ‘easy meals’. Each of those headings provides a list of restaurants, each with a link to a detailed description, address, and a web link or phone number. The website also lists current events, park and play areas, and more. The Useful Numbers page, with contact information for police and medical assistance, and pharmacy locations, makes this website a valuable resource to remember even while a family is in Barcelona.

I’ll start learning some Spanish now.

Sandy Nielsen
Sleeps5.com