Enjoying city life with kids is now possible thanks to two information websites created by expat mums living in Madrid and Barcelona.
Kids in Barcelona.com has become a popular and essential resource for expat families and tourists with children visiting the city. Kids in Madrid.com now offers the same invaluable information and advice for enjoying Madrid with the family.
Madrid and Barcelona are great destinations for city breaks with children and are also home to a large number of expat families. To get the most out of these family-friendly cities, it is a real help to have local knowledge of where to go, where to eat and where to stay.
Kids in Barcelona and Kids in Madrid provide key information on child-friendly and terraced restaurants, family attractions, children's activities, excursions, parks, playgrounds, babysitting, children's art and music courses and parent meeting groups.
When it comes to family activities, you are spoilt for choice in both cities.
Besides the better-known Madrid attractions such as the Prado or Retiro Park, the city is also home to many original version cinemas, an Imax, a fantastic network of cycling paths, unlimited sports facilities and open-air swimming pools.
Both Madrid and Barcelona have cable cars. The Teleferic carries you up for great views of the city from the Montjuic Castle in Barcelona and the Casa de Campo in Madrid takes you to the Zoo, Aquarium and the city's theme park. In Madrid, families can also take a magical ride into the past on the medieval train to Siguënza or a trip on the Strawberry Train to Aranjuez which includes strawberries served by costumed attendants en route and a guided tour when you arrive.
Entertainment for children in Barcelona includes the kilometres of beaches, the Imax cinema, Zoo and Aquarium and Family Sundays at the Poble Espanyol (a mock Spanish town). Kids in Barcelona features amusement and water parks as well as city parks and children's play areas. You can get lost in the maze at the Labyrinth d'Horta or board a steam engine for a fun ride around a model railway at the Parc del Castell de L'Oreneta.
You will also find information on paddling pools, indoor soft play parks and children's sports such as ice skating and horse riding.
Madrid and Barcelona are home to a great number of museums, galleries and art centres, many of which cater for children. The CaixaForum in both cities has ongoing family workshops and free shows. The cultural options for kids are endless.
If you are relocating to the city with your family or are an expat resident, Kids in Madrid and Kids in Barcelona provide key advice on schools, nurseries, clubs, after-school activities and how to deal with the inevitable expat red tape. Also listed are international food shops, children's shops, interesting and traditional stores, English bookshops and more.
Both websites have online forums offering expat parents or visitors with kids a chance to share information or ask for advice.
Kids in Barcelona and Kids in Madrid provide a valuable resource of local knowledge and a wealth of hard-to-find information from resident mums.
Written by: Emma Grenham and Paloma Irving
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