What to Pack for Travelling to Barcelona

Barcelona is a fantastic city that captivates with its unique beauty at first sight. The capital of Catalonia is world-famous for its surreal buildings, golden beaches, distinctive cuisine and bustling festivals. You'll find entertainment to suit all tastes at any time of year.

So, you are planning to visit Barcelona and are excited to pack your luggage. At this stage, it is essential to anticipate everything, not to forget anything, and not to overload your suitcases. This article will tell you what to pack on a trip to Barcelona and give you the list of documents, medicines and other necessary accessories you will need.

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Travel documents are the main point in any trip, which should be approached responsibly. At first glance, everything is simple: passports, vouchers, money. However, there are some critical points. Kidpassage offers you a detailed list of necessary papers.

№	Document title	Comments
1.	Passports for all family members, ID cards	Pay attention to the validity of the document. Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (check the 'expiry date')
2.	Birth certificate	It may be required to prove your relationship with the child. A photocopy of the document is sufficient.
3.	Visa	Citizens of countries with a visa-free agreement do not need a visa.   A visa is required: Citizens of countries with which there is no visa-free agreement. Citizens of countries with a visa-free agreement, but who do not have a biometric passport. When travelling for more than 90 days.
4.	Travel voucher
5.	Proof of accommodation booking or invitation
6.	Air tickets (in case of flight)
7.	Money and bank cards	Currently, the set minimum requires for visitors is now 100 euros per day
8.	Health insurance	Taking out medical insurance of at least 30 thousand euros is advisable.
9.	A letter of consent	If the child is traveling with only one of their custodial parents, they may need an extra (official) document signed by their parents, second parent or legal guardian(s) authorising them to travel.
10.	Driver's license	For tourists travelling by own vehicle or planning to rent a car in Barcelona.
11.	Vehicle registration document
12.	International Motor Insurance Certificate

Barcelona is an excellent family holiday destination. However, many parents are concerned about holidays with children and sometimes even refuse to travel. Travelling with young tourists has its nuances, but this is no reason to stay home. It is essential to carefully consider and plan everything.

• Barcelona: Family Guide
• Barcelona With Kids: Top 20 Things To Do

We offer you to find out what to take to Barcelona for children, from things and accessories, as well as the most necessary medicines that should contain your first aid kit.

Photo: pixabay.com

Clothes

Every traveller has probably had a period when it was easy to get by with a minimal kit. However, after having a baby, everything changes dramatically, and the younger the child, the more things are required.

There is no need to postpone travelling — you must be patient and buy a large suitcase. Let's find out what clothes you must pack.

When travelling with babies, the major part of the luggage is clothes. Young tourists usually do not worry much about neatness and get their things dirty very quickly. Thus, how many clothes to take depends directly on your child's age. The purpose of the trip and the time of year should also be considered.

We have prepared a small list of things your child will need for 7-10 days. In the summer:

• Underwear. It is desirable to take a set for each day of the holiday.
• Socks. Take at the rate of one pair per day.
• Swimwear (if you are going to visit Barcelona's beaches).
• You will need light dresses, sundresses, shorts, and trousers for girls.
• For boys — shorts, T-shirts, shirts, trousers or jeans.
• Caps, panama hats.
• Pyjamas.
• Comfortable shoes. Consider that you will need beach shoes and lightweight trainers for excursions.

For babies under one year of age, taking two sets of clothes per day is advisable.

Although Barcelona has a mild climate, demi seasonal jackets and shoes will be appropriate in spring and autumn. Put a hoodie or jumper in your suitcase.

In winter, the temperature ranges from +10 °C to +15 °C, sometimes dropping to +6 °C. Therefore, demi-seasonal clothing is suitable at this time.

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It can be hot in a winter jacket or down jacket. In addition to the items listed above, except for very light summer clothing and hats, you will need:

• a demi-season jacket;
• comfy trousers or jeans;
• a pair of jumpers or sweatshirts;
• comfy shoes for excursions;
• swimming costumes and flip-flops are helpful if you are going to visit a water park.

Baby Accessories

Barcelona is a shopping paradise: shops, boutiques and supermarkets are everywhere in the city. As a rule, they are open from Monday to Saturday from 9:00 to 22:00. Lunch break or siesta is from 13:30 to 16:30. Large shopping centres operate without breaks. The day off is Sunday.

Only small petrol station shops are open on Sundays and holidays.

You can easily find everything you need in local shops, but having a stock of accessories for the first time is better. The list of things you should take to Barcelona if you travel with a baby is in the table.

№	Item	Comments
	Nappies	To save space in your luggage, put just one small pack into your luggage. Remember to take a few nappies in the cabin of the plane or car.
	Nappies for bathing	They are required at water parks and swimming pools. You can buy them on arrival, but bringing a few with you is better.
	Disposable Diaper Changing Pads	You will need it to change your baby's clothes or nappy.
	Сhildren's tableware set	It is advisable to bring lightweight plastic set.
	Pacifier
	Baby Travel Potty	Alternatively, buy disposable toilet covers or take a plastic toilet seat for toddlers.
	Stroller	Whether to take a stroller on holiday depends on your plans and habits.
	Sling, ergo backpack	Indispensable items for many active mums. In some cases, they are an alternative to strollers.
	Baby care products
	Comb
	A face and body cream that gives the skin a high level of UV protection.	You'll need it in the summer time.
	Wet wipes	Take a big pack in your hand luggage.
	Hand sanitiser

The list shrinks considerably if the baby no longer needs nappies and a stroller.

Gadgets and other appliances

Smartphones, computers, and tablets have taken leading positions in all spheres of our life, including travelling. When travelling, cartoons or games on a smartphone will distract little tourists for a while and give parents a few quiet minutes.

Before travelling, it is essential to check that all devices are in good working order, install programmes and download cartoons or shows.

So, what gadgets to take on holiday:

• smartphone;
• tablet;
• laptop;
• a power bank.

To date, smartphones have practically supplanted many electronic devices. For example, e-books, navigators, and audio players are rarely used when travelling.

Photo: pixabay.com

Many phones have cameras to take good-quality pictures, so sometimes, bringing a camera doesn't make sense. In some cases, putting some appliances in your luggage will be helpful. For example, take a blender if you are travelling with a child under a year old. And in the hot season, a fumigator will come in handy.

Toys

If your child is old enough, you can have them pack their backpack. You will only have to explain that this task should be done responsibly and that the child should take two or three favourite but small-sized toys.

In turn, take care of organising your child's leisure time at the airport or in the evenings. For this purpose, buy new colouring books, children's crosswords, jigsaw puzzles, board travel games, a sketchbook, pencils and felt-tip pens. You can put these items in your hand luggage or a child's backpack. Pack toys for the beach in your luggage. However, it is not worth taking too many accessories for children to the sea: everything can be bought locally in any shop.

• Family-friendly hotels in Barcelona

In Spain, medicine and pharmacy are at a reasonably high level. In Barcelona 300 years ago, the first school for pharmacists in Europe opened, and the first textbook on the production of medicines was published. In the capital of Catalonia, pharmacies can be found at almost every step. The law stipulates that pharmacies must be no more than 250 metres away from each other.

In Spain, there are some peculiarities of the pharmaceutical business. For example, there are no pharmacy chains because one pharmacy can open only one pharmacist.

Pharmacies in Spanish are called Farmacia. The working hours of pharmacies are from 9:30 to 20:00. Break — from 14:00 to 17:00. Sunday is a day off. The pharmacies on duty are called Farmaciasde Guardia.

In Spain, many medicines are sold by prescription only, so pack a first aid kit before travelling. Remember that medicines containing psychotropic and narcotic substances cannot be brought into Spain.

Here is a list of medicines you should take to on your trip.

	Group of medicines	Comments
1.	Medicines for chronic diseases	A prescription from a doctor in English is required.
2.	Cold medicine	Remedies to quickly reduce fever and symptoms. Medicines for a child under three years of age should be in the form of a suspension.
3.	Painkillers
4.	Nasal drops
5.	Ear drops
6.	Sore throat remedies	Pills, syrup or spray.
7.	Antihistamines
8.	Gastrointestinal Medications	sorbents; intestinal antiseptics; diarrhoea remedies; medicine for nausea and motion sickness
9.	Products for treating minor wounds or injuries	bactericidal plaster; bandage; elastic bandage; antiseptic; wound healing ointment; anti-herpes medication.
10.	Some devices	electronic thermometer; earplugs; aspirator.

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Kidpassage has prepared a detailed article on the traditional cuisine of Spain. And in our article, we will briefly describe what to offer your child in the capital of Catalonia.

As a rule, all cafes and restaurants in the resort will have dishes that appeal to kids. Usually, children are delighted with light Mediterranean cuisine. Order paella, tortillas or unusual pastries for the kids.

• Prices in Barcelona for Food in Restaurants, Cafes and Supermarkets
• Spanish Food: 48 Must-Try Dishes in Spain

All supermarkets and pharmacies sell baby food, including infant formulae from well-known producers for young tourists. Difficulties may arise with the search for mono-component purees.

We advise you to take a small stock of baby purees or pack a blender and prepare it yourself. To give you an example, here are some prices for baby food.

Name	Qty	Price, EUR
Nestle Nativa infant formula	800 g	11,95
Hero puree (veal with vegetables)	235 g	1,6
Fruit puree	100 g	0.99
Nestlé 8 Cereals Porridge	725 g	5,45
Hero Juice	100 g	1

This section explains what money to take to Barcelona and how much. Spain is a member of the European Union, so you should take euros to Barcelona. Before travelling, we advise you to consider several ways of paying for goods and services, i.e., accept cash and bank cards. It is crucial to keep your funds in different places, take small amounts with you on walks and excursions and use the safe in your room.

• Barcelona Card:25+ Museums and Free Public Transportation

Large shops and fashionable restaurants accept bank cards. However, you can pay for goods and services in cash in many places.

Banks in Barcelona are open from 8:00 to 14:00. Saturday and Sunday are days off.

How much money to take with you depends on your abilities and desires. When planning the budget for your trip, consider the tourist tax, the cost of excursions and entrance tickets to museums, visits to catering establishments and buying souvenirs. For example, here are the approcimate prices for tours, transport rental, and souvenirs:

• tourist tax per person per day (depending on type of the hotel) — 3.75-6.25 euros;
• tickets to museums — 7-20 euros;
• lunch in a restaurant for one person — min. 15 euros;
• 1 bus ticket — min. 2.4 euros;
• car hire — min. 270 euros per week;
• souvenirs — min. 2 euros.

Photo: pixabay.com

Spanish customs are pretty loyal to tourists, but according to the law, you can't take to Barcelona:

• drugs, narcotic substances, psychotropic drugs;
• weapons, explosives, ammunition, stabbing and cutting objects;
• fresh food products without vacuum packaging;
• dairy products, lard, meat*;
• poultry meat from Asian countries.

*The restrictions on food cover anything that has meat or dairy in it. So this covers products like ham, sausages and cheese, but also products that simply contain one of the above as part of their ingredients — which includes things like milk chocolate, fudge or fresh custard.

According to local customs regulations, you can import the following:

Import from an EU country (except Andorra)

• 10 liters of alcohol with an alcohol content of more than 22% and
• 20 liters of alcohol with an alcohol content of up to 22% and
• 90 liters of wine (including a maximum of 60 liters of sparkling wine) and
• 110 liters of beer.

Import from a non-EU country

• 1 liter of drink with an alcohol content of more than 22% or
• 2 liters of alcohol with an alcohol content of up to 22%
• with in addition:
• 4 liters of non-sparkling wine and 16 liters of beer.

Many things you don't need to bring from home but can buy locally, in any shop. We have compiled a short list of things not to take to Barcelona:

• beach mat and umbrella;
• an ample stock of baby food and nappies;
• hygiene items should be taken with you for the first time and then, if necessary, be added later.

We will be glad if our article helps you to know what to take on holiday to Barcelona, and you quickly and without problems prepare a list of the most necessary for the trip. Kidpassage offers the article "Children's itineraries: Barcelona" for planning your trip with a child. We are sure you will find a lot of valuable tips in it. We wish you an unforgettable holiday!