With young children and luggage, a taxi is the easy win: around £26–£35 (€30–40) and 25–40 minutes to the centre. If you'd rather save, the R2 Nord train runs from Terminal 2 to Passeig de Gràcia in about 25–30 minutes for around £4.20 (€4.90). Book flights →

Base yourselves in the Eixample or on the edge of the old town — flat pavements, lifts, and easy metro access matter more with a buggy than a picturesque medieval alley does. Unpack, let the kids bounce on the beds, and don't rush out. Search hotels →

Granja La Pallaresa, a chocolatería on this narrow Gothic Quarter lane since 1947, does thick hot chocolate and fresh churros — an instant win with tired travellers of any age. It shuts mid-afternoon (roughly 13:00–16:00, reopening 17:00 on Sundays) and takes an annual holiday in high summer; happily Petritxol has other traditional granjas if you find the shutters down.

Amble the car-free lanes to Plaça Nova and the cathedral facade — under-8s mostly just enjoy the buskers and pigeon-chasing. Tourist entry to Barcelona Cathedral ends by 17:45 on weekdays (weekends are shorter still, with Sunday visits only 14:00–17:00), so save the interior for another morning: the cloister is home to 13 white geese, a reliable hit with small children, and the tourist ticket is around £14 (€16) for adults.

Spaniards eat late, but plenty of tapas places around the Gothic Quarter open from 19:00 and are relaxed about children. Order a spread of easy wins — croquetas, pan con tomate, tortilla — and get everyone to bed at a sane hour.