Street lights flickered through the window, casting shadows over our faces as our train made its way along the River Seine in Choisy-le-Roi. Just ten minutes prior, we had departed from Paris’s Gare d’Austerlitz at 9:40 PM aboard the Intercité de Nuit, scheduled to reach the Spanish border shortly after 10 AM, where we would transfer to a train to Barcelona.
Although it’s possible to travel from London to Barcelona in a single day, my husband and I chose to extend our journey with a stopover to provide our two daughters—aged six and four—with a brief tour of the French capital, a delightful lunch, and a night on a sleeper train. Traveling with children used to be a frustrating experience filled with requests for snacks, but instead of resisting, I embraced the chaos and turned every trip into an opportunity for culinary exploration.
The day before our departure, we checked into the 25hours Hotel Paris, located across from Gare du Nord, and then ventured to Montmartre, where we enjoyed a ride on the charming Carrousel de Saint-Pierre. Thanks to the online food guide Le Fooding, we discovered a fantastic buffet restaurant just a 15-minute walk away. At Boulom, priced at €1.50 per child based on their age, the menu included everything from succulent roast pork shoulder to pots of salty cockles, clams, and prawns. It felt like dining in a Michelin-starred school cafeteria.
After picking up pastries for breakfast from Boulom’s bakery, we stopped at the base of the Eiffel Tower for some ice cream as the evening chill set in. While waiting for our night train, we found ways to entertain ourselves at the hotel, playing Uno and getting the girls into their pajamas. By the time we left Paris, they were fast asleep, their eye masks in place and water bottles securely in their racks.
Our compartment accommodated four and boasted wide berths, proper pillows, and clever sleeping bag duvets. We awoke to views of sunlit farmland, as the train climbed through the Midi-Pyrénées, passing through picturesque snowscapes and tiny stations. At Latour-de-Carol, we switched to the R3 train for a three-hour journey, captivated by the stunning scenery of the Pyrenees. As we neared Barcelona, local schoolchildren boarded, and soon we arrived at Plaça de Catalunya.
Our home base in Barcelona was the Eric Vökel Sagrada Familia Suites, conveniently located near the vibrant Avinguda Gaudí. The hotel was modern and immaculate, ideally situated for a stroll to Gaudí’s remarkable basilica or a half-hour walk to Park Güell. Despite protests against overtourism in Barcelona earlier in the summer, we visited during the off-season and aimed to explore local experiences rather than typical tourist spots.
On our first morning, we headed uphill to the tranquil neighborhood of La Salut, stopping at a charming entrance adorned with decorative writing. A softly greying woman welcomed us, inviting the girls to discover her secret garden. We followed her through a kitchen into a patio shaded by a large ombú tree, where lights twinkled among the branches and the warmth of mimosa filled the air, surrounding a table with two large paella pans, prepared for our cooking class.
In 2012, interior designer Sara Casté Obiols created La Salsamenta cookery school after noticing visitors passing her family home on the way to Park Güell and wanting to expand her teaching from friends and neighbors. After the pandemic, her younger sister Clara joined her to share their grandmother’s recipes.
Alongside a Florida family, we received aprons and glasses of refreshing white grenache as Clara ignited the pans and distributed ramekins of fresh sofrito (a mix of garlic, peppers, and tomato cooked in oil) for tasting. The girls eagerly learned that traditional paella, originating from 15th-century Valencian peasants, included whatever was on hand—rabbit, snails, and garrofón beans—but never chorizo.
We split into two teams: one for seafood paella and the other for rabbit and chicken. The girls excitedly fried calamari, added rice, and ladled in stock, as the aroma of saffron rose with the steam. Clara reminded us, “Never stir the paella; it releases starch, and we want the rice firm with socarrat—the crispy, burnt bottom layer.”
Seated at a long table filled with chilled tortilla de patatas and salad, we watched Clara expertly prepare pa amb tomàquet (the original Catalan pan con tomate) by rubbing garlic cloves and grated tomato on pa de pagès (farmers’ bread). The paella was phenomenal; both pans were emptied in minutes, followed by fresh strawberries from the market. I inquired about local recommendations, and Clara suggested the market would be a wonderful experience for the girls, mentioning her own children loved the CosmoCaixa science museum.
Later that day, we ventured slightly outside the city to Mount Tibidabo, where we found ourselves in a jungle-like environment, listening to tropical rain pattering on lily leaves and observing piranhas swimming in a pool. Known as the Flooded Forest, this 1,000-square-meter section of CosmoCaixa replicates the Amazon ecosystem and serves as the museum’s highlight. With an admission fee of just €8 for adults and free entry for those under 16, it’s a magical place where parents can relax while children explore interactive exhibits, including a math lab, weather station, and Antarctic base. After three hours of scientific exploration, it was easy to see why Clara’s children returned often.
After a busy day, we sought solace at La Terraza, the Grand Hotel Central’s rooftop restaurant. As we indulged in the smoothest croquetas and crispy calamari, we marveled at panoramic views of the city, with terracotta rooftops shimmering in the heat.
La Rambla, both a highlight and a pitfall for newcomers, led us to La Boqueria market, where Clara had recommended a breakfast visit for the girls. Established in 1217, the market bustled with locals shopping for groceries. While snacking on sticks of smoked fuet sausage, the girls watched as slices of jamón ibérico were deftly prepared and delighted in the bright colors of chocolate-dipped strawberries and fresh dragon fruit smoothies.
Emerging back into the sunshine, we discovered Plaça de Vicenç Martorell, a leafy square with a playground where parrots chirped in the trees. It was this very aspect of Barcelona that felt enchanting for parents, with playgrounds tucked away in various corners—often near bars where adults enjoyed Mahou beers while watching their children play. Instead of merely passing the time before departure, we savored every second as our daughters built sandcastles. Reflecting on our trip, Barcelona seemed like a utopia compared to our hectic lives in London.
Accommodation was provided by 25hours hotels in Paris (doubles from €152, room-only) and Eric Vökel Boutique Apartments in Barcelona (two-bedroom apartment from about €255 B&B). La Salsamenta paella class is priced at €62 for adults and €30 for children (ages 6-11).
