Family budget for 10 days in Barcelona in April

Ten days in Barcelona in April with two children is an extended stay where accommodation strategy becomes the deciding factor. Over 9 nights, an apartment with a kitchen can save £260-430 versus an equivalent hotel, while offering more space for the kids. This is when the apartment-versus-hotel question really matters.

This guide breaks down every cost for a family of four (2 adults, 2 children aged 6 and 10) over 10 days / 9 nights in April. Prices come from official websites for attractions and real bookings for accommodation, made 6-8 weeks in advance. Flights are calculated from London with Ryanair or easyJet.

The 10-day programme adds a day trip to Sitges (train at 4.60 EUR return per person), CosmoCaixa (6 EUR/adult) and the Aquarium (80 EUR family). Accommodation accounts for 50% of the budget: switching from hotel to apartment changes the equation at this length.

Good news: the longer the trip, the more fixed costs (flights, Aerobus) amortise. Over 9 nights, flights work out at £36/day versus £60/day on a 6-day trip. Children under 4 travel free on all public transport. With the pound buying around 1.17 EUR at the time of writing, UK families continue to get decent value.