Travelling with your Baby to Spain
Follow our general tips to travel with baby when in Spain and enjoy your holiday this year.
Eating Out
Generally the Spanish eat much later than we would in the UK and US and it would not be unusual to go out for dinner after 9pm with the whole family. Eating out is very much a popular social and cultural thing to do in Spain and is considered a family event.
You will often find big groups of people out having lunch on a weekend afternoon with ages ranging from newborn to the grandparents so if in doubt, bring baby along!
Tapas is very popular all over Spain and consists of a variety of small dishes of food you can choose from deli-like counters. These are often perfect for smaller children who just want a few nibbles from various dishes and means you don't have to worry about ordering a meal they won't eat. Many restaurants are child friendly and on request, will also heat bottles if you ask them.
Getting around without the hassle of a buggy
Have you ever debated not taking your buggy on holiday abroad with you? Do you have a buggy you'd rather not risk taking on a plane? Are you usure as to whether you're little one would be ok without a buggy? With a toddler these are frequent question for parents wanting to reduce the amount they need to take with them on holiday but still worrying about whether they'll be left carrying their little one at the end of the day.
If you're wondering about a suitable alternative why not use a toddler carrier? Rather than be another bulky addition to your luggage, some newer toddler carriers on the market are so portable you won't even notice you have them with you. The Obi Baby Carrier for example, is a lightweight back carrier for toddlers and younger children that looks like a karate black belt and offers a secure and easy way to carry weary children and avoid taking a buggy.
For photos and videos of the carrier visit the Obi Baby Carrier website.
Shopping for Baby
Generally you will find the familiar big brand products in Spain as you would elsewhere in Europe such as Johnsons and Huggies etc.
Nappies are known as pañales and Pampers is branded as "Dodot" in Spain. A very popular equivalent of the Johnsons baby range is the "Nenuco" range in Spain and is commonly seen in any baby section of a supermarket in Spain.
Check out our Shopping for Baby page for inspiration.
Baby Food Spain
You can find a range of major brands of baby food in Spain in most supermarkets. Hero is a popular brand of baby food, as are Hipp and Nestle. While the whole concepts may be the same with jars, pots, biscuits, rices etc. it's also amusing to see the range of what appears to be quite exotic dishes for the Spanish baby food such as monkfish with vegetables and paella based baby foods!
You will find baby food and other baby products also available in some pharmacies.
Pharmacies
Pharmacies in Spain are well equipped and will usually have what you are looking for, or at least the most appropriate equivalent. Spanish pharmacies tend to stock less branded medicines and instead will have plainly labelled packets of the same medicine but just sold under the actual medicine name, for example, Boot have their own branded up hayfever/allergy tablets and in Spain you would ask for e.g. "cetrizina".
The benefits are that you're paying for just the medicine rather than a brand name. Spanish pharmacies will stock their own versions of child-friendly painkillers such as Aperital or Dalsey but if you are familiar and happy with a particular brand or if your child will only accept the taste of Calpol without a fight then it's also worth taking your own mini first aid supply kit. It also helps if you're not familiar with the area you're going to and will not immediately know where the nearest pharmacy is.
One piece of advice is that the pharmacies may not immediately be aware of the UK brand names of some medicines if you try asking for the same, however, if you look up on Google the actual medicinal name of the brand you prefer and ask for this in the pharmacy, they will then know what you're talking about. For instance, Calpol is a paracetamol based strawberry flavoured syrup. If you ask for this you will be given a Spanish equivalent.
Generally, Spanish supermarkets do not stock medicines of any kind. In Spain you will also find different types of chemists with not all stocking medicines. The pharmacies stocking medication are usually those with a flashing red and green cross outside and other chemists are more for basic first aid equipment and all other general chemist products.
Baby in the Sun
The sun can be incredibly powerful in Spain and if you're not used to it, as soon as you arrive at the airport the heat will feel even more powerful! Absolute total protection is advisable for all babies and toddlers. Where possible, keep babies and small children out of the way of harmful rays during the hottest times of the day.
You may not be used to it in the UK when the sun screen and all in one swim outfits come out of their storage on a rare occasion but in Spain you need to be vigilant about the powerful sun every day. Keep your baby safe!
Car Hire Spain
When it comes to hunting down the best deals for your car hire in Spain, we recommend Simply Car Hire Spain. They use the latest in car hire search technology to find you the best deals on your car hire Spain for airports across the country including top destinations such as Malaga airport, Madrid airport and Alicante airport.
Alternatively, you may prefer to have your own car with you brought over by a specialist car transport Spain company. Whatever you choose, driving in Spain is an enjoyable experience.
Top 10 Travel Tips
Click below to check out our Top 10 tips for travelling with baby.
