Big Family Benefits:
Catalunya in general is a very family friendly place. In Catalunya we actually have special status as a familia nombrosa or family with 3 or more children (single parent families and families with disabled children can also receive this special card regardless of how many children they have). When I went to the "Departament de Benestar Social i Familia" I received a Títol de Familia nombrosa which allows us to have special discounts on our utilities, attractions, activities, transportation and some stores. Most of the discounts are not that significant, usually 2 or 3 euros off of an entrance to a museum or attraction, but sometimes you may get a 50% discount more. When you have to pay for 6 entrance fees anything helps. We have friends that said their utility bills decreased significantly after they became a familia nombrosa.Shopping:
I normally shop at Carrefour, which I find has the best selection at the best price. It kind of reminds me of Superstore back in Canada. I am a member of "El Club" Carrefour so I get back 1% of every euro that I spend. I also have a "Superfamilias" card which means I pay no tax on fresh produce and meat products. Again it's not much, but it's something. And when you buy as much food as I do every week, the small discounts add up. You need to have a Títol de Familia nombrosa to apply for the Superfamilias card. I also like Carrefour because they give out coupons with every purchase. Most of them I can't use, but quite often there is a coupon for 6 litres of free milk, and that I can always use!The other places that I shop at regularly for food are Alcampo (it's also the cheapest place to buy gas) and Lidl. Alcampo is very similar to Carrefour, but probably even bigger. It's not my main grocery store only because it's further away, in Sant Boi. Lidl is a very interesting grocery store. It's a lot smaller than Carrefour or Alcampo, but the prices are sometimes better and they carry products that you can't find anywhere else, especially foreign foods. My kids love German pretzels and Lidl is the cheapest place to buy them. A part from German goods, you can also find an assortment of Mexican, Asian and Indian food.
Another one of my favourite stores here is Decathlon. It is a huge sporting goods store with a great selection of good quality sportswear. We go to Decathlon regularly to buy running shoes and sandals for the kids. I always manage to find some clothing on the discount racks too. When my parents came to visit us last April, they bought more stuff at Decathlon than anywhere else in Barcelona.
Transportation:
Also with a Títol de Familia nombrosa you can get discounts off your metro pass or train pass. There are two categories of familia nombrosas: general and especial. We are general because we have 4 children, but exceed the minimum family income requirement. This means that we receive 20% off of the price of our renfe (Red Nacional de Ferrocarriles Españoles) train tickets. We need to take advantage of this discount and do more travelling around Spain. If you have 5 or more children, you are automatically "especial" and you would receive 50% off your train tickets.While on the subject of transportation, if you plan to be in Barcelona for awhile and you use public transportation, be sure to apply for the T12 for each one of your children between the ages of 4 and 14. For 35 euros, your child will receive a pass that allows them to ride all public transit within Barcelona zona 1, until they are 14 years old. It's quite the deal! The pass is renewed automatically for free.
Super3 Card:
In Catalunya there is a kid's TV channel called Super3. Through their website your kids can become a member of the Super3 club for free http://www.super3.cat/vullsersuper/. All the information is in Catalan, but filling out the registration form is not difficult. Then you print out the form, attach a picture of your child and take it to the nearest La Caixa bank. In 3 to 4 weeks you will receive your Super3 card in the mail. With this card, your children up to age 15 can enjoy over 200 activities for free. From amusement parks to museums, concerts, workshops, sports and outdoor activities, there are some great activities to choose from, see the list here: http://www.super3.cat/superactivitats#Activitat. For a family with kids, it's a great way to save money while exploring Catalunya. We even used our cards in Andorra.
Gaudir Més:
About the Gaudir Més pass, I would recommend getting it if you know you are going to be in Barcelona for at least a year and plan to visit Parc Güell more than once. The pass also allows you free access to the Castell de Montjuic and some of the lesser known museums that most people don't bother to visit if they are only in Barcelona for a few days like the Museu Blau and the Museu de Disseny. These museums are worth visiting if you are in Barcelona for a longer period. Check the website for a complete listing of where you can use the pass http://lameva.barcelona.cat/barcelovers/en/
It is free to register and as a bonus I was able to register all the kids as well so that they can enter for free if they are accompanied by me. The only drawback is that you must go register at one of the specific Oficina d'Atenció Ciutadana (citizen information office) around Barcelona (see the website for more information). You need to take proof of identity for yourself and for the children you are registering, although the children do not need to be there in person. They will digitalize your fingerprint. When you arrive at the attraction or museum you go to the ticket booth and tell them that you have the Gaudir Més pass, they scan you fingerprint and give you your ticket. Your kids will get their free passes as well just with your finger scan, ahh modern technology!!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Feel free to comment on anything you read