La Sagrada Familia

Wow thanks

 

After much thought I'm thinking La Sagrada Familia and Las Rambas. We're in port from 8 to 4. I may save Park Guell for next time. :)

This cruise is very port intensive. Only one sea day.

Wise choice. Since PG doesn't have the same easy metro connection as SF and Las Ramblas, who'd be centering your trip around the Parc visit and would have to skimp on the others.

This plan will give you time to see more of Barcelona. After visiting the Sagrada, you could stroll up the P. de Gaudi to L'hospital St Crue St Pau. A beautiful ex-hospital campus and the largest Art Nouveau building complex in the world On your tight schedule, you can skip going in for the tour and just look at it from through the gates and the courtyard, maybe eat at the Cafe 1902 Modernista.

In May we stayed three nights at a hotel near Placa de Catalunya. Las Ramblas was interesting, but was probably our least favorite place in Barcelona. Too crowded, too touristy, too many people sticking their arm out for selfies. Worth a visit, but we preferred the quieter and more interesting streets of the Bario Gotic and El Raval. La Boqueria market is a must-see, and just behind it is the medieval complex of the Catalan National Library. The cathedral of Barcelona is another must-see, and the streets of the Bario are amazing. We did a circuit of the Roman wall. Just over a mile walk and took about two hours, including the cathedral visit and many of stops.

Make sure you include a visit the Placa de Catalunya. Have coffee at the Cortes Ingleis and enjoy the view. If you want more Gaudi, wander up Passeig de Gracia to Casa Batllo and/or Casa Mila. Lots of other interesting architecture on the way.

Barcelona was amazing. Have fun.

Wise choice. Since PG doesn't have the same easy metro connection as SF and Las Ramblas, who'd be centering your trip around the Parc visit and would have to skimp on the others.

 

This plan will give you time to see more of Barcelona. After visiting the Sagrada, you could stroll up the P. de Gaudi to L'hospital St Crue St Pau. A beautiful ex-hospital campus and the largest Art Nouveau building complex in the world On your tight schedule, you can skip going in for the tour and just look at it from through the gates and the courtyard, maybe eat at the Cafe 1902 Modernista.

 

In May we stayed three nights at a hotel near Placa de Catalunya. Las Ramblas was interesting, but was probably our least favorite place in Barcelona. Too crowded, too touristy, too many people sticking their arm out for selfies. Worth a visit, but we preferred the quieter and more interesting streets of the Bario Gotic and El Raval. La Boqueria market is a must-see, and just behind it is the medieval complex of the Catalan National Library. The cathedral of Barcelona is another must-see, and the streets of the Bario are amazing. We did a circuit of the Roman wall. Just over a mile walk and took about two hours, including the cathedral visit and many of stops.

 

Make sure you include a visit the Placa de Catalunya. Have coffee at the Cortes Ingleis and enjoy the view. If you want more Gaudi, wander up Passeig de Gracia to Casa Batllo and/or Casa Mila. Lots of other interesting architecture on the way.

 

Barcelona was amazing. Have fun.

Thank you for this information. We're staying likely at the same hotel you did, and would enjoy a quieter walk. We've been to BCN before.

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Two questions - Park Guell is the next stop on the HOHO route after La Sagrada. We have not bought tickets for that yet. I am assuming from this thread that we should make that purchase. Same day? Or day two of our stay? I am a bit confused as to what we should do here.:confused:

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The HOHO bus stop is at the bottom of a steep hill, several blocks from Parc Guell. Plan that last climb into the timing of your visit.

Parc Guell has a very good ticket tool on their website that shows if and how many tickets are available for the time slots. Mid-day fills quickly, but in May the early morning and late slots often had openings. Suggest you check their website a few time to get an idea of which time slots stay open and which fill up.

It seemed to me that planning a timed ticket to the SF or PG using the HOHO could be difficult. Have to allow extra time on busy days in case you have to wait through one or two or three buses to get on. Even in early May on a weekday, people were having to wait a bus or two at some stops. Could be easier if you went to the SF by Metro and started your HOHO from there.

Any suggestions for the best walking route from Sagrada Familia to Plaça de Catalunya? Not the fastest, but the best in terms of sights to see.

Thanks!

Walk along Mallorca St to Diagonal Ave, then turn left on Passeig de Gràcia down to Plaça Catalunya. Alternatively walk past Passeig de Gràcia to Rambla Catalunya, then down to Plaça Catalunya. You'll see full of splendid Modernist buildings in these routes.

How strict is Sagrada Familia with the entrance time for pre-purchased

tickets? Do they give much leeway either side of the printed time?

I'm not sure how long it will take us to get off the ship and get a cab there.

Don't want to have to wait outside very long to get in and don't want to be late and have ticket invalid.

http://www.sagradafamilia.org/en/rules-and-regulations/ -There's a 15' window, but I believe it's discretionary.

What company would you suggest to book for a guided tour? There are so many options, it would be nice to know from someone who actually lives there. Thanks!

Smooth Sailing ! :) :) :)

Company for a guided tour?... none!... what for? it's easy enough to get there on your own.

When I said "guided tour" earlier in another response I meant the one offered BY Sagrada Família: http://www.sagradafamilia.org/en/guided-visit/ yet many just get the audioguide (also by Sagrada Familia) which is good enough to understand what you're seeing.

You should be fine with 8 hrs. Be aware that the metro does not get you right to park guell and you still have a pretty good uphill jaunt. If time is an issue I might taxi to the park. You are then downhill to the metro to get to Sagrada. (Do buy your tickets in advance) . After the Sagrada take metro to the top of Las Ramblas and you can wander down based on your pace and remaining time. This way you are heading back toward the ship as the day ends.

I agree with this plan. Also, a taxi will get you right up to the gate at Park Guell where the buildings are located. The walk uphill to the other gate is Loooong. :rolleyes: It is a huge time saving--and the lines are usually shorter here.

Thank you EnricM, I appreciate your help.

Smooth Sailing ! :) :) :)

These three sights can easily be done is the time allotted, scores of people have. PG is spectacular but not large, 90 minutes is plenty. Sagrada is about a 2 hours visit, make sure you book the ride up to the tower. And why are people mentioning metro and hoho for such a short trip? Just take cabs, easy-peasy.

+1 for the taxi idea to Parc Guell. The signage from the Metro stop to the park confused us so we wasted some time getting up there. It is a hard walk uphill all the way. From there, it is an easy walk down hill to the Metro. We found Metro a great way to get around the city and there are several stops on Las Rambles. You can buy a single ticket good for 10 Metro rides for 9.95 EU at any station but make sure you have smaller bills because most stations only have machines selling tickets. We bought one ticket for 10 rides and shared it which is allowed and is easy to do. Others have said but I will say it again, buy your timed admission tickets for both the park and the church online. Quick, easy and saves time. Do not waste your money on a guided tour of the park, especially with Julia Travel or Viator. We did it that way and it was a waste of $100. When you walk along Las Ramblas be sure to explore some of the side streets too.