Barcelona pier to hotel transportation needed

We will be disembarking the Royal Princess in Barcelona in May and are trying to determine the easiest ( not necessarily cheapest) way to reach our hotel near the top of La Rambla.

Are taxis and/or private transport providers allowed on the pier within walking distance from the ship for guests with luggage? Or is it necessary to take a pier side shuttle elsewhere to pick up transportation?

Could someone who has done this before please comment on your experience. I realize there will be a line for taxis and reservations required for transport. Recommendations appreciated.

At this time we are not interested in including a tour as part of the hotel transportation.

Thank you for your help.

Taxis are plentiful when you disembark, but with a large ship there can be a lengthy wait if many passangers have the same idea.

You do not need to take a shuttle. Private transfers are also able to pick up pre-booked customers just outside of the baggage hall, so very easy.

We have used a taxi (once) but the length of the wait has stopped us doing it again. In November the line waiiting for taxis did not look too long though so we may have just been unlucky on our one taxi. We just booked through Blacklane a couple of times and they were very good. If you use them too quite this code 691DKN6Y and they will give you a discount for my recommendation.

Other private transfers are available.....

Taxis are plentiful when you disembark, but with a large ship there can be a lengthy wait if many passangers have the same idea.

You do not need to take a shuttle. Private transfers are also able to pick up pre-booked customers just outside of the baggage hall, so very easy. .....

We are not goingto have a phone. Do pre-booked private transfers require you to phone them when you have cleared customs, or is the driver standing just outside the hall or does he wait in car just outside or what?

I believe security regulations prevent drivers from leaving their cars unattended while waiting.

We have always had to phone or text and were then told where they were, and the license plate #.

Sometimes they have a small sign in the car window with your name, sometimes not.

Perhaps someone else can explain how this would work without a phone.

We are not goingto have a phone. Do pre-booked private transfers require you to phone them when you have cleared customs, or is the driver standing just outside the hall or does he wait in car just outside or what?

You do not need to phone them. We had a timed reservation and they sent us a text with the driver name and tel number as they arrived. The driver waits outside the baggage hall and will have a sign with your name.

We have never arrived in Barcelona from outside the EU so no customs to clear.

You do not need to phone them. We had a timed reservation and they sent us a text with the driver name and tel number as they arrived. The driver waits outside the baggage hall and will have a sign with your name.

 

We have never arrived in Barcelona from outside the EU so no customs to clear.

We are not going to have a phone -- means we will also not have ability to receive or send texts.

Even here in US we do not have texting capability. We had server block it years ago because of number of incoming texts. Our US phone is not a Smart Phone and is for calls only.

I guess we will make arrangements with car service to see if we can just walk outside and find him.

I would go with a taxi.

Keith

We will be disembarking the Royal Princess in Barcelona in May and are trying to determine the easiest ( not necessarily cheapest) way to reach our hotel near the top of La Rambla.

 

Are taxis and/or private transport providers allowed on the pier within walking distance from the ship for guests with luggage? Or is it necessary to take a pier side shuttle elsewhere to pick up transportation?

 

Could someone who has done this before please comment on your experience. I realize there will be a line for taxis and reservations required for transport. Recommendations appreciated.

 

At this time we are not interested in including a tour as part of the hotel transportation.

 

Thank you for your help.

If the ship has come from a port inside the EU. Then there won't be any customs or immigration you just leave the ship. There could be a change to that because of the immigrant problem but I doubt it.

I do have a suggestion though. We did a cruise a few years ago on Ruby Princess ending in Barcelona. The problem was we were due to be off the ship at 8 am. So we booked a tour in a mini bus that met us at the cruise port. They kept the luggage in the bus, we toured Barcelona, Cathedral Familia, Gaudi's park and montserat. It was a very good tour and they drop you at your hotel at the end of the day.

We did this recently and the taxi was around 20 Euros.

We have never had a problem getting a taxi at the pier. I would suggest you have the name and address of your hotel written on a paper for your driver.