Barcelona on our own

[Homeagain]

We are a group of 6 on the Celebrity Reflection Transatlantic cruise on October 21, 2016 with an overnight stop in Barcelona. We have a planned itinerary for the 2 days and want to know if this is reasonable. Since we have been to Barcelona before, we only have 2 things that we must do - Sagrada Familia and Monjuic. We will prepurchase tickets for Sagrada Familia for 9:30 am on day 2.

We would like to do a guided tour and have entrance to the tower but we do not see this as an option on the Sagrada website. Can we purchase entrance tickets to the towers once we are in? If not, we will purchase the 29E tickets with audioguide tour and entrance to the towers.

On day 1 we will purchase a 2 day HOHO pass. We will do the red and green routes with whichever stops we choose with a stop at Monjuic and take a ride up the cable cars. Before heading back to the ship on day 1, we will purchase metro tickets (either singles or T10's whichever is more economical for the 6 of us) to use to get us to Sagrada on day 2.

On day 2 we will take the metro to Sagrada Familia (any tips on timing, routes, stops and where to start would be appreciated). Once finished there, we will get on the HOHO and do the blue route then onto the red route to work our way back to the port (ship sails at 4 pm).

Is there still a shuttle to get us from the port to the base of La Ramblas (4E each return) or what is the best way to get to the HOHO on day 1 and the metro on day 2 (if that is the best way to get to Sagrada)

Any tips, suggestions or improvements for our 2 days would be appreciated.

Diane

[EnricM]

Hi Diane

 

"Montjuïc" is a very vague term as it includes multiple sites and possibilities. In fact, Montjuïc is the name of a large district, you should pick your venues: http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/wv3/en/page/396/parc-de-montjuic.html

 

No, you need to purchase those tickets online. There are different tickets in their website, one includes a visit to either the Nativity façade or the Passion façade (a.k.a. the tower): http://www.sagradafamilia.cat

 

There are two hoho companies -their tickets are not interchangeable: http://www.barcelonabusturistic.cat/en/home and http://www.barcelonacitytour.cat/en/

 

From the bottom of Les Rambles you can take the metro in Drassanes (L3 green) to Passeig de Gràcia and there change to line L2 purple to Sagrada Família. In all it can be say 40'. Get a T-10 travelcard for the public transport, it's convenient and cheap: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187497-i44-k7479842-Transport-Barcelona_Catalonia.html#58496475 Map of metro: http://www.mapametrobarcelona.net/mapas-metro/mapa-metro-barcelona-2016-01.jpg

 

Yes, the T3 bus, from the Moll Adossat to the Columbus Statue, but it co-ordinates its schedule and frequency depending on the arrival and departures of the cruises. Therefore the cruise shuttle bus service is not a regular scheduled bus service but one that only runs based on demand. Ticket is 3€ and T-10 cannot be used here.

 

For further ideas check: http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/ | http://www.infocatalonia.eu | http://www.timeout.com/barcelona

Edited August 29, 2016 by EnricM

[Homeagain]

Thanks for the information.

We want to ride up the cable cars at Monjuic to see the view.

We would use the Turistic HOHO lines (red, blue and green)

Thanks for the metro route to Sagrada Familia and letting us know how long it will take.

We will have to check on the shuttle from the port, as we are in port for 2 days I would hope the shuttle would run regularly on both days.

Any other tips are appreciated.

Diane

[Sunny AZ Girl]

We have not done this yet, so cannot specifically recommend but we will also be in Barcelona in October (4 nights pre-cruise) and we have purchased tickets for a private "Early Access Tour" on Viator for La Sagrada Familia on one day we will be there. We have also purchased the 2 day Turistica HOHO bus tickets on Viator.

 

Our plan is to do the Early Access Tour (the tour operator provides hotel pick up as part of the tour - not sure about the port, but you could ask). After the tour of La Sagrada we plan to pick up the HOHO bus outside of the cathedral for the rest of the day.

 

Have a great cruise and visit in Barcelona!:)

[EnricM]

Hi Diane

 

For consideration:

 

The best views are not from Montjuïc, but from the top of mount Tibidabo -where the fun fair and the Temple del Sagrat Cor (Temple of Sacred Heart) are located, in the Collserola Ridge, north of the city. It's the highest point (+1500ft).

 

View from the top

Partial view of the fun fair and the temple

Nightview from the city

 

Tibidabo: http://www.tibidabo.cat/en/discover-the-park/what-is-tibidabo/ -note it's not open daily. Schedule.

[Got2Cruise]

The audio tour is very well done. And, if you wish to dawdle you can because there is no guide to keep up with.

 

 

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[Homeagain]

Thanks Enric - unfortunately Tibidabo will be closed the days we are there.

Thanks Got2Cruise - we have booked the audioguide with towers. Nice to know they are worthwhile.

[heathero]

Hi, I am interested in going to the church at Tibidabo, will the cable car and church be open when the park is closed?

 

 

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[EnricM]

Hi Heather,

 

I'm afraid you must be confused... there's no cable car to Tibidabo, that'd be in Montjuïc, the mountain/hill located south-west of the city centre.

 

To go to Tibidabo, located north in the Collserola Ridge, you have basically two methods: the traditional one, which in fact is part of the experience, which involves a metro (line L7) to Av. Tibidabo station (Av. is short for avenue in Catalan: avinguda) and then the classic "Tramvia Blau" (the Blue Tram), an open 1901 tramway that drives thru one of the most affluent areas of the city (or in winter, the bus #196) to the top of the avenue where then a short ride in a 'colourful' funicular will take you to Tibidabo. Alternatively, a more direct and cheap way (but less entertaining) is to take the shuttle bus TibiBus at the north end of Plaça Catalunya, which will take you straight to the park.

 

But... the funicular and the TibiBus only work when the park is open, which isn't every day, in fact, you should check the schedule of the park here as it's rather variable. Getting to Tibidabo when the park is closed can also be achieved but thru a different and longer route involving as well a neighbourhood bus line which frequency is every 30' or so. Achievable yes but maybe not worthwhile if time is scarce.

 

Note that Parc d'Atraccions del Tibidabo (its full name) isn't a proper theme park, not any more or not as we know them now, but a 'fun fair' instead -if you catch my drift. For thrilling rides best to look at Port Aventura, one of the best in Europe, located also in Catalonia, but at 100km from Barcelona. Tibidabo is a fun fair built in 1905 still in business. Yet its 30+ rides and attractions, including two roller coasters, are more geared to small children and nostalgics. In 1957, Walt Disney tried unsuccessfully to buy their collection of automata.

 

If your intent is views over the city, check my answer #5 earlier in this post noting that, although the views from Tibidabo are probably the best in the city, there are also other vantage points for views of Barcelona.

 

Temple Expiatori del Sagrat Cor

Also to point that next to Parc del Tibidabo you find the Temple Expiatori del Sagrat Cor (Expiatory Church of the Sacred Heart) which, despite being a small church, it's quite impressive, especially when illuminated in the evening. And for those curious, this was all there was in Mount Tibidabo in 1887, a small chapel. From there, this turned into this and then finally into this...you can see the original chapel attached on the right-hand side of the building and, a view inside.

 

Origin of the name Tibidabo

And lastly, for those devotees out there, the name Tibidabo derives from the Latin Vulgate Bible verses in Matthew 4:9 and Luke 4:6, meaning I will give to you, was said to Jesus by the devil as they looked down from 'an exceedingly high mountain upon all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them'. The name of Barcelona's hill thus refers to the popular tradition that it was, in fact, the exceedingly high mountain itself. The phrase Tibi dabo forms part of the inscription in the central dome of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, although in that case it was drawn from Jesus' words to St. Peter.... yet Mount Tibidabo is merely under 1700ft, far from those 10300ft of our highest mountain in Catalonia, La Pica d'Estats in the Catalan Pyrenees :))

 

Enjoy!

Edited September 5, 2016 by EnricM

[Aaronmaissell]

Are free walking tours realistic.

 

 

 

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