Hi,
I know Montserrat is a fantastic place to visit but I only have 3 days in Barcelona (my first time here) so I was wondering if I should still do Montserrat or focus on the city itself . Currently , I have this rough itinerary starting tomorrow
Fri - Montserrat
Sat - Park Guell morning and Tibidabo afternoon
Sun - Free and easy morning and Sagrada your afternoon
Any thoughts and suggestions ?
Hello Francis
I was in Barcelona for four nights and it was not enough but you do the best that you can do. I try to focus on what I got to see rather than what I missed.
I did get to Montserrat and it is awesome. I recommend that you include Montserrat.
I did not do the hop on hop off bus but it comes highly recommended and I wish that I had included it. Maybe you could do it Sunday.
Thank you Boston Phil for the prompt and valuable advice !
I would definitely recommend Montserrat. It was one of the highlights on my visit to Barcelona!
We were in Barcelona this past April. When we arrived in Barcelona in the afternoon from the US , we "hit the ground running" and went to Casa Batllo. The next day we went to La Sagrada Familia when it opened. I would recommend going 1st thing as we were there 1 1/2 hours and alot of the tour groups started coming just as we were leaving which made it very crowded. At 11 am we went to Parc Guell and then to the Picasso Museum as well as the Arc de Triumf. The next day we went to Casa Mila, Placa de Catalunya and the Palau de Musica. I felt that this itinerary was fine and very doable for us but everyone likes to sight see at their own pace.
We did not have enough time to go to Montserrat.
Get tickets for a guided tour of Parc Guell, which includes entry to the park and the monumental area, which is what you want to see. Otherwise, you will just enter a park with trees and wonder what all the hype is about.
What you need to see is the monumental area, which has an entry fee.
Also note, the Tramvia Blau is not running up to Tibidabo, so you will need to take a regular bus and depending where it stops, take the Funicular to the top. I believe there is a direct "Tibibus" from Plaça Catalunya that goes direct to the amusement park.
Frankly, the amusement park in Tibidabo would not be on my A list of things to see in Barcelona for a first timer, but each to their own.
On your free time, take a walking tour of the Bari Gotic (Gothic Quarter). I take it you are not interested in seeing other Gaudi buildings? Caso Battlo, La Pedrera or the architecture of Sant Pau or Palau Musica Catalan?
The first time that I went to Barcelona, I was there for four nights. We went to Montserrat one of the days and really enjoyed it. It was the highlight of the trip for one of my travelling companions. That being said, there is a lot to see and do in Barcelona proper and three full days isn't really enough to see it all.
Personally, I'd skip Park Guell and go to Gaudi's Casa Mila (La Predera) or Casa Battlo instead. In three trips to Barcelona, I haven't been to Park Guell yet. Another recommendation is to go to the Cathedral of Barcelona and the Gothic Quarter, maybe in the morning of the day that you have planned for La Sagrada Familia (which you should make reservations for ahead of time).
Last year a friend and I took RS Barcelona/Madrid tour. We arrived 4 days before the tour started in Barcelona. We were in Barcelona 7 days and didn't get to some of things we were interested in.
There is so much to see within the city that on your short trip, I recommend not doing a day trip. We did go to Montserrat. It was fine, interesting, but not the highlight of our time in Barcelona area. We were discussing what we did in Barcelona and agreed that it wasn't the best use of our time there. The roundtrip transportation times that it took to do the trip to Monserrat was more than the time we actually spent there. That said, the views were fantastic. (We did not do a commercial tour to Monserrat.)
We did Montserrat and loved it, but you only have 3 days in Barcelona. You need to weigh it against what else there is to see.
If you go, take the early train from Plaza Espana before the crowds arrive.
Thank you All for great advice, I have much to ponder
Since you are in Barcelona on Sunday, consider watching the dancing historic Sardana. We really enjoyed it. There are many circle groups doing it and towards the end of the time, the smaller groups join together. (This is a watch only event for tourists). If you go, I suggest watching from the steps of the Cathedral so you have a good view.
People dance the Sardana, Catalonia's national dance, outside the Barcelona Cathedral on Sundays at around 11:30 AM or noon. The dance is also performed on Saturdays at 6:30 PM and on Sunday evenings in the Placa de Sant Jaume.
The Sardana is a symbol of Catalan unity and pride. It involves people holding hands above their heads and forming circles while following a simple but precise choreography. A band plays while the dance takes place.
First time and three days only?... I wouldn't plan to invest half a day outside the city this time, there are far too many things to do/see in Barcelona.
