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Barcelona/Sitges/Granada

We'll be spending a month in Barcelona starting the end of February and have a bunch of questions:

  1. We plan to go to Montesseret for the day. What is the best way to get there? Do we need a guide/tour or is it easy to do ourselves?

  2. Besides the Alhambra in Granada, what are recommendations for things to do, places to eat?

  3. Is it worthwhile to go to Sitges during Mardi Gras or is it too crazy and crowded and more enjoyable to go another time?

  4. We'll be staying in Gracia. Recommendations for good local, non-touristy restaurants.

  5. We'd like to take a cooking class in Barcelona. Any recommendations?

  6. Is it cheaper to buy train tickets to places like Sitges in advance or it doesn't make much difference?

  7. Do you need tickets to see the castellers in Barcelona?

Gracias!

Posted by
687 posts

Question 2: We spent 6 nights in Granada last year (my third trip there, and not done yet -- I love Granada). Here is a link to my trip report that details what we did and where we ate. Los Diamantes on the Plaza Nueva was our favorite restaurant in Spain.

Trip Report: Our two week family vacation to Spain -- April 2018

Haven't been to your other destinations, so can't help with those.

Have a great trip!

-- Deb

Posted by
5187 posts

You may be interested in reading Enric’s extremely informative article:
A Visit to Montserrat, The Holy Mountain

I hope you’ve booked your Alhambra tickets already!

Do you have Rick Steves’ Spain book?
You’ll find great detailed information as to what to do and see in Granada.

In Granada, make sure you eat some delicious ice cream at, ‘Los Italianos’, across the street from the cathedral.

We enjoyed a delicious meal on the terrace bar of
El Huerto de Juan Ranas overlooking the Alhambra at sunset.

Make sure you arrive early, grab a table, and enjoy the amazing scenery of the Alhambra across the canyon.

You can buy your train tickets to Sitges at the train station, as there’s no discounted price when purchased in advance ( unlike the long distance high speed train tickets)

Enjoy your trip!

Posted by
26829 posts

You do not need to take a tour to Montserrat. Enric's 2016 post seems to provide all the information you could possibly need. I do not know what the weather will be like up there in February/March, however.

I'm a bit confused about your reference to the Alhambra. Granada is more than 500 miles from Barcelona so certainly not a day-trip.

For trips on fast trains like the AVEs, you can potentially save money by buying tickets early, before other customers have snapped up all the promo tickets. This would include trips to Girona and Figueres, for example. For trips on regional trains, such as to Sitges, the fare never changes.

Posted by
5503 posts

I followed Enric's info and we did Monserrat on our own. Very easy. We made sure to have the transportation ticket that allowed us to use the funicular to the top of the mountain for views and hiking. We were there on December 31st (2016) and the high was probably 58F or so and because it was sunny, we were very comfortable. We had to take our light weight jackets off for hiking.

Posted by
2165 posts

Train to Sitges is a commuter train - no need (maybe not even possible?) to buy tickets in advance. I haven't been to Sitges during Mardi Gras and personally I'd prefer to go at a quieter time. This certainly depends on your personal tastes.

Posted by
15 posts

Thanks for the info everyone, i am really excited about a planned trip to Granada in March and we couldn't find the official Alhambra ticket website until reading this. Thank you

Posted by
26829 posts

I'm afraid you'll find the ticket options very limited for March. If you can't get a plain-vanilla Alhambra General ticket, try the Dobla de Oro (somewhat more money because it covers more) or the Granada Card (even more money, even more coverage) or contact your hotel for assistance.