My family of three will be visiting Gaudi sites on Monday, September 25, 2023. I plan to purchase 9:00 tickets for Sagrada Familia, followed by tickets to Park Guell. How much time should I give for Sagrada Familia and then to walk to Park Guell? We don't mind walking, or is there a better option for getting to the park?
We then plan to stroll through the neighborhood of Gracia on our way to Casa Mila. I would like to purchase the Open Date ticket that allows us to arrive at any time, however I am wondering what the chances are that we will have to wait to enter with that ticket, or will having a timed ticket be a better option for admission?
Posted by
Washington DC
28100 posts
Parc Guell is a distinctly uphill walk from La Sagrada Familia. The distance is about 1-1/4 miles. Google estimates a walking time of 32 minutes, as compared to its standard allowance of 20 minutes per mile, indicating that the walk is challenging. It's obviously doable for those without mobility issues, but time-consuming. The nearest Metro station also leaves you with an uphill walk (Google estimates 12 minutes' worth) to the park. You can get somewhat closer by bus or Metro/bus combo, but the time required to travel that way may not be faster. You can check Google Maps for directions. Especially with a group of three people, a taxi up to the park might be a fine idea.
I don't know how entry procedures for a Casa Mila open ticket compare to those for timed tickets, but in my experience you are not guaranteed to get inside at exactly the time on your ticket. Casa Mila and Casa Batllo are both typically packed to the gills. When I visited them in 2016, someone was monitoring the door and--after the early-morning time slots--letting new people in only as others left.
Posted by
Vancouver, BC, Canada
1318 posts
Use google map from wherever your starting point. There are buses which will go up the hill to drop you off near the entrance of Parc Guell. From any starting point, there are usually several options which include combination of walking, metro and/or bus. If google maps gives you two 30 minute options of A. 10 min walk and bus to PG or B. bus and then 10 min walk to PG, pick A. The latter walk up the hill is steep. Save your energy whenever you can, especially if you want to do two or three attractions in a day.
If you are going to do all 3 attractions in one day, you may wish to book SF and CM back to back. Estimate 2 hours each. Some people spend more or less time; up to you. There is a direct 7 minute metro ride between the two. Have lunch. And then bus to PG, buying tickets at entrance. This gives you the option to switch days if weather is bad. PG is pretty big, but there are lots of places to sit, relax admire late afternoon views at the end of a long day.
Posted by
Olympia, WA, USA
6713 posts
I used that open-date ticket for Casa Mila on a pre-Covid October visit and it worked great. They put me right into an elevator ahead of a line of people. (I tried to look embarrassed but was secretly glad.) Don't recall whether those folks were waiting to buy tickets, for their time slots to open up, or just for the elevator. But I thought the open-date ticket was a good investment since I couldn't be sure when I'd get there after Sagrada Familia (an easy walk).
Posted by
Washington DC
28100 posts
I'm not sure it's safe to show up at Parc Guell expecting to buy a ticket and walk right in. Perhaps someone has tried that in fall 2022?