We arrive by ship in the morning and leave by train or plane late afternoon. Tours offered by cruise line are drive-by only and poorly reviewed. Suggestions?
Posted by
Colorado Mountains, USA
7360 posts
Rick Steves currently has a 30% off Online sale on his Mediterranean Ports Cruising guidebook, https://store.ricksteves.com/shop/p/mediterranean-cruise-ports , which includes an itinerary for Barcelona. That makes it less than $20, instead of the usual $27.99. Maybe worth an investment for planning, if you want to skip the cruise’s offerings?
Posted by
KS, USA
676 posts
You’re not going to have a ton of time to see a lot. Barcelona is definitely doable on your own. I’d suggest figuring out what you’re interested in seeing and then figuring out how much time you actually have to see it, or if you have even time to see it, after building in transportation time.
I would suggest Sagrada Familia as it’s absolutely incredible but my interests may not be the same as yours.
Posted by
Washington DC
27122 posts
Unfortunately, a lot of the most popular sights in Barcelona require purchase of timed tickets in advance if you don't want to wait in long lines. These are the problem sights I'm aware of:
La Sagrada Familia
Parc Guell
Picasso Museum
Casa Mila/La Pedrera
Casa Batllo
Palau de la Musica Catalana (English tours can sell out and aren't super-frequent)
There are of course things to do in Barcelona that don't typically involve lines (the large MNAC art museum, the Miro Museum, the Sant Pau modernista site, etc.), but many visitors want to see a significant number of the places I've listed. You don't have time for lines even if you limit yourself to just one indoor sight, so you have three choices:
Pick one or two things you especially want to see and buy tickets in advance, being careful to allow an appropriate amount of time between the tickets if you buy more than one. (My top choice would be La Sagrada Familia, but I love modernista architecture. Google for photos if you aren't sure.)
Plan to just walk by some key sights. Barcelona is a very attractive city and quite walkable, so this is a good option. I'd include part of the Barri Gotic, the Palau de la Musica Catalana, the Block of Discord (which includes Casa Batllo), Casa Mila/La Pedrera and La Sagrada Familia. I don't think there would be time for Parc Guell. You can use the Metro or taxis where helpful.
Take a local tour for part of your time. I liked the Barri Gotic tour offered by the local tourist office. Others have had good things to say about Runner Bean tours. If you end up taking a "free" tour, be aware that you are expected to tip well. The guides for those tours have to pay the organizers 3-4 euros per head for everyone who shows up, so I think 15 euros is about the minimum to tip if the guide is competent. I prefer the paid tours offered by the tourist office, myself.
You could also choose a combination of the above options--perhaps visiting one indoor sight and spend the rest of your time walking around.
Posted by
Vancouver, BC, Canada
1190 posts
We visited Barcelona for a half-day in the middle of our West Med cruise in 2015. We purchased tickets online for the Sagrada Familia including one of the towers, which I would highly recommend. The tickets included a guide. We also did a loop on the hop on hop off bus, which I would not recommend. We even had time for a meal before we had to return to the cruise ship. We loved Barcelona and finally visited it again for 5 nights during our Spain trip last month.
I think you can store your baggage at LuggageHero (never used them), maybe near Catalunya. I would recommend the Sagrada Familia which is an iconic Barcelona attraction. If you book online, you will skip the line and can easily tour the church and even climb a tower, all in a couple of hours. Afterwards, you can head back to Catalunya, walk La Rambla, explore a bit of the Gothic area and dine. Finally, head back to Catalunya to pick up your bags and catch the airport bus or taxi to the airport. Good luck.
Posted by
OP
13 posts
Very helpful! Thank you.
Posted by
Australia
863 posts
If you book online, you will skip the line
But you still have to line up to go through security at Sagrada Familia. Even with our skip the line tickets in October 2022 it took at least 30 minutes in a line to get in.
Posted by
Vancouver, BC, Canada
1190 posts
There are lineups for pretty much everything: attractions, cruise ship dining, toilets. The Sagrada Familia tickets are timed entries, both for general admission and the guided tour which only cost €4 more. Pick your time and plan accordingly to show up a little early.