I'm ordering online tickets for Sagrada Familia on the official site am trying to figure out which to purchase. My husband would like to go up one of the towers but I don't think that I can manage coming down the stairs (I understand you can take an elevator up to either tower). I've read mixed information as to whether it is possible to take the elevator down. Some reports say that you can take the elevator down from the Passion tower but not the Nativity tower while others say that you can take the elevator down from the Passion tower even though it is discouraged. If this is the case, he could go up the Nativity Tower and I could do the Passion Tower. I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has done the towers recently and knows about the elevator policy.
During a "practice purchase," when I selected 11:30 for the tower, it then asked for a time to enter Sagrada Familia and offered 10:45 or 11:00 as the two choices. I assume that means we would enter the cathedral at, say, 10:45 and could walk around the interior and then take the elevator up the tower at 11:30. Is the lift inside the cathedral? Would we be able to continue walking around the cathedral after coming down from the tower?
Finally, I've read differing reports on the best time of day to visit to get the best photographs. Someone wrote: "For the outside morning would be better for the Nativity Facade because in the afternoon you may have the sun in front of you (This may vary depends of the time of your visit.) but another person suggested that, if visiting the Nativity Tower, "after 12 noon, the sun is at your back, making it easy to snap excellent photos of your family, friends and the Basilica in general." Another poster said "I just finished my trip to Barcelona. I stayed inside Sagrada Familia from 2pm to 6pm and took different pictures. The best time to capture the light stream shining through the beautiful stained glass is between 5-6 pm." Another wrote: " There are two slots which are great for taking photos at Sagrada Familia. First, from 10.30 to 11.30 am when the sunlight enters the Basilica at an angle. Second, from 5 pm to 6 pm when the subdued rays of the sunlight stream in sheepishly. Many tourists consider the evening time better." We will be there on Nov 2nd, after the time change from Daylight savings to "regular" time occurs.
This will likely be my our only visit to Barcelona so we'd like to get as many details "right" as we can! Thanks, as always, for any feedback.