Review the itinerary for 9 days in Barcelona and help with few questions

Hi Siri, your itinerary is coming along nicely 😎

Answers to your questions

1. From what you have listed, one does not need any AVE train tickets, only regional buses and trains. I think you made a good choice going with touring companies to visit the Costa Brava.

2. For a neighborhood to stay in Barcelona, I would recommend the Gràcia area, specifically the Vila de Gràcia neighborhood. It is the "hip" place to be now, with its co-working spaces and artist studios, but also feels very cozy, welcoming, and family friendly. It is within walking distance to most of the Gaudí sites and has good access to public transportation.

3. As for pre-purchased tickets, other than La Sagrada Familia and Parc Guell, you may want to look into the Picasso Museum, I heard it's quite busy these days.

Some additional tips

1. I'm personally not a fan of Sitges, my favorite beach area south of Barcelona is called Platja del Garraf, which is just a short 30 min train ride south of Barcelona, a little closer than Sitges. You will find only locals at this beach. There are also a few good places to eat lunch nearby. La Cúpula is one such place, it has commanding views of the Mediterranean and a pretty good Fideuà, which is like a Paella but with short noodles instead of rice.

2. To complement your Sagrada Familia visit, you could also visit the Hospital de Sant Pau, which is just a short walk 10 min away. Hospital de Sant Pau is a Gaudi-esque modernisme complex built in the early 20th century as a hospital. It's now a museum and has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sant Pau has significantly less tourists than La Sagrada Familia.

Hope this all helps! 😊

Carlos,
Thanks for your valuable suggestions once again. I will look at Gracia and the day trip you suggested, first time hearing about this beach town.

Siri, you won't find Platja del Garraf in any guide book, one only sees local families there, out for a relaxing beach day from Barcelona. Garraf is more of a smaller beach community rather than a major beach town like Sitges. There's even a small house there designed by none other than Antoni Gaudí, which is totally off the tourist radar!

...Platja del Garraf, this is obviously in March when the sea is too cold for swimming, otherwise, it wouldn't be empty!

Enric and Carlos,
Do you guys think it's still worth visiting these beach towns in April? Or is this time better utilized doing another day trip or spend locally?
Thanks,
Sireesha

Hi Sireesha, apologies it slipped my mind that you will be traveling in April. Unfortunately, April will still not be beach weather, let alone going into the water. You may want to think twice about Garraf, as it's main draw is its beach. It's a similar situation with Sitges, but less so, since it's a full fledged town with more to explore other than the beach. It's up to you, but I would count out sunning on the beach or swimming in April.

If you do decide to explore some more of Barcelona, then you may want to check out Parque del Laberinto de Horta. It's 18th-century neoclassical garden on a former palatial estate. It's not very well known with tourists as it's more in the extremities of Barcelona. It has numerous sculptures of Greco-Roman mythology along with a number of fountains, springs, and pools. In the center of the gardens is large English style hedge maze that I think the kids would enjoy!

Thank you Carlos for being so helpful. Appreciate it!

My only experience in Barcelona was in October of 2017. We used Spanish Trails for a day trip to Girona/Costa Brava and greatly enjoyed both places. Spanish Trails also offers some tours to Gaudi sites. I prefer small-group tours to making our own travel plans for day trips. When I do the planning, I usually spend the day worrying about logistics instead of enjoying myself.

https://spanish-trails.com/barcelona-tours/

thank you traylaparks. I am going in to look in to this company for the day tours. I feel you on the planning and stressing about it part, i am in the same boat :)