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Whether or not to pre-purchase "site" tickets in Spain

Three of us will be traveling through southern Spain the last two weeks of May. I am wondering if it is worth it to pre-purchase (before we leave) tickets to some of the sites to avoid long lines at entrance:
Madrid - Palacio Real
Seville - Alcazar
Church of El Salvador and the Cathedral
Granada- Cathedral and Capella Real (I've read where the audioguide is not very good, and signage is sparse-would you recommend a guided tour?

I have our Alhambra tickets !!
Thanks for any help/thoughts on this.

Posted by
28085 posts

It sounds as if you will be in Spain on May 18, Museum Day, when at least some museums will be free. Here's a Trip Advisor Thread about that day. Some quick Googling didn't turn up an independent website listing the participating museums, but perhaps the information will be easily found as we get closer to the date.

I stumbled on Museum Day during a visit to Madrid in 2016. That year it fell on a Wednesday, whereas this year it's a Friday. That may affect visitor traffic. I suspect the free-entry situation was not widely known in 2016, because I went to the Prado, of all places, and it wasn't excessively crowded. If I hadn't had that experience, I'd have definitely said, "Avoid the Prado on May 18." As it stands, I really don't know what advice to give. A conservative traveler might opt to try the Reina Sofia or the Thyssen that day. Or perhaps there will be a bunch of smaller or less popular museums also participating. The Royal Palace seemed to me extremely popular with Spaniards, who are perhaps more knowledgeable than foreign travelers about Museum Day. (It's probably mentioned in the local newspapers, too.)

The Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales was free for me in 2016. I enjoyed my visit a lot, but I was unsuccessful in connecting with an English-language tour. Unless their procedures have changed, non-Spanish speakers should read through Rick's description of the convent at least twice before visiting.

Posted by
3 posts

We were in Spain for two weeks in February. I would definitely get tickets for the Alcazar in Seville. We didn't and and the line was very long to purchase tickets. We got in line for Palacio Real in Madrid about 20-30 minutes before it opened. We were right in front but by the time it actually opened, the line was pretty long. If you definitely know the day you're going, I would get tickets in advance for the Alcazar and Palacio Real. The free days and times for the museums are very crowded. We paid to go into the Prado and when we came out, the line to get in for the free time was several blocks long. We didn't go to the other places you mentioned. If you are going to Barcelona, definitely get tickets in advance for Sagrada Familia. Have a great trip!