One full day in Barcelona pre-cruise...recommendations?

[cactus doll]

We will have a full day for sightseeing in Barcelona before our Voyager cruise. Does anyone who has been there have recommendations about what not to miss besides the Sagrada Famiglia?

[jhenry1]

We booked an excursion with Spanish Trails Adventure and they picked us up at our hotel and took us to everyplace we wanted to go. Great group and they will respond in a timely manner. They do have a web site. I sent an email and they responded immediately. Great tour and we also went to Monsterrate(Not sure of the spelling)

 

Kandy From Texas

[ChristyVoltron]

We just got tickets on the Hop On Hop Off bus and rode around Barcelona. It was FANTASTIC. The price was reasonable, the buses were comfortable and you get a running commentary about what you are seeing and if you decide you want to get off and look at something more closely you can and catch the next bus. We got a discount package from our hotel for the bus but you can just buy them on the bus. But be sure and wear a hat if it's sunny -- you will get burned on the top deck. There are three lines -- red goes around downtown Barcelona including the famous Gaudi buildings, blue goes around the outskirts of Barcelona including Montjuic (the Olympic stadium, zoo, the docks -- maybe you can catch a glimpse of your ship -- and further down and the green goes down by the beaches. The red and blue lines start right above Las Ramblas which is worth a walk through all by itself -- just be careful if you take pictures of the people that are dressed up they will want money. Just FYI. My husband and I found Barcelona to be one of the most charming cities in the world and those HOHO buses work extremely well especially since you only have one day and by the end of the day you will have seen (maybe not gone in) but seen everything.

[HotRoot]

We did the hop on hop off bus. We rode the entire route the day we arrived. The next day we went back to the places we wanted to get off. The line for Sagrada Familia was very long. We chose to skip it and toured Batllo Home instead. We also got off the bus at the Olympic Stadium and rode the cable car to Mountjuic.

[chipmaster]

La Pedrea, Las Ramblas and La Sagranda, took a cab to each about 7 euros for each short hop.

 

I wasn't a fan of Ho Ho, saw long lines and didn't want to do a big circle when you can just go point to point.

[wripro]

Do not miss Parc Guell, another Gaudi creation which is fantastic in addition to providing glorious views.

[Needzavacation]

We did the Fat Tire Bike tour in Barcelona - highly recommend it, and not very strenuous.

[lkakers]

Favorite things I've done in Barcelona is ride the Montjuic Funicular (spectacular views!!!) and explore Las Ramblas and the Boqueria. (Yes, you'll hear lots of stories about pickpockets and scammers -- just take the precautions -- crossbody purses, wallets in front pockets with your hand over it, etc. -- you'd take in any large, crowded urban area. I didn't think it was any worse than any other big cosmopolitan city I've been in.)

 

Further, I would recommend the HOHO (hop on, hop off bus) as others have, and simply ride it for a full loop to get a layout, and the commentary, of the city. Plus, you do get to see a lot of the sites, so if you don't have time to explore them all, you at least have a sense of what they look like, in the context of the city. After the first full loop, get out at the first thing you want to explore further after that and play it by ear from that.

 

You can certainly study the HOHO route and the sites you can see from it. http://www.viator.com/tours/Barcelona/Barcelona-Hop-on-Hop-Off-Tour-North-to-South-Route/d562-2512BBUS Research those highlights to see what you're most interested in exploring. Either explore 1-2 of them well, or see 4-6 of them in a very cursory manner, depending on your preferred travel style.

 

Enjoy! Barça is a fantastic city with amazing sights, culture, sounds and food.

[lkakers]

Oh, and we didn't have time to wait in the long lines for entrance to the Sagrada Familia. I have heard that the best way to do Sagrada Familia is to book a private tour beforehand -- apparently the tour guides have special entry, which gets you past at least some of the long lines. Considering time is a major factor here, you wouldn't want to spend your short time waiting in line!

[journeyfan]

Oh, and we didn't have time to wait in the long lines for entrance to the Sagrada Familia. I have heard that the best way to do Sagrada Familia is to book a private tour beforehand -- apparently the tour guides have special entry, which gets you past at least some of the long lines. Considering time is a major factor here, you wouldn't want to spend your short time waiting in line!

 

You can also go online and buy timed-entry tickets, which is what we did. You have to specify a day and a time and entry is good for one hour past the stated time.

[jhp]

This is a LOT of good information about Barcelona! From the HOHO bus to pre-arranged tickets. Loving more and more info. Been there before, but this time we are 5 and no private guide so far. Already have wonderful links for Florence pre-cruise reservations for Academia, and Ufizi museums.

[cactus doll]

Thank you everyone for your suggestions for Barcelona. We can now have a plan and are looking forward to seeing this wonderful city.

[marinaro44]

The Picasso Museum is a wonder, especially to see the evolution of his different 'periods.'