1 Day Layover in Barcelona (NCL Epic Cruise) What to Do?

[ShannonSC2]

was just there in september. best thing tl do is the hop on hop off bus. takes you everywhere. we loved the olympic stadium, the gaudi house, las ramblas, and the gaudi cathedral, if you can get in. loved walking around the old city. can't really recommend any good restaurants, just drink the cava! we are doing a cruise next may and will spend two days there

 

How long does it take the HOHO bus? Which line is better? Aren't there 2 different companies?

[4774Papa]

Don't miss dining at ATN. It's great.

[Crusin6]

I am sure my DH will love hearing that! :) We leave in a couple of weeks.

 

I warn you now a med cruise is anything but relaxing! But it is a cruise that will take you to the center of civilization and I assure you that you will suffer from jetlag and sore feet. However if you are a reasonable sane individual you will love every second of it as it is a cruise to the center of civilization! Lol

 

Be prepared for anything and everything and relish the experiences and if you hear anyone say " never again" or " just give me señor frogs any day". Just laugh them off and remember you are in the cradle of the ancient/ mideval/ modern world and you will absolutely want to return!!!!

[welove2cruise*]

How long does it take the HOHO bus? Which line is better? Aren't there 2 different companies?

 

 

Just a word of caution. We did the hoho the first day we spent in Barcelona. We were exhausted from the overnight flight but determined to fit in some things that first day. We had planned to get back to the hotel by 5 but one of the stops we got on went on a long loop away from where we wanted to go and it was over two hours on the hoho before we got back to a stop by our hotel (after 7pm).

 

If you take the hoho also take a metro map so that if you find you are heading in the wrong direction (or need a faster way to get from A to B) you can get off and get to a metro stop. We wished we had another option when we felt stuck riding the bus.

 

 

 

 

 

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[jemz1949]

La Sagrada Familia

Montseratt early morning tour with La Sagrada tour in afternoon

HOHO Buses

Barcelona Cooking School

[bigfoot88]

La Sagrada Familia

Montseratt early morning tour with La Sagrada tour in afternoon

HOHO Buses

Barcelona Cooking School

 

I did the day extra on the back end of the cruise. We got off the ship, gave the bags to a service that took them to the airport, he picked them up on arrival.

 

We did the HOHO bus, Lunch at the Hard Rock, and the La Sagrada Familia Cathedral

[Turtles06]

For those planning a trip to Barcelona, this web site is really terrific:

 

http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/

 

BTW, it's really easy to get around Barcelona on the metro (and by walking). In terms of the HOHO bus, if you are traveling during tourist season, I've read that you can have long waits to get back on a bus, so keep that in mind.

[CanadaTraveller]

Cruisin6 hit on the top things that we enjoyed. Do take the elevator up the spire in Sagrada. It was a fantastic view of the city. I just want to add that the gothic area, and plaza in front of the cathedral was one of my favourite spots to relax and people watch. We found some great musical entertainment on the narrow streets around the cathedral.

 

We spent a week before a cruise, so used the HO HO bus to get our bearings, and then used the subway. No issues with safety, and it was fast and efficient. Just be aware.

 

I think our most memorable dining experience was in El Cortes Ingles, top floor restaurant, not cafeteria, overlooking Catalunya square. Great view, and relaxing time and people watching. And you see all the HO HO busses picking up tourists. This is in the modern store, not the older building. Yep, they have two stores on the same square.

 

 

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[jertom]

HI all, thanks,... I just changed out reservation from AC SOM to Olivia Plaza Hotel,... near Las Ramblas ... looks like a much better place to stay..... and we can walk the street and see the sites form there!

 

Magic Fountain and Chocolate here we come!!! :)

 

Some walkable things we enjoyed:

The main cathedral, and just hanging out in the plaza in front of it.

The big food market on Las Ramblas.

The Roman ruins underground, via the Barcelona City Museum.

 

 

If you want to go further, the Metro is easy to use.

 

Enjoy !

[KeithJenner]

The OP is now on the Epic, so I don't think he needs any more suggestions on what he should do yesterday. :)

[HokiePoq]

Don't miss seeing La Sagrada Familia cathedral which is one of the sightseeing highlights.

I'd recommend doing a circuit on a Hop On Hop Off bus, then deciding where on the route you'd like to spend more time.

We enjoyed Park Guell and also much of Gaudi's works.

 

La Sagrada Familia is absolutely not to be missed. You can buy timed tickets online and not have as long a wait. If you want to go up one of the towers, buy ahead of time. It was fabulous! On our recent port stop, we used the metro close to the port to go there and then spent some time walking down Las Ramblas back toward the ship. Great day for little $$.

On another cruise, we came in a day early and did La Sagrada before it was completed (mostly anyway), the Gothic quarter, and Las Ramblas.

Another time we went to Monseratt, out of the city...breathtaking.

Another time we did the two day HoHo deal. While it gets you around and has a nice narrative, it is s..l...o..w. One day we did the fortress you see on top of the hill from the port with the funicular and the other day Parc Guell. All these are great but much of the time on the HOHO is spent going slowly and then waiting at stops for whatever time the bus is supposed to leave that spot to keep the buses at assigned intervals. For two days, we really only saw two sights and did a lot of riding.

Barcelona seems to be the departure point or a stop on every Med cruise we've taken and we've enjoyed them all. Can't help with the food as we usually buy things at grocery stores (including nice food souvenirs (candy/cookies, etc.) to take home as gifts much cheaper and fresher than at the tourist spots) and save the eating for the ship. Have a great time! Barcelona is a wonderful city. Enjoy!

[HokiePoq]

Don't miss seeing La Sagrada Familia cathedral which is one of the sightseeing highlights.

I'd recommend doing a circuit on a Hop On Hop Off bus, then deciding where on the route you'd like to spend more time.

We enjoyed Park Guell and also much of Gaudi's works.

 

La Sagrada Familia is absolutely not to be missed. You can buy timed tickets online and not have as long a wait. If you want to go up one of the towers, buy ahead of time. It was fabulous! On our recent port stop, we used the metro close to the port to go there and then spent some time walking down Las Ramblas back toward the ship. Great day for little $$.

On another cruise, we came in a day early and did La Sagrada before it was completed (mostly anyway), the Gothic quarter, and Las Ramblas.

Another time we went to Monseratt, out of the city...breathtaking.

Another time we did the two day HoHo deal. While it gets you around and has a nice narrative, it is s..l...o..w. One day we did the fortress you see on top of the hill from the port with the funicular and the other day Parc Guell. All these are great but much of the time on the HOHO is spent going slowly and then waiting at stops for whatever time the bus is supposed to leave that spot to keep the buses at assigned intervals. For two days, we really only saw two sights and did a lot of riding.

Barcelona seems to be the departure point or a stop on a lot of the Med cruises we've taken and we've enjoyed them all. Can't help with the food as we usually buy things at grocery stores (including nice food souvenirs (candy/cookies, etc.) to take home as gifts much cheaper and fresher than at the tourist spots and save the eating for the ship. Have a great time! Barcelona is a wonderful city. Enjoy!

Edited June 1, 2014 by HokiePoq