Need Opinions re One Day in Barcelona with a Very Early Airport Show Time

[AJs Grandpa]

Our ship is due to arrive in Barcelona around 5AM, and we plan to disembark a couple of hours later for a day in the city. Our flight back to the US leaves around 6AM the next day.

We took an escorted tour in Barcelona during a port stop last year, so this year we just want to explore the city center, Las Ramba, etc. on our own.

 

Given the early flight, we are considering the following options:

 

1. Book a hotel near the city center and get a taxi or car service to pick us up in time for a 4AM arrival at the airport;

 

2. Take a taxi from the port to the airport area on our day of arrival, drop off our bags and find our way back downtown either by taxi, transfer or public transit. We would then return to the airport hotel in the evening and be positioned for our early flight. (Assume we would need to check in at the airport around 4AM.)

 

Questions:

 

1. Does anyone have any thoughts/experience for a similar circumstance?

 

2. Any recommendations regarding hotels either downtown or at the airport?

 

3. Any especially good or bad experiences with any taxi companies or airport transfer services?

[MADflyer]

You do not really gain that much by staying at an airport hotel as the distance is not that great and timing at that hour is not much of an issue. Even those with shuttles would not have their shuttle operating that early and the minimum taxi fare to the airport is set at 20 euros.

 

You then have the issue with not being to check in early and the lost time on your arrival date, when you could just store your bags immediately and get out and enjoy the city.

 

As lunch time in Spain is from 2pm to 4 pm, you could use that hour for a nice meal.

 

You must be connecting if you are leaving that early and probably do not need to check in at 4 am, but could plan to leave your hotel at that hour. This can be airline specific, but just a suggestion.

 

At that hour you would be at the airport in just over 20 minutes I would guess.

[AJs Grandpa]

I appreciate the quick response.

 

Yes, we are connecting--one couple in Amsterdam; the other in Paris.

 

I did find at least one airport hotel claiming 24/7 shuttle service, but your comments about lost time, etc. are consistent with what I am thinking. I don't want to spend too much time commuting between the city center and the airport area if it doesn't gain us much.

 

Do you have any suggestions for a hotel that will be suitable for what will literally amount to a few hours?

 

Thanks again for your reply.

[mskaufman]

We had a similar time frame in Barcelona. We stayed at the Avenida Palace, about two blocks from the Placa Catalunya. We were concerned about finding a taxi early in the morning to get to the airport but it was no trouble at all.

[AJs Grandpa]

We had a similar time frame in Barcelona. We stayed at the Avenida Palace, about two blocks from the Placa Catalunya. We were concerned about finding a taxi early in the morning to get to the airport but it was no trouble at all.

 

Good info. Thanks.